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VOLUME:115 No.246, NOVEMBER 15, 2018

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Nygard pays out $2.6m to go home

Settlement agreed with Save the Bays ends property grab

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net PETER Nygard has paid a $2.6m settlement to Save The Bays which has allowed him to retake possession of Nygard Cay. Yesterday, STB lawyer Fred Smith touted the effectiveness of the country’s judicial system, underscoring the importance of perseverance.

“Save The Bays is very pleased that once again the rule of law has been upheld and that the effectiveness of the Bahamian judicial system in enforcing a judgement has been

successful,” Mr Smith said.

“I know that many foreign investors and many Bahamians at times are sceptical of the effectiveness of the judicial system but the reality is that perseverance and application will ultimately succeed in upholding the administration of justice ...the reality is that the Bahamian judicial system works.”

The property was seized in September following a petition by Save The Bays to have it sold to satisfy debts Mr Nygard owed in legal costs from illegal dredging activities.

SEE PAGE FIVE

TOURISM and Aviation Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar has said the negotiations into charging international airlines fees for using Bahamian airspace are going “extremely well”.

The majority of the country’s airspace is currently managed by the United

States. Mr D’Aguilar said as a result of ongoing discussions, The Bahamas will secure the right to charge overflight fees and will pay the US to manage the airspace on its behalf. He added the government is about to put out a request for proposals (RFP) for a company that will assist the country in monetising its airspace.

SEE PAGE SIX

L SOUR CE

PRE-SCHOOL VOUCHERS WORTH $2K PER CHILD

By RIEL MAJOR

THE Ministry of Education yesterday launched the second phase of its universal pre-school programme with a contract signing for its private pre-school partnership.

Forty-four private pre-schools have been identified for the plan and parents will be able to get vouchers of up to $2,000 per child to enroll in one of the approved institutions.

Education Minister Jeffrey Lloyd said more than 300 pre-schoolers have already been enrolled in the government’s pre-schools and many other public primary schools through construction and expansion of school facilities.

The government and private pre-school providers gathered at the Ministry of Education’s Learning Resources Section yesterday for the contract signing.

SEE PAGE TEN

G LUCAYAN SALE - SEVEN ‘SERIOUS’ CONTENDERS

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

D’AGUILAR SIGNALS AIR FEES WINDFALL

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net

$1

SERENADE OF THE SEAS A YOUNGSTER from Eva Hilton Primary School sings during the opening ceremony on board the Symphony of the Seas cruise ship visiting New Providence yesterday. See page seven for more on the ship’s debut in Bahamian waters - and a look inside.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis revealed that of the 20 investor groups interested in purchasing the Grand Lucayan resort, there are seven serious contenders the government is looking at closely.

“We want to ensure that whomever purchases the hotel will have the funds to carry it forth to the future and vision of The Bahamas,” he said while taking questions from reporters yesterday at the Grand Bahama Technology Summit in Freeport.

SEE PAGE TWO

MY DADDY’S LAST WORDS: ‘I LOVE YOU’ Weekend

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

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DEVASTATED Arlene Newton Gaitor said yesterday she will hold on to her father Cassius Cyril Gaitor’s last words to her the night before he tragically died, when he told her he loved her.

Gaitor died in Tuesday’s fishing boat explosion in waters near Morgan’s Bluff, Andros. Police were alerted to the incident around 10am.

CASSIUS CYRIL GAITOR Five men on board jumped off the boat as it exploded. Four survived while Gaitor lost

his life. In the wake of the incident, his daughter said devastation has overcome the family, with loved ones struggling to come to grips with the way in which the “happy go lucky” farmer lost his life.

Ms Newton Gaitor said her 53-year-old father loved farming, but was also fond of fishing and did it whenever he had free time. It was his hobby for years, she said.

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THE TRIBUNE

GRAND LUCAYAN SALE - THERE ARE SEVEN ‘SERIOUS’ CONTENDERS from page one

Dr Minnis is confident that the hotel property will be sold, but also indicated that the government will soon make a big announcement about a project for Grand Bahama.

“We have a great project for Grand Bahama that hopefully we will be able to announce very soon, he said. “I won’t give a

commitment or date, but very soon we will announce a very great project that I think will assist in projecting Grand Bahama forward.”

The unsold Grand Lucayan property continues to negatively affect the island’s economy. Businesses at the nearby Port Lucaya Marketplace are closing one by one. The remaining stores and straw vendors are struggling to hang on until the hotel can be sold.

When asked for an update on the sale of the hotel, Dr Minnis said: “My understanding is that at least about 20 groupings are showing interest and about seven look very serious. The committee (overseeing the sale) is dealing with it.”

He added that separation packages to hotel employees will be carried out in compliance with the union’s industrial agreement and the country’s laws in terms of what workers are entitled to.

“I have not been intimately involved in negotiations (with the lawyers for the frontline employees), but they know they must follow the laws of the Bahamas and under no circumstance are we to compromise or marginalise any Bahamian.”

Earlier this year the government bought the beleaguered hotel for a purchase price of $65m, with plans to quickly offload it to a viable buyer.

Dr Minnis assured hotel workers and residents that things will turnaround for Grand Bahama. “I think Grand Bahama has a bright future …and I think things will work out,” he said, referring to the new businesses exhibited at Tech Summit that have been started by Bahamians.

“As you know technology is the future.

When I walked through (the exhibition floor) I was surprised at the number of Bahamians that have started their own businesses. They started with just one or two individuals and are now in the process of hiring as much as 25 employees and looking to employ more. So, we are in a

BUCKET

PRIME Minister Minnis is confident the hotel property will be sold. digital revolution and we will have Bahamians coming out as millionaires during this time.”

When asked about airlift to the island, Dr Minnis admitted that has always been a very difficult challenge for Grand Bahama.

“Airlift into Grand Bahama has been very expensive, and we have been discussing that regularly with tourism (officials) and Bahamasair to see how we can deal with that. It is challenge but nothing is impossible…but we are prepared to break down those walls and barriers to succeed.”

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Thursday, November 15, 2018, PAGE 3

My daddy’s last words: ‘I love you’

from page one When he picked her up from work on Monday night, she never imagined it would be the last time she would see him.

“Me and my father were very close. I called him Sunday night to pick me up from work and we talked and laughed. He said ‘Nara,’ as he would call me, ‘I love you. I remember that December 20, 1986,

morning you were born,’” said Mr Gaitor, the father of nine.

When asked how the family is coping, she said: “Right now we can only do what any other family would do. We are staying together in prayer.

“To be honest we are just devastated that he’s gone and disappointed in the way it happened. But somehow we are relieved that his body was found and we have a body to bury

rather than us not knowing where he is and not having a chance for some kind of closure.”

Asked if there were lingering questions about the incident, she said while there was a lot of speculation, relatives would wait to see a report on the explosion.

She said life won’t be the same without her father but the family will hold on to memories made during a life well lived.

Following the incident, police in New Providence released a report about the explosion.

“Preliminary reports are that shortly after 10am today (Tuesday), five men from Andros were on a fishing trip some three miles off Morgan’s Bluff, when their boat caught afire and an explosion occurred.

“The five men all jumped overboard for safety. A short while later one of the men was found unconscious

submerged in the water.

“The man was taken to shore where he was pronounced dead by the island’s local doctor. Investigations are ongoing.”

According to Superintendent Ricardo Richardson, officer-in-charge on the island, Mr Gaitor was a well known person on the island.

He was a resident of Mastic Point.

This fatal incident comes about five months after a 4C’s tour boat exploded in

Exuma killing one American woman – Maleka Jackson.

Among the 10 other people on board and injured were Tiran Jackson - Mrs Jackson’s husband who lost a leg, and Stefanie Schaffer, a 22-year-old woman from Vermont who had both of her legs amputated.

Two people have since been charged with manslaughter by negligence and causing negligent harm in connection with the incident.

‘NO SURPRISE’ AT PM’S VISA SILENCE

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Leader Philip “Brave” Davis said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ silence over the FBI’s probe into an alleged visa scam in the country is not surprising as he castigated the government for its late response to the allegations.

Mr Davis further insisted that claims related to this were not an issue under the former Christie administration.

He was asked about the claims of bribery for work permits which were contained in a report by the FBI as part of wider visa fraud probe not long after Attorney General Carl Bethel said the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s Anti-Corruption Unit would be probing the allegations.

“The fact that he’s gone silent is not surprising,” Mr Davis said. “He is taking a page out of the playbook of someone else I think of not responding and being accountable or transparent in dealings with the Bahamian public.

“The question is that we, including we here in opposition, we here in media, have to continue to press him to respond to the questions that the

Bahamian people requires an answer.

“Again (this is) a display of the hypocrisy, which has been their mantra in office from being elected.”

He added: “I think we took the position that the government ought to take it up with the US authorities because once they were aware of the allegations one would have expected that they would have made it known to the authorities here and they would have collaborated and coordinated an effort to determine the efficacy of the allegations and move forward. So it is a bit late now to say I’m going to engage the AntiCorruption Unit up to the names are out there being scandalised.

“There is a process.

Allegations are made all the time and once the allegations are made until you’ve reached the point where you think it needs to be tested in the court against the person, you ought not to make known that person’s name. In fact there is now legal authority to suggest the police is investigating that person’s name ought not to be made known unless the person is charged.”

In prepared remarks, Mr Davis called on the government to lodge a formal protest on the issue to the US government.

PHILLIP ‘Brave’ Davis speaking to the media after touring the downtown Straw Market.

“Our spokesman on in office against Bahamian immigration, Senator Fred individuals whose names Mitchell has notified the have been made public.

“We must be mindful of government via the foreign minister of our concern and the fact that these actions our intent to make a public have serious implications call for the government to on their professional and address this by way of seek- personal life and should be ing some explanation and handled with the highest lodging a formal protest on sensitivity. If you recall, in this issue to the US govern- a recent case, even though ment for the record. This the name of the individual is all the more important involved in a bribery case as the reputation of senior that surfaced in proceedgovernment officials have ings in the US was known, it was not disclosed until been called into question.”

He questioned how an formal charges against him untested document with was levied. That is the prechearsay evidence could be edent one which should be produced in court in the followed in this case,” Mr US alleging malfeasance Davis said.

Photo: Donavan McIntosh

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PAGE 4, Thursday, November 15, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

LEON E. H. DUPUCH,

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,

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Publisher/Editor 1903-1914 Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .

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Ministers without portfolios are finding their place in the world MORE and more institutions across the United States are hiring chaplains and other spiritual care providers. Some are places that have long employed chaplains, but others may come as a surprise.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example, recently installed a new chaplain. Various police departments are adding additional chaplains, as are horse racing tracks. At the same time, chaplaincy positions continue to exist in the US House and Senate.

Given the growing numbers of Americans who describe themselves as atheistic, agnostic or “nothing in particular,” this can appear puzzling. Why is chaplaincy growing when institutional religious affiliation is on the decline?

The presence of chaplains in American institutions goes back to the Revolutionary War, when they served the American military. Chaplains helped perform many rituals and were present for patriotic ceremonies and events.

Military chaplains have long been uniformed, noncombatant, commissioned officers with rank.

Later, prisons and hospitals came to employ them to provide spiritual care.

In federal prisons, chaplains provide a ministry to prisoners, along with support for behavior modification. In earlier eras, chaplains, like the American population in general, were overwhelmingly Protestant, Catholic or Jewish. They mostly cared for people from their own faith traditions.

These traditional roles are changing.

In our research we have come across some unique examples of organisations and people providing support to individuals and communities in a variety of situations.

Allay Care Services, a newly launched venture, for example, provides chaplains who, for a fee, help individuals and families clarify their wishes at the end of life and prepare the necessary legal documents. While religious leaders have long worked around these issues, Allay links chaplains to people they do not know.

The work takes place by phone.

Chaplains provide care for weary travellers. Donna Mote at Atlanta’s

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is just one chaplain among those working in over 170 countries who provide support to people they see mostly once as they pass through that busy space. At the New England Seafarers’ Mission in Boston, chaplain Steve Cushing, greets the foreign-born staff of container and cruise ships every week.

Chaplains are currently deployed with every Red Cross disaster team in the United States and with many fire departments across the country. In these and other examples, they are present with people in crisis and help connect them to other resources. Mote and Cushing, for example, help travelers transfer money to their families, shop for basic necessities or even call home.

While some of the people chaplains serve have relationships with local clergy, growing numbers do not. This means that chaplains are, in many cases, the only theologically educated people that these members of the public have a connection with.

Religious studies scholar Winnifred Sullivan describes chaplains today as “secular priests” or “ministers without portfolios.” Their work, increasingly called “spiritual care,” she argues, is understood by many as required by the First Amendment of the US Constitution.

What is most interesting is the presence of chaplains in places not typically thought to be “religious”.

For example, chaplains are increasingly present in social movements including Occupy, Black Lives Matter and Standing Rock. They provide a steady presence to protesters grappling with existential questions amid deep tensions that characterise such situations.

In view of this trend, a quarter of theological schools are focusing attention directly on chaplaincy as their overall enrolment numbers continue to decline.

Might this reflect a long-term shift in American religious life?

By Wendy Cadge of Brandeis University This article first appeared on The Conversation

This criticism of our PM over BPL is unfair EDITOR, The Tribune PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, in my humble opinion, is taking an unnecessary shellacking from the media over his yet to be fulfilled pledge to launch an investigation into matters surrounding Minister of Public Works Desmond Bannister and the Darnell Osbourne-led Bahamas Power and Light board.

Minnis’ pledge has also placed his press secretary, Anthony “Ace” Newbold, in a precarious position, in having to answer questions about this promised probe by the media each time he holds a press briefing.

Newbold has to be deeply annoyed at times. Minnis’ political opponents will use his own words to beat him up with in the next election campaign cycle.

The Osbourne-led BPL board was terminated in mid August by the Minnis administration, amid rumours of discord among its members. The readership of both The Tribune and The Nassau Guardian kept track of the back and

forth between Bannister and the erstwhile executive chairperson, Osbourne, who has since severed ties with the Free National Movement. The reason for the dismissal of the board is still somewhat ambiguous.

However, based on what Bannister has said, and based on what has been leaked to the press, no BPL funds have gone missing under Osbourne’s watch. Nothing egregious or criminal has been alleged which would warrant the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) or the Central Detective Unit (CDU) intervening. Granted, there were allegations by Bannister about a make-up bill and a home security system for the former executive chairperson -- which I believe she has denied.

However, if Bannister’s allegations are accurate, I don’t see the need for an official probe by the government over such trivial matters. Osbourne and Co have been terminated already. What need is there for further punishment?

Why waste time and scarce resources over such trivial

matters, when the parties involved have already been dismissed and have moved on with their lives, and when the RBPF and CDU already have their hands full dealing with the crime crisis gripping Nassau? To undertake an investigation on BPL would be an unnecessary overkill.

The Minnis administration would only be subjecting an already demoralised Osbourne to double jeopardy. The woman and her family have suffered enough. What Bahamians want from BPL is an efficient, reliable power grid which is affordable. Punishing a terminated board will not improve the lives of BPL consumers.

Minnis just needs to let bygones be bygones and tell the tenacious media that he will not proceed with a probe into BPL. Bahamians are not losing sleep over what transpired between Bannister and terminated board members.

KEVIN EVANS Freeport Grand Bahama November 6, 2018

We don’t need any more hot air from Fred EDITOR, The Tribune FRED MITCHELL blows off so much hot air that it might be wise to use his pronouncements instead of diesel fuel to turn the electricity generators at the Blue Hills power plant.

The chairman of the PLP who fell short of re-election to the House of Assembly by an area code sounding 242 votes, seems to have found a new bass for his voice.

Fred opened his mouth and again planted his Ivy League foot firmly in it.

According to Fred, the new chairman of Bahamas Power and Light, Dr Donovan Moxey, is a political neophyte who just showed up in a Kia and should drive in the slow lane and leave the fast lane open for Ferrari-driving motor mouths like him and Opposition Leader Brave Davis.

Davis was the last PLP to have oversight of BPL and he put in his two cents on recent rate hikes caused by a continuation of the dysfunction at the company that both generates and distributes power on this island.

First of all, if only those politicians who never interfered with the company were allowed to publicly discuss BPL, then we the people would enjoy a sustained period of silence.

BPL has suffered from political interference, neglect and mismanagement since the days when the acronym for “blackout” was spelled BEC. The PLP gave a contract to an American company to come into the strange culture of BEC and somehow transform it into a paragon of efficiency. But Davis was constantly looking from behind a two-way mirror eavesdropping on everything that the Board tried to do.

The FNM got rid of the Americans but then installed a Board who decided it was best to have their own World Wrestling Federation style sparing sessions in full view of the general public (at

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net least those with generators, because the rest of us had no electricity most of the time).

When that Board was unceremoniously fired, a new one was quickly put in place. It is their task to drag BPL into the technological future. Earlier this year an agreement was signed with Shell North America to switch BPL from expensive and dirty diesel fuel to cheaper and cleaner natural gas for electricity generation.

Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago switched to LNG some time ago and one wonders why it took us so long. It was certainly no secret that the generators at Clifton Pier and Blue Hills were polluting dinosaurs that needed to be retired.

The Clifton Pier plant suffered a fire recently (wink, wink) and power generation had to be switched to Blue Hills which burns a somewhat cleaner but more expensive type of “dirty” diesel oil.

All of this additional cost was passed on to the longsuffering consumers.

Brave Davis says that bills have gone up by as much as 70 percent. Not so, countered Dr Moxey. Then a verbal fit ensued over whether the true increase was less than 70 percent.

But both Davis, Dr Moxey and Mitchell, completely missed the point.

We are paying more for less service. Dr Moxey says it is because we are using more energy. That may have been true in the summer when our air conditioning units were on overdrive but there is scant basis for that argument now.

Davis can’t fix his mouth to criticise the FNM for the problems at BPL when it fared no better when his hand was on the wheel.

Dr Moxey has every right to set the record straight and to defend his

board and his management. What’s more, Fred Mitchell’s self-serving drivel implying that Moxey should stick to his knitting, must be ridiculed.

Mitchell can’t put a silencer on the private citizen chairman of a public body. Though the sole shareholder of BPL is the government, the chairman and his fellow directors are not civil servants muzzled by general orders.

Still, it would have been more prudent for Moxey to kick the can upstairs to his line minister Desmond Bannister and have Bannister call out Brave Davis’ hypocrisy.

Shell has broken ground on the new LNG plant at Clifton Pier but it’s as if BPL doesn’t have a public relations department because we don’t hear squat about their construction progress.

Dr Moxey and one of his directors, Viana Gardiner, head of the delivery unit in the Prime Minister’s Office, jetted off to Miami where they were speakers at the Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum, a talk-shop for those people in the electricity business aided by the United States’ Caribbean Clean Energy Programme (CARCEP).

This was started under Barack Obama and for now it seems to have survived the wrath of Trump.

The best way to shut up Mitchell and Davis is for Dr Moxey to talk about the progress that BPL is making to become cleaner, greener and cheaper. We desperately want to know when our bills will start coming down.

We don’t care if it went up by 60 or 70 percent.

Paying to watch politicians fight over how much pain the rate increase is causing their individual households is no comfort to the family who can’t pay their light bill or the family sitting in the dark because the current is off. Again!

THE GRADUATE Nassau November 13, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, November 15, 2018, PAGE 5

Smith’s lawyer quizzes police officer over cash payments

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net FORMER PLP Senator Frank Smith’s lead attorney yesterday asked a senior police officer if he had verified the virtual complainant’s claims that his client demanded cash payments for helping her get a cleaning contract with the Public Hospitals Authority before moving to charge him over the allegations.

Keith Knight, QC, asked Superintendent Uel Johnson if he had secured enough evidence to corroborate with Barbara Hanna’s claims that Smith demanded $5,000 per month from her in exchange for his assistance in getting her the $500,000 contract to clean the Critical Care Block of the Princess Margaret Hospital.

Mr Knight, in crossexamining the officer, reasoned that when a complaint is made to the police, it is regarded as an allegation, and that it would be incorrect and improper for an investigator to instead regard those claims as fact. With that understanding, he suggested that what was contained in Supt Johnson’s report was not consistent with the charges against his client.

In response, Supt Johnson said at the time he interviewed Smith over the allegations, which was in July 2017, he did make further inquiries at the PHA, BTC, the Registrar’s Office, and Mrs Hanna in a bid to verify the accusations, but stressed that his investigation was still ongoing at the time, as Smith wasn’t charged until days later.

Supt Johnson further maintained that an investigation does not take place over the course of “one or two days,” but can continue while the trial is taking place and can last up until the end of those proceedings.

Prior to Mr Knight’s assertions, the court was shown a video of Smith’s initial record of interview over the allegations on July 19, 2017. Smith’s other attorneys Damian Gomez, QC, as well as Philip McKenzie were present during the interview, as well as another senior officer.

During that interview, Supt Johnson put forth allegations to the former

FRANK SMITH, left, and one of his legal team yesterday, senator that former Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis advised or instructed Smith to assist Mrs Hanna in obtaining the contract for $43,350.89 per month, and when she was successful in doing so, he asked her to pay him $5,000 per month.

Supt Johnson also alleged that Mrs Hanna told Smith that doing so would interfere with her business, and that when she told Smith to factor the payments into the contract amount, he in turn said he couldn’t do so because the contract was already being processed.

Supt Johnson alleged that Smith subsequently received $5,000 per month from Mrs Hanna between March 2016 and March 2017.

However, sometime during May 2017, after the general election, Supt Johnson asserted that Smith allegedly contacted Mrs Hanna and said he wanted to see her. Supt Johnson claimed when they met, she told Smith she was not going to give him any more money because his political party, the PLP, was out of power.

Smith denied all of the allegations during the interview.

When further questioned by the officer as to whether he knew Barbara Hanna, Smith said “I know a number of Barbara Hannas.”

When asked if he knew the owner of Magic Touch, Mr Smith said he didn’t,

NYGARD PAYS OUT $2.6M TO GO HOME from page one

It followed a two-day stand-off which saw Deputy Provost Marshal Tommy Sands along with a team of police officers blocked from entering the compound.

Mr Nygard sought damages from the government, claiming in Supreme Court writs that his constitutional rights were breached and Nygard Cay had been wrongfully seized by the country’s provost marshal.

However, Mr Smith said the settlement made between Mr Nygard and the environmental action group included a compromise for that case to be dropped.

“The actual amount owed was $2.9m,” Mr Smith said, “in order to settle we compromised at $2.6 m. Part of the settlement is that Mr Keod Smith has agreed to withdraw his newest judicial review against the commissioner of police and the provost marshal claiming that they did not have the legal power to seize and sell Nygard Cay.” The costs were ordered in four separate certificates of taxation, obtained by The Tribune, and flow from Nygard’s ongoing battle

PETER NYGARD with STB over allegations the construction/development activities at his Lyford Cay home have led to a substantial growth of the property.

Mr Smith said: “There is now a permanent injunction against the government considering any applications or issuing any permits to Mr Nygard for any construction on land or at sea at Nygard Cay. The government has issued a decision requiring Mr Nygard remove the illegal southeast jetty and groyne which has prevented the sand from flowing into Clifton Bay and Jaws Beach.

“The government has also issued a decision to apply to set aside the default judgement that Mr Nygard got against government in 2012, whereby he got a declaration that he was lawfully entitled to the additional three acres.”

but suggested that the officer show him a picture of that individual.

When the interview came to an end, Smith declined to read and sign the record of interview on the advice of his attorneys.

It was also revealed in court that Mrs Hanna said she borrowed some $20,000 from Smith’s lending company to subsidize her business, and that she also produced Commonwealth Bank receipts that substantiated her statements that she repaid her loan to Smith.

The case continues today.

Smith is on trial before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt on 15 criminal charges concerning his alleged solicitation of $65,000 in bribes from a woman he is said to have assisted in getting a contract. He is currently out on $50,000 bail.

It is alleged that Smith, between April 2016 and April 2017, in respect of his duties as a public officer, demanded and obtained $5,000 a month from Mrs Hanna, knowing he was not lawfully authorised to do so.

He is also alleged to have attempted to extort another $5,000 from Mrs Hanna.

Concerning the bribery charge, it is alleged that he solicited $5,000 a month from Mrs Hanna for aiding her in getting a contract with the PHA. Smith pleaded not guilty to all the allegations during his arraignment.

Photo: Donavan McIntosh

PAGE 6, Thursday, November 15, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

D’Aguilar signals air fees windfall from page one While Mr D’Aguilar admitted this could bring a “windfall” to the public purse, he refrained from committing to a specific figure, saying he could not estimate the amount at this time. He added the negotiations should be complete before the end of 2019.

This move – long championed by The Tribune – could earn millions of dollars in revenue every year.

In a long running campaign, The Tribune has repeatedly advised the Bahamas that it should be like the vast majority of countries around the world that generate significant sums for their treasuries by charging overflight fees.

“I want the public to know that that is very much moving forward,” Mr D’Aguilar told reporters.

“Maybe I had not reported to the Bahamian people, but those negotiations are going extremely well.

“Just two weeks ago I met with the (Federal Aviation Administration) FAA in Miami again – it was my second meeting with them – and we’re moving quite smartly along with getting an agreement with them where they would continue to manage our airspace.”

Mr D’Aguilar said 75 percent of the airspace is managed by the US and 25 percent is managed by Cuba.

“In order for us to change

who manages our airspace, we have to get the blessing of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and they are not minded to change that,” he continued. “They like the United States managing our airspace and at this time they’re not minded to change that.

“But, what we are going to do is, we’re going to secure the right to charge the overflight fees and (we will pay) the Americans to manage our airspace on our behalf.

“That seems to be a wonderful compromise situation, where it allows us to charge overflight fees and the Americans will continue to manage our airspace.”

When asked if this change will mean millions for the public purse, Mr D’Aguilar said initial indications point to it bringing a “windfall”, but he could not provide specifics on Tuesday.

“We are about to put out an RFP for a company to help us monetise our airspace. There are companies that specifically handle this on behalf of countries that are taking control or taking over the management of their airspace, of our sovereign airspace.”

Regarding a timeline, Mr D’Aguilar said: “I’m going to give myself the leeway of the whole calendar 2019, and then I’m going to impress you by coming in under that date.”

In January 2017, the

Christie administration hailed as a “landmark accomplishment” its agreement with the FAA to exempt Bahamian aircraft operators from the payment of over flight fees for domestic flights in their own airspace.

At the time, then-Prime Minister Perry Christie said the deal, which was seen as a possible first step in the Bahamas regaining control of its own air space above 6,000 feet, would save the national flag carrier, Bahamasair, around $1m over a three-year period.

Under international laws, countries require airlines and other aircraft to pay a fee for the right to fly over their airspace. The administration of those rights in The Bahamas has been performed by the FAA since 1952, meaning Bahamasair and other Bahamian-owned carriers have had to pay the US for the privilege of flying over their own country.

Former Minister of Transport Glenys Hanna Martin has previously said that talks on the matter stretched back to 2006 during the first Christie administration, when negotiations initiated by that government had “progressed as far as a request from the Bahamian government for the US government to submit a proposal for the payment to the government of The Bahamas of over flight fees.”

DIONISIO D’AGUILAR, Minister of Tourism and Aviation.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, November 15, 2018, PAGE 7

World beater in The Bahamas

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas made history when the world’s largest ship docked in its harbour yesterday, its first official stop on its maiden voyage.

The arrival of the Royal Caribbean International’s Symphony of the Seas was punctuated by celebratory music befitting of its grandeur courtesy of Junkanoo groups, law enforcement bands and a rhythm and youth band.

The ship set sail from the port of Miami with invited guests only for its inaugural voyage, including hundreds of media representatives and travel agents. Guests saw the $1.4 billion cruise ship as its own moving city, with more than enough amenities to keep guests preoccupied during a typical vacation.

The ship boasts 22 restaurants, 42 bars and lounges, theatres, an ice rink, a surfing simulator, a zip line, a ten feet slide (the tallest at sea), robots that mix and serve drinks and a galore of games. It can carry 6,680 guests.

Michael Bayley, president and CEO of RBI, said: “It is fitting that the first call of our newest, most advanced ship in our fleet, a ship in which we take immense pride, would make Nassau her first official port of call. It was 50 years ago that Royal Caribbean’s first ship sailed out of the port in South Florida and called on Nassau, our first partner in the cruise industry, our loyal partner through the decades and to this day, The Bahamas remains our closest friend and most popular destination.”

Mr Bayley said RBI plans to extend the length of time its ships spend in the port so people “could see and spend more on your beautiful islands” .

Mr Bayley touted RBI’s ongoing investment of $240 million

Royal Caribbean International’s Symphony of the Seas is in town

in CocoCay off the Berry Islands where the company is creating a project called a “Perfect Day in CocoCay”. The attraction is scheduled to open in the second quarter of next year, according to Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar.

Mr Bayley said: “This incredible project will make CocoCay the single most desirable cruise destination in the Caribbean and The Bahamas. The investments in CocoCay together with unemployment in the newest and world’s largest ship in the destination means expanded opportunities for The Bahamas.”

During an earlier press conference yesterday, Mr Bayley stressed all the ways RBI has impacted the economy of The Bahamas. “As a company,” he said, “Royal Caribbean, we’re a fairly significant employer in The Bahamas. You may or may not know but we are partners in the Grand Bahama Shipyard

MICHAEL BAYLEY, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Internation, with Philip Smith, Director of Bahamas Feeding Network.

RCI PROMISES TO SUPPLY BAHAMAS FEEDING NETWORK WITH 2019 NEEDS ROYAL Caribbean International has pledged to supply the Bahamas Feeding Network with all the food it will need to fulfill its humanitarian mission in 2019.

The surprise announcement came during a welcoming ceremony onboard RBI’s Symphony of the Seas, the company’s newest vessel and the world’s largest ship, which made Nassau its first official stop yesterday.

The announcement, met with cheers and applause, comes more than a month after RBI donated $25,000 to BFN. The non-profit organisation tackles the hunger crisis, serving as a hub for collecting and distributing food

items and financial and physical resources to people who don’t know where next meal may come from.

In response to RBI’s action, BFN’s Executive Director, Philip Smith, noted that the Department of Statistics determined that 44,000 people in the Bahamas experience hunger, a figure he believes is underestimated by about 20,000.

Last month RBI’s President and CEO, Michael Bayley, donned gloves and lined up alongside volunteers to provide home cooked meals to people in need at Moseff House in Fox Hill.

Mr Smith credited that experience with influencing RBI’s decision to make this larger contribution.

THE OPENING ceremony included a performance by Eva Hilton primary school, left, a session by the Rhythm and Youth Band, bottom left, and one by the Colours Junkanoo Group, far left.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

where we take all of our ships.

The Carnival ships go to the shipyard so we’re a major employer there.

“We have had CocoCay for over 25 years. We’re a major employer of the Berry Islands and of course with the development of Perfect Day (on CocoCay) we will double our employment of Bahamians with Perfect Day. We also made a commitment late last year that we will work with the National Training Agency to hire Bahamians for our ship positions. We’ve

targeted 200 Bahamians a year to work on board our ships, which by the way has a massive amount of opportunity. First of all it’s a great career for kids. We have wonderful ethical standards and just like the captain who started in a much lower position like myself, there are opportunities for growth.

“They can have a very rewarding career with Royal Caribbean and we encourage our Bahamian friends to think about joining Royal Caribbean. In fact, right now we have a recruiting

campaign in The Bahamas. Let people know: we’re hiring.”

RBI brought over 1.2 million passengers to The Bahamas last year and the company hopes to increase this number to 1.7 billion by 2020 with the help of the Symphony of the Seas, which is a part of the company’s Oasis Class of ships.

“We in The Bahamas,” Mr D’Aguilar said, “are honoured that on the maiden voyage Symphony of the Seas is snugly anchored here to day in the port of Nassau. The presence of this new, record breaking vessel in the port of Nassau speaks to the depth and quality of our relationship, a relationship between the government of The Bahamas and one of the world’s leading cruise-lines, Royal Caribbean International.”

PAGE 8, Thursday, November 15, 2018

By DR ROBIN ROBERTS

I

T DEPENDS where you live, is the answer posed by the question in the headline.

If you lived in the USA, you would still be at the fork in the road. One hundred years later it remains the hottest debate in every congressional, senatorial, gubernatorial and presidential election campaign: individualism, a personal responsibility versus collectivism, the common good. If you lived in the other 34 of the 35 most developed countries in the world, it would be a slam-dunk.

All of them have a national health insurance programme – a government guarantee that every person is covered for basic health care services.

The Bahamas government espoused the values of collectivism, that health care is a human right, a public good. Such a philosophy was a no–brainer for us, a country grounded in the Christian values that we are our brother’s keeper.

As in most countries the journey to NHI in the Bahamas has been a long process, a 40-year long tortuous path manoeuvring through the political gauntlet: Who to pay? For what? How much? When, where and how to pay? So amidst the fury and dust of the recent general elections campaign, in April 2014, the first phase of a NHI programme was implemented Primary Care.

The phased approach was a realisation that health care is expensive: we take heed in that Bahamian proverbial phase – “don’t hang your basket higher beyond your reach”. In this onslaught of the noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) that afflict us in The Bahamas - where we are leaders in the region in obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cancers, violence and high cost of care - there is great wisdom in the Primary Care-first approach.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

The journey to NHI continues.

It is time to take the next step.

There are times when we need more than a primary care physician; we need specialised services inclusive of hospitalisation too.

This is where 70 percent of our healthcare dollar is spent. And it’s not cheap. We recognise that we have to face the challenge of paying for high cost care, expensive care.

We can’t kick the can down the road any longer. Too many Bahamians can’t afford it. Insurance premiums and out-of-pocket

THE TRIBUNE

Who should pay for healthcare?

Dr Robin Roberts, chairman of the National Health Insurance Authority board, speaking during a recent town hall meeting in Grand Bahama.

Photo: Vandyke Hepburn

expenses; even the government nominal health facility charges exceed their income. It gets worse as we age and face the inevitable: we need and use more hospitalbased and specialist care. Too many of our people do without because they can’t afford it. They suffer too; and God forbid, some die for lack of ability to pay for health care.

As we journey into the minefield of high cost care, the collective responsibility cannot be overemphasised. In a society, collective responsibility recognises that in health and disease, by its very nature, there are those who cannot pay because they have limited or no earning capacity: our children, the elderly, the unemployed, the indigent. Paying for health care translates to a health mutual. Those who are healthy pay for those who are sick and can’t pay. For health care is fraught with uncertainty. We don’t know when or if we’ll get sick, or what disease we’ll get. Accidents happen. The young will become old.

In this spirit of collectivism, that healthcare is a public good, paying

for health care becomes a shared responsibility. It’s a commitment to being our brother’s keeper as in the parable of the Good Samaritan – we are all neighbours along the journey.

The National Health Insurance Authority embodied this shared responsibility in the foundation of the new NHI programme to pay for high cost care within the standard or essential package of health care benefits.

It’s the worker and the employees contributing their shared proportionally through salary deductions with a portion to go to those who could least afford.

It’s the government contributing its share through continuing their budget allocation from the treasury to fund the essential benefit package for those least able to pay, namely senior citizens, retirees, children, the indigent and the unemployed.

It’s the insurance companies contributing their share through a waiver of exclusions and penalties for pre-existing conditions; it’s a community, not experienced based-ratings. It’s the providers contributing by reducing their

reimbursement rates to deliver care to those least able to pay.

NHI becomes a catalyst for transforming the reimbursement models for physicians.

The Public Hospitals Authority and the Department of Public Health are the people’s ownership and their investment in human capital. The criticisms and complaints of the Ministry of Health, namely PMH, Rand Memorial and the public health clinics are valid, but the problems are not insurmountable and doomed to fail.

The evidence is without dispute: making public health services work is the best proven route to achieving universal and equitable health care in developing countries. Making it work requires determined political leadership, adequate investment, evidencebased policies, and popular support. When these conditions exist, public health systems can take advantages of the economies of scale, standardised systems for regulation and improving quality, and claim legitimacy and capacity to redistribute resources and reduce inequality

With everyone covered for the same package of essential benefits at the same price, puts affordability, accessibility and equity at centre stage of a shared responsibility. Enrolment identifies every user, allowing the public institutions to submit for payment of every service delivered. The hospitals can project revenues in concert with expenses. NHI then, becomes a catalyst for transforming the reimbursement models for the public institutions as well.

Affordable, realistic and sustainability is the message of our shared responsibility in our proposed, advanced NHI programme. Health becomes not only a benefit to the individual, but to society as a whole. Healthier societies are wealthier, because they take advantage of more of their human potential. In so doing, the whole becomes greater than the sum of its individual parts.

• Dr. Robin Roberts, MD, MBA, OBE, is chairman of the Board of the National Health Insurance Authority

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THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, November 15, 2018, PAGE 9

‘Women are prostituting themselves to pay light bill’

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net BAHAMAS Electrical Workers Union President Paul Maynard yesterday said if light bills were “half” of what they are, The Bahamas would have a “new economy”.

Speaking during a meeting of the Rotary Club of South East Nassau, Mr Maynard called for the public to pressure the Minnis administration to push electricity reform forward by switching from automatic diesel oil (ADO) to cheaper forms of energy, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and renewable energy.

Last week, Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) Chairman Dr Donovan Moxey confirmed that the state-owned utility’s fuel charge is currently 19.5 cents per kilowatt hour (KWh), with Bahamian households and businesses paying an all-in tariff of around 40 cents per KWh. Mr Maynard said such high electricity costs signal a country in “crisis”, adding he is “distressed” by the fact that small businesses and the poor are “suffering under the strain of the light bill.”

“I’ve said to minister after minister, just think: if the light bill was just half of what it was, this would be a new economy,” Mr Maynard said. “It absolutely and totally must happen.

“Now, BEC are making missteps, because they have Aggreko…I’m really against Aggreko, because Aggreko are using ADO… So right now, BEC is using 90 percent diesel oil. Thus, your fuel surcharge.”

Mr Maynard said the fuel surcharge has been

BAHAMAS Electrical Workers Union president Paul Maynard. increasing “every month since April”. Regarding this, he said: “The public needs to put as much pressure on the government as possible.”

Mr Maynard also criticised the 2022 target goal for a Shell plant, as outlined via the signing of a memorandum of understanding between BPL and Shell North America for an integrated LNG gas-to-power project.

“You can’t wait for that,” Mr Maynard said. “This economy will tank before then.”

Mr Maynard claimed he has told officials, including the prime minister: “Shell is now your partner. Shell is the largest distributor of propane and LNG in the world. You need to say to Shell, ‘we are in a crisis’.

“And we are in a crisis.

Anytime you have in a country where you have mothers deciding (between) feeding their children and paying their electricity bill, that is a crisis…We have women prostituting themselves to make this light bill. And that is terrible.

“Everyone needs to get involved and we need to push back on the special interest groups and we need to push this electricity reform possible. Because our very life and our livelihood in this country depends on it.”

Mr Maynard added neighbouring countries such as Jamaica, Barbados, and the Dominican Republic all use LNG — noting this makes them more attractive to investors due to cheaper costs.

“At Baker’s Bay, they’re getting ready to put a

LNG plant at Baker’s Bay in Abaco,” Mr Maynard continued. “Because the world’s billionaires decided they’re not going to pay BEC’s bill anymore.

They’re going to go ahead and put their own stuff in.”

Calling for the government to consider alternative forms of energy, Mr Maynard suggested wind energy could be suitable for islands on the Atlantic coast, such as Eleuthera and Abaco.

He also underscored the benefits of solar energy.

“Yes, (solar energy) does need a lot of land. But we

have national parks. We could put the solar around the national parks. Lake Cunningham, Lake Killarney. You could put solar panels around the edge and blend it in with the environment. It’s innovative ways that we could use to do these things. But we need to be innovative.”

Mr Maynard estimated the Shell negotiations should be completed within three or four months. He added under that form of electricity, LNG, electricity bills should decrease to 17 cents per KWh.

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PAGE 10, Thursday, November 15, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

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The purpose of this educational initiative is to ensure all boys and girls, age three and four, have a good early educational foundation.

According to officials, the programme is not just a Ministry of Education initiative but also an international proposal mandated by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Inter-American Education Agenda.

The 2010 Bahamas Census revealed that fewer than half of Bahamian students, ages two to three, were enrolled in pre-school.

The Ministry of Education aims to increase the number of children enrolled in the pre-primary programme each year.

The Ministry of

MINISTER of Education Jeff Lloyd.

Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff Education and the Preschool and Day-Care Centre Council have endorsed this new proposal and parents can also be assured it has met all of the required standards.

Mr Lloyd said: “We have attempted to engage as many that would be able to provide... The 44 of those that meet the standard and when I say standard you’re talking about the infrastructure standard as well as the curriculum. Those were the ones able to get up to speed in time for the start of this particular initiative and who are willing.

“There are a number of those who may have the qualifications by way of the standards, physical and otherwise, or the curriculum but necessarily may not be willing, so we have 44.

“The 300 are in the public sector that is where we were able to expand within our public schools whether it was Uriah McPhee and Stephen Dillet and so on. In this instance we’ve only been able to get 427 (students) we were aiming for 500 or more so we can make up the 1,000 but we were only able to get 427 because again only ‘x’ number was able to qualify of those that came forward. But we will continue and we are happy they are working with us, the private sector, we are very pleased with the quota and the cohort of private schools that are here who are participating they are very capable they have proven track records.”

The minister said this new education initiative will definitely reach its goal quota of 1,000 children enrolled

in pre-school by January 2019.

He said: “Mrs Burrows (senior education officer) and Mrs Rhodriquez (senior education officer) are the two persons who are working in our preschool unit are going throughout the Family Islands. Those who have indicated their interest and who need more time in order to become qualified, talking about the physical features because you know these are babies and you need to have a certain bathroom size, separate bathrooms, sufficient storage space, you know they have to sleep during the daytime, they have to be in an enclosed area so they are separate from the older children if it’s not a standalone pre-school.”

He continued: “These are very important they also have to meet certain requirements from a curriculum standpoint so we can make sure that when they are finished the pre-school they can easily transition into grade one and so on.

So there is a requirement and we need to make sure that these requirements are met from the beginning, not a promise that ‘okay, Mr Minister of Education, we will get that straight in January’. No we want to make sure of that in the beginning because what we are saying to those parents is this school is qualified to receive your child and we stand by that and we are only going to stand by that based on evidence that you are in fact qualified.”

The initiative is also being carried out in the Family Islands where most pre-school students have already enrolled in public primary schools.

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THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, November 15, 2018, PAGE 11

Davis calls for fair treatment at Straw Market

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net AS SOME straw vendors railed against “terrible” treatment from the government, Progressive Liberal Party Leader Philip “Brave” Davis said the Minnis administration should be more sensitive to the challenges the sellers face.

Mr Davis along with party executives conducted a walkthrough of the Nassau Straw Market almost a week after the Straw Market Authority reportedly decided to throw away goods from the stalls of delinquent vendors.

He said the move portrayed the government as uncaring and inhumane toward the vendors, who he described as the “backbone” of the tourism industry, adding the vendors should have been dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

“It’s time for the government to take note of this industry and be more compassionate of them in their trials and tribulations,” Mr Davis said yesterday outside the market.

Irene Rolle was one of the few vendors not afraid yesterday to castigate the government as many told

The Tribune they were too scared to speak for fear of victimisation.

“That board up there?

Listen, I hope after today they got to go. Every one of them get out. Just like they tell some of us,” she said.

She was asked earlier to describe the treatment vendors are receiving. To this she and many of them said: “Terrible. They treat us like we are small.”

“We just got light in here maybe two weeks ago and many of the tourists refused to come off the ship because they were told the market is too dark they are going to be robbed, raped and all these sorts of different things. So many of the vendors like my shop, it’s lit up because of my investment before they go and turned the lights on.”

For her, the market is also an embarrassing place to bring outside guests, noting it was “filthy” and needed to be painted and cleaned.

She was speaking of inviting guest preachers and speakers for an annual thanksgiving celebration, which she said was cancelled last year, but will be held this year.

Another vendor who did not want to be named said conditions in the market

PHILLIP ‘Brave’ Davis touring the downown Straw Market with other members of the PLP. are at its worst.

“I’ve been in the market for 42 years,” she said.

“This is the first time in history I’ve seen us being treated like this. It’s just terrible.”

However, vendor Terez Ennis said she sees nothing wrong with the approach the SMA has used.

“If you are not paying your rent you know what you have to do,” she said.

“If you have stuff on a place for two or three years, if you ain’t come to check for it that means you don’t have any interest in it and that’s how the story goes.

“What do you think will happen if you have a mortgage and don’t pay it?

“If you can’t pay $38 to be in here then you don’t need to be in here at all.

Give it up,” Ms Ennis said.

Rent for the stalls is $37.50 per week.

Photo: Donavan McIntosh

PAGE 12, Thursday, November 15, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

THE SIMPSON Penn Centre for Boys.

Inmate still on loose from boys centre

By RIEL MAJOR ONE inmate of the Simpson Penn Centre for Boys, who escaped in August, still remains at large while three boys who ran away from the facility last month have been returned.

Social Services Minister Frankie Campbell told The Tribune yesterday the other escapees have been taken back before court and have dates to return.

Mr Campbell said an evaluation and an upgrade will be done from the human resources aspect and the facility’s infrastructure.

“We have to determine whether it’s negligence from the human resources side and so an evaluation is being done on both the physical infrastructure and the human resources aspect,” Mr Campbell said.

“No determination has been made as to negligence or there is no conclusion of (the) investigation to say negligence so we have to consider both aspects…that

doesn’t say that (anyone) will be (held responsible), but not as yet.’’

Thirteen juvenile inmates escaped Simpson Penn Centre for Boys after gaining access to the building’s ceiling on August 11.

The boys, aged 15-17, were unarmed and no one was hurt as a result of the escape. Police apprehended some of the inmates; others were returned by family but one was never caught.

And in early October, Mr Campbell revealed a group of four had escaped the facility.

At the time, the minister the incident happened when a group of boys being supervised were under a pavilion watching television.

One of two supervisors excused themselves to use the bathroom and upon returning it was said one boy was missing. An additional check revealed three more could not be accounted for.

One of the four was turned over the authorities shortly after his escape.

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THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, November 15, 2018, PAGE 13

MAY WINS CABINET BACKING FOR BREXIT DEAL BUT PITFALLS REMAIN LONDON Associated Press IN A hard-won victory, British Prime Minister Theresa May persuaded her fractious Cabinet to back a draft divorce agreement with the European Union yesterday, a decision that triggers the final steps on the long road to Brexit.

But she faces a backlash from her many political opponents and a fierce battle to get the deal through Parliament as she

tries to orchestrate the UK’s orderly exit from the EU. May hailed the Cabinet decision as a “decisive step” toward finalising the exit deal with the EU within days. It sets in motion an elaborate diplomatic choreography of statements and meetings.

EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier declared there had been “decisive progress” — the key phrase signaling EU leaders can convene a summit to approve the deal.

Crucially, Barnier said that “we have now found a solution together with the UK to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.”

But the agreement, hammered out between UK and EU negotiators after 17 months of what Barnier called “very intensive” talks, infuriated pro-Brexit lawmakers in May’s Conservative Party, who said it would leave Britain a vassal state, bound to EU rules that it has no say in making.

Those “hard Brexit”

voices include several ministers in May’s Cabinet. Emerging from the five-hour meeting at 10 Downing St, May said the Cabinet talks had been “long, detailed and impassioned.” She said there had been a “collective decision” to back the deal, though she did not say whether it was unanimous.

“I firmly believe, with my head and my heart, that this is a decision which is in the best interests of the United Kingdom,” she said.

THERESA May outside No 10

In a warning to her opponents, May said the choice was between her deal, “or leave with no deal; or no Brexit at all.”

Pro-Brexit lawmakers say the agreement will leave Britain tethered to the EU after it departs and unable to forge an independent trade policy. On the other side of the argument, pro-EU legislators say May’s deal is worse than the status quo and the British public should get a new vote on whether to leave or to stay.

Avenatti arrested in LA on domestic violence charge LOS ANGELES Associated Press

MICHAEL Avenatti, who skyrocketed to fame as a critic of President Donald Trump and the lawyer for porn actress Stormy Daniels, was arrested yesterday and booked on a felony domestic violence charge, Los Angeles police said.

The alleged victim in the case had visible injuries, according to Officer Tony Im, a police spokesman.

But Avenatti slammed the allegation as “completely bogus” and “fabricated and meant to do harm to my reputation” in a statement released by his law firm.

Avenatti, who has said he’s mulling a 2020 presidential run, posted $50,000 bail and was released about four hours after he was

MICHAEL AVENATTI arrested yesterday on the same block where he lives in a skyscraper apartment.

Police declined to provide any details about the alleged victim, including that person’s relationship to Avenatti.

As he left the police station Wednesday, Avenatti

CALIFORNIA FIRE DEADLIEST IN 100 YEARS

WILDFIRE experts say the Northern California wildfire that has killed at least 48 is the deadliest in a century.

California officials say the fire burning in a rural area far north of San Francisco killed more people than any blaze in the state’s recorded history.

But the US government doesn’t closely track civilian casualties. and records from long ago are incomplete.

Crystal Kolden, a professor at the University of Idaho and expert in fire science, said 1918 was the last time more people were killed in a wildfire. “For the modern era, this is definitely going to go down as the deadliest on record for the US,” she said.

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said he had never hit a woman and said he’s been an advocate for women’s rights his entire career.

“I wish to thank the hard working men and woman of the LAPD for their professionalism and their work today. They had no option in light of the allegations,” Avenatti said. “I am looking forward to a full investigation, at which point I am confident that I will be fully exonerated.”

Avenatti became famous as Daniels’ lawyer and pursued the president and those close to him relentlessly for months, taunting Trump in interviews and baiting him and his lawyers in tweets.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has said she had an affair with Trump in 2006 and has sued to invalidate the confidentiality agreement she signed days before the 2016 presidential election that prevents her discussing it. She also sued Trump and his personal attorney, Michael Cohen, alleging defamation.

The Vermont Democratic Party cancelled events planned for tomorrow and Saturday, where Avenatti was scheduled to speak, and is refunding ticket sales.

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THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, November 15, 2018, PAGE 15

TOP AWARD FOR ST ANNE’S

ST Anne’s School in Fox Hill Road has been presented with its first Eco-Schools Green Flag award.

The award is the highest level a school can achieve. Pictured at the presentation are: holding the flag Eco-Club co-presidents Chanare Turnquest (left) and Carlysle Brown (right), background, L-R, Kevin Glinton, BREEF’s education coordinator & Eco-Schools national operator, Mitzi Newton SAS teacher & Eco-Schools coordinator, Sally Johnson, education officer, Min. of Education & Green Flag assessor, Cynthia Wells, principal, SAS, Samantha Miller-Cartwright, senior environmental officer, BEST commission & Green Flag assessor, Te-Shalla Clarke, education supervisor, Dolphin Encounters & Green Flag assessor and Sharon Stuart, SAS teacher & Eco-Schools coordinator.