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The Tribune

Volume:115 No.247, NOVEMBER 16, 2018

Established 1903

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Friday, November 16, 2018

gardening TEA AND WHIMSY Page 14 & 15

MER-MAZING

WEEKEND: BREEF AT THE COURT OF KING NEPTUNE

Neptune’s BREEF night out

pages 20 & 21

How did they miss this?

• Civilian divers find plane wreckage just 40 mins into search

• Family slams RBDF for ‘incompetent’ and ‘negligent’ operation

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net

VOLUNTEERS organised by Gina Knowles yesterday took only 40 minutes to find parts of the plane that was being flown by missing pilot Byron Ferguson.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

A CIVILIAN effort to locate the plane of missing pilot Byron Ferguson proved fruitful after a team mobilised

by Gina Knowles, pictured right, co-founder of online support group HeadKnowles, discovered plane debris in the waters off Nirvana Beach yesterday.

Locating an estimated 60-70 pieces of debris, the team made its discovery

40 minutes into the search, 600ft away from the plane’s original location, and 80 feet deep.

The team’s find comes one week after Mr Ferguson and his plane crashed into the ocean on the night of November 8.

SEE PAGE THREE

SMITH CORRUPTION COP DAVIS DEMANDS ANSWERS GRILLED OVER INQUIRY ON CARGILL CONSULTANCY

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE cleaning contract at the centre of former PLP senator Frank Smith’s bribery and extortion trial was issued before the date the complainant told police she first met the accused, it was revealed in court yesterday.

And the lead police investigator in the case charged the accused some six months before verifying if the cleaning contract was authentic, a court heard yesterday.

Police Superintendent

Uel Johnson said he did not confirm the validity of the $500,000 contract issued to Barbara Hanna’s cleaning company until January 31, months after he charged Smith in July 2017.

Additionally, it was divulged that the contract was issued before Supt Johnson said Mrs Hanna told him she first met with Smith, with the implication that Smith could not assist the complainant in getting a contract she had already been awarded.

Furthermore, Supt Johnson said while he requested the call logs concerning

Smith and Mrs Hanna to further his investigations, he never asked for the relevant phone bills, something that prompted Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt to ask: “So was your investigation complete?”

Supt Johnson admitted he never interviewed or sought to interview former Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, despite asserting that Mr Davis allegedly instructed or advised Smith to assist Mrs Hanna in getting the SEE PAGE FIVE

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

OPPOSITION Leader Philip “Brave” Davis is questioning the Minnis administration’s decision to hire Algernon Cargill as a consultant for the Ministry of Tourism.

Mr Cargill is the former director of the National Insurance Board. He was fired in 2013 by the Christie administration following an audit by Grant Thornton. The firm determined that bonuses appeared to have been improperly paid to him and it highlighted

irregularities in the awarding of certain NIB contracts for various projects.

Mr Cargill dismissed the audit as incomplete and inadequate, suing the government following his firing by alleging that his contract was breached. The Minnis administration settled the dispute out of court this year, paying him $300,000, according to The Nassau Guardian last month. However, the administration has not publicly refuted Grant Thornton’s findings and hasn’t explained what led to the settlement.

Mr Cargill’s new consultancy position was

mentioned in a Facebook post Long Island MP Adrian Gibson made on Tuesday. Mr Gibson wrote: “Today, I met with Mr Algernon Cargill. Mr Cargill has been appointed as a consultant with the Ministry of Tourism. He will have oversight of the government’s efforts to build and refurbish national airports.

“We discussed the state of Long Island’s airports; the plans to construct an airport; the outlook for the new airport, namely, the runway, new terminal and a number of related SEE PAGE SIX

GB POWER: WE’RE GOING GREEN

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

GB POWER’S top executive yesterday said renewable energy could ultimately become 50-60 percent of The Bahamas’ generation mix.

But David McGregor, the company’s chief operating officer, added that, while 100 percent renewable energy generation was

possible in theory, there were sound financial and infrastructure factors working against this.

Seeking to manage expectations, Mr McGregor said moving to an entirely solar generation solution would require a massive infrastructure investment but, having outlined the practical obstacles, added: “We can easily get to 50-60 percent renewables, halve the customer’s bill, run the

most efficient equipment and get the old stuff off the books and keep downward pressure on rates.

“We want more people paying less for electricity, not less people paying more.

If your electricity prices remain high, people go elsewhere. Part of the interest of an electricity company is to allow businesses to grow and expand.”

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

A COMIC’S VIEW DADS SHOULD NOT TURN THEIR NOSES UP AT MY ADVICE

SEE PAGE EIGHT

PAGE 2, Friday, November 16, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Feeding the 5,000

By RIEL MAJOR

AML Foods Limited held a press conference yesterday to launch its third annual “Feed 5,000 Families” holiday give back initiative and to appeal to the general public to support the cause.

AML Foods Limited joined with representatives of the Bahamas Feeding Network, the Bahamas Red Cross and the Salvation Army to assist with the distribution of meals to families in need in the community.

Renea Bastian, VP of marketing and communications AML Foods Limited, said this is an effort to help fight the pain of hunger in our community and the company will kick off the donations by contributing $20,000 towards the holiday giveback initiative.

“Our goal is to raise $100,000 and to distribute 2,500 Christmas meals packages which can feed a family of four,” she said.” This will equate to helping more than 10,000 persons, who otherwise would not be able to enjoy a holiday meal.”

AML Foods Limited is appealing to the general public to purchase or donate toward the purchase of a Christmas dinner package valued at $40 available at Solomon’s Fresh Market, Solomon’s in Harbour Bay, Old Fort Bay, Yamacraw, and Cost Right Wholesale in Nassau and in Freeport at Solomon’s Lucaya, Queens Highway and Cost Right Wholesale. The initiative began November 12 and runs until December 16.

Phillip Smith, executive director of Bahamas Feeding Network, said: “(Families) will receive a parcel of food which contains a picnic ham, whole chicken, five-pound bag of rice, four cans of good and a box of stuffing. I want to thank AML for such an amazing initiative and so we are very happy to be a part of this.”

Donations can also be made online at Dominoes242.com and AML Foods will match all online donations up to $5,000, increasing the company’s overall donation to $25,000.

Christmas dinner packages will be distributed on December 19 in Nassau and on December 20 in Freeport.

AT the AML Foods press conference at Solomons Fresh Market East are, from left, Philip Smith (executive director of Bahamas Feeding Network) Janice Bain-Mackey (HR & logistics manager of The Bahamas Red Cross), Renea Bastian (VP marketing & communications of AML Foods Ltd), and Major Clarence Ingram (divisional commander of the Salvation Army).

Photo: Donavan McIntosh

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, November 16, 2018, PAGE 3

Family fury as civilian team finds wreckage 40 minutes into search from page one

Yesterday, Mr Ferguson’s brother, Dr Ashton Ferguson, thanked the volunteers for their efforts while describing law enforcement officials’ search efforts as negligent and incompetent.

Volunteers were able to recover what they believe to be pieces of the plane’s nose, tail, and battery, among dozens of smaller pieces. A document detailing the flight information, suspected to be the flight plan, was also recovered.

Afterwards, Mrs Knowles told reporters she felt for Mr Ferguson’s family. After learning her boat’s maintenance repairs had been completed on Wednesday night, she mounted an online plea calling on experienced divers to assist in a private search effort.

“My husband (Andrew) is a lifetime fisherman, boating person,” Mrs Knowles told reporters after the group’s boat docked at the Harbour Patrol Unit. “Ocean, he knows it… in his mind, he kept saying, ‘I know there’s no way we can’t find pieces of this plane. I don’t understand how it’s not being found.’ And so we put out a shout out (and contacted) a couple of our friends.”

Eighteen volunteers participated in yesterday’s search effort, leaving at noon to head to the pin of the plane’s last known location. “And so, we said we’re going to start from there…they had a plan, they got in buddies,” Mrs Knowles continued. “It was six teams of twos. And it looked like it was in the movies with the marine SEALS. “It was 40 minutes that the first person went, ‘I see it! I see it!’”

When asked how far down they found the first piece of the plane, Mrs Knowles said: “About 80 feet. And it was 600 feet from the original pin…You could see the beach. I could swim to the beach. That’s how close it is.”

Angelo Robinson, a diver with four years of experience, was one of the first to spot the debris. “I was actually on the surface snorkeling,” Mr Robinson told reporters. “And once we spotted it, then we signaled for the boat to have the divers come in with tanks and then go down to get a closer look.”

Mr Robinson said the team used “regular dive equipment” that would be used in “recreational” diving. “Even though it was 70 feet of water you could see straight to the bottom,” he added.

Mr Robinson said he suspects there is “definitely more” debris in the area, but added the divers weren’t “properly equipped today to do any further investigation other than what (they) recovered.”

Both Mrs Knowles and Mr Robinson maintained that it should have been possible for the Royal Bahamas Defence Force to have found the debris.

“I would have assumed that marines would be properly suited to any marine rescue or anything of that nature, so I figured they would have been,” Mr Robinson said. “Apparently they were not.”

When asked if it safe to say that marines didn’t do a sufficient job, Mr Robinson replied: “I agree. Because if we could’ve found what we found only a week later snorkeling at the surface, I feel as if it was some concerted effort from the defence force with divers, something more could’ve been done initially at the time of the accident.”

“I think that if they did actually search, they would have found it,” Mrs Knowles said. “If divers

VOLUNTEERS recovered between 60 and 70 pieces of the aircraft in a search organised by Gina Knowles, bottom right. The recovery team’s boat was intercepted on its way back to shore by law enforcement officers.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Friday, 16th November 2018

"Stop by today for a bottle of 'Lucas Fuel Treatment'. It cleans and lubricates injectors and carburetors, and is also works with gasoline and diesel engines." actually went in the water, I would like to know who it was. Because I want to know if they did indeed go in the water, if they just went in the water and sat down…because, I mean we have enough people on our forces to do the same thing we did.

“We had 12 guys! Twelve awesome guys. And they went and they did - it’s amazing, they went and they filled their scuba tanks. And we all went out saying, ‘we’re going to find this plane!’”

After retrieving the plane parts, the team was intercepted by police, with Mrs Knowles maintaining that officers initially dismissed their catamaran as a “party boat.” However, after spotting the debris, the officers escorted the vessel to the Harbour Patrol Unit.

Mrs Knowles also told reporters that the team has another plan in place for further search efforts, though she declined to provide specifics. While she maintained that she has been in constant contact with the Ferguson family, she declined to speak for them.

“I cannot speak for them. I know that I would not be settled until I find Byron. That’s how I am.

And I explained to Anya (Mr Ferguson’s wife), I will continue to put in my 100 percent full efforts. And anybody else who wants to help, please contact us.”

Two of Mr Ferguson’s brothers and his mother were present on the vessel during the interview.

When asked his response to the way law enforcement officials have handled the search thus far, Dr Ferguson told The Tribune: “Negligence, incompetence.”

He thanked the volunteers for their efforts and the public for “the overwhelming support that is being shown for Byron.”

“We are not giving up,” he added.

Response to the news on social media ranged from support for the volunteers to sharp critiques of officials.

“Lord, cover me with a veil. Because if I ever need the support of my own government in the time of emergency, surely I would die,” one user posted to Twitter.

Another posted: “I can’t believe (the defence force) left the plane there.

That speaks volumes to Bahamians and makes us wonder where are our taxes going. Not only that, but you wouldn’t do all that you could to save a fellow Bahamian?”

Under a photo of the volunteers on Facebook, one user commented: “This is truly amazing! This just shows how strong we are as a people...coming together to support and make things happen.”

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PAGE 4, Friday, November 16, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

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May risks it all with Brexit draft agreement THERE was a lull recently in news about Britain’s long-awaited departure from the European Union which is due on March 29 next year. Talks in Brussels had been continuing, though there were complaints about the lack of progress following the UK’s 2016 referendum and the government’s invoking of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty that had set a twoyear negotiating period.

The announcement this week, therefore, of completion of a draft agreement between the EU and the UK covering the terms of the latter’s withdrawal appears to have marked a breakthrough; though critics are already claiming that at best this is only a first step with many obstacles on a long road ahead.

Britain’s exit from the EU has been described as the most momentous event in the history of modern Europe.

If Brexit actually happens, not only will the EU itself be changed and partially destabilised but countries outside Europe will be affected and there will be implications on a global basis, so we need to keep abreast of developments as we watch from afar.

The draft agreement brought back to London by UK negotiators first had to be approved by Prime Minister Theresa May’s Cabinet before being put to the House of Commons for debate and a vote. There was high drama earlier this week with Mrs May calling in each Cabinet minister individually for a detailed briefing before she secured, despite the conflicting views of ministers, a collective Cabinet decision to approve both the terms of the withdrawal agreement – the so-called divorce package -- and the outline political declaration on what a final trade deal might look like. In the end some ministers withdrew their support and resigned.

Talking to the press after the Cabinet meeting, Mrs May declared that under the terms of the agreement Britain would take back control of her laws, borders and money and it was in the national interest to accept it as the best deal obtainable for the benefit of the whole country. As such, it was a significant step forward in taking the UK out of the EU. Nonetheless, the draft agreement – a document of no less than 585 pages – has just been published and it has set off a storm of protest. It now has to be approved by Parliament in a socalled “meaningful vote” at a time to be determined; and, given the number

of eurosceptics in her own party and the strength of feeling among MPs on both sides of the debate, it seems that may be hard, if not impossible, for the Prime Minister to achieve.

Those objecting to the draft agreement claim that staying, even on a temporary basis, in the customs union and single market and alignment with EU rules and procedures over which the UK has no say -- together with special regulatory conditions for Northern Ireland and the absence of a proper exit mechanism from temporary arrangements -- does not deliver the will of the people in voting to leave the EU. They say, far from taking back control, Britain is in danger of simply becoming a vassal state of the EU. There has always been serious disagreement about Europe within the Conservative Party, and two more Cabinet ministers, including the Brexit Secretary himself as well as several junior ministers, took the decision to resign. There have also been threats to Mrs May of a no-confidence vote which could precipitate her removal or even a snap General Election.

In heated and wide-ranging exchanges in the House of Commons yesterday, described as the most extraordinary and significant session for many years, Mrs May was under fire from all sides as her deal was unravelling fast.

Amid such turmoil, this is clearly a pivotal moment in British politics. With EU leaders wanting to endorse the new agreement before the end of November, it will be fascinating to watch developments in the coming days.

Meanwhile, for some time in these columns we have been predicting that after Brexit it is likely Britain will pay more attention to Commonwealth countries and show interest in greater economic and other cooperation with its former colonies including those in the Caribbean. New exchanges with the former colonial power should benefit countries like our own and it was interesting to note earlier this year that Britain plans to re-establish a diplomatic presence here.

It is also encouraging to learn of action by the British-Caribbean Chamber of Commerce to promote new trade links through, as a first step, a meeting with potentially interested parties in Freeport later this month. This is a welcome initiative which should be applauded.

We at Mangrove Cay deserve some attention EDITOR, The Tribune

So we now move on to “home”, Mangrove Cay, FIRST we would like to Andros. Since our last say a very big thank you for letter we have not heard great service at two entities any positive answers to our in government: needs.

We went to road traffic The once absolutely to get my husband’s driver’s beautiful health clinic licence renewed. As you located in Dorsett, Manmay recall we in the Family grove Cay, is very rapidly Islands can no longer renew crumbling before our eyes. our licence in our respec- Each time we ride by, you tive island we have to travel can see it falling apart. The to Nassau. We had great location for our temporary customer service given to health services is an unbeus by a Ms Farquharson. lievable and unhealthy We were treated so well. situation. We still have no She guided us through each doctor, a doctor travels once step. We needed to leave a week from South Andros. and come back with more BTC still has no permadocuments. nent person in our office, She noticed us right again a young lady travels away on our return and she twice a week from South went above and beyond Andros. BPL has also not to assist us. Next we had hired a person in our local to go to Inland Revenue office. Another two-day to renew our shop licence. service is what we are workThey say: “Oh just go on ing with. the internet”. (It is not National Insurance possible believe me). So sends our own Mangrove a Ms Denise Culmer was Cay young lady to South an angel. She was diligent, Andros three days a week. and so steadfast. In just two So again two days for Mandays we were on our way. grove Cay. The Bank of the We so appreciate her hard Bahamas also still is offerwork and assistance. ing two days of service. The

lines on any given day are out the door. Last, but not least, an administer travels from South Andros two days a week for services to Mangrove Cay. Are any of our problems possible to be solved? We know there are very qualified young men and women that could be trained to fill these positions. Thoughts of keeping our young people home enters our mind. As of now most young people leave to find work in Nassau, along with all the other Family Island young people. Not even our MP comes to hold meetings to listen to our cries.

The Prime Minister has travelled to Mangrove Cay twice. However, there was no time for questions and answers.

There seems to be no one to turn to, please help and assist us, we would so appreciate your attention.

ELLIOTT & GREENE Mangrove Cay Andros November 1, 2018

PAT

Hotels should not ignore local talent EDITOR, The Tribune I WAS not surprised by the comments of the director of labour regarding unemployment and the expatriates working in hotels. Recently there has been a noticeable increase in foreign middle management in the hotels especially in the food and beverage department.

With unemployment being as high as it is and the relatively good sized talent pool of Bahamians to recruit from why are there so many expats working in the hotels? Why are veterans like Colin Johnson, Mario Stevenson, Oral Jones, Charles Missick, Steve Bethel and others with more than 100 years of experience being sidelined for some 20-something year old rookie expats that come here, learn from Bahamians and build a resumé to take back to wherever they came from.

The following are statements made by the Minister of Labour senator Dion Foulkes while on a radio talk show. “The prime minister has given me directions to ensure that no foreigner gets a permit where there is a Bahamian available to do the job.”

For example, Atlantis has an agreement where they are capped off with a certain number of permits. Normally if you have an investor come in he would want persons that he has been working with to enhance his investment

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net and that is understandable. But where that is not the case we have to ensure we employ local people because we have a serious unemployment problem.

It goes back to what was in the speech from the Throne. “We had an application from a major hotel for a food and beverage director. I declined it, because there are Bahamians who are trained in food and beverage in this country who are unemployed and we know who they are and we are sending some of them to that hotel to be interviewed.”

Mr Foulkes was asked: “What about expat cooks and restaurant managers?

There is a major hotel that boasts of having foreign restaurant managers and cooks”.

What is most disturbing about the expats is some of them are very disrespectful. They talk down to the line staff while exploiting our naive young men and women. They come here on two years’ work permit that is extended to five, ten years and more.

We are not talking about general managers or vice presidents, we are talking about restaurant managers and cooks. Both governments have allowed this to go on unabated for too long. They are doing

the same job as their Bahamian counterpart, but are being paid far more. Even though their skills and qualifications are not on a par with the Bahamian.

In fact they don’t understand the complexity of the community as well as their Bahamian assistant, but it doesn’t matter. Foreigners are being hired even though there is no shortage of trained Bahamians. It’s gotten to the point where Bahamians unfortunately, even though they are aware stay silent on the issue for fear of being victimised if they speak out.

Some Bahamians, especially those who do not work in the hotel, respect expats more than they do Bahamians assuming they are more disciplined and hardworking. Truth be told, like in every profession, there are shortcomings and expats are no different. The Bahamas is not a racist country. Far be from it. So this is not about race.

We respect all nationalities, and realise that there’s a need for foreign labour and probably will always be.

The concerns are about foreign nationals holding jobs that Bahamians are qualified to posses and while here they should treat Bahamians the way they would want to be treated.

Something is not right and should be addressed immediately.

ANTHONY PRATT Nassau, November 6, 2018

Time to think outside the box EDITOR, The Tribune AS the battle rages on about whether the BEC/ BPL rates are too high, or whether they have increased by 60% or 70%, there is one thing that everyone seems to agree on and that is that electricity costs far too much.

OK - BEC/BPL can’t help themselves because they are too burdened with legacy debt, so they are stuck with the same old generators that the UBP left them with. Now, we all know the modus operandi of two particularly large business behemoths, Airbnb and Uber, the former now being the largest hotel company in the

world and it doesn’t own a single hotel or room, and the other, the largest taxi company in the world that doesn’t own a single vehicle, nor has a single employee driving one. Both of these miracle businesses use someone else’s assets to power their business and simply take a cut in the middle.

It has long been discussed, if not actually begged for by the public, for BEC/BPL to offer net metering, but no government yet has seen the wisdom in doing this. I heard yesterday that there is a trial on 200 homes here but that is a drop in the bucket, compared to the number of consumers in

The Bahamas. Just imagine if the several hundred thousand BEC/BPL customers covered their roofs (and whatever else they have) with duty free solar panels, that were generating electricity all day long, and automatically SELLING it to BEC/BPL, while the homeowner was out at work. Now extend this to the Out Islands, which are also a problem for BEC/ BPL. I have a feeling that maybe they would not need the two generators destroyed by arson.

We need to think outside on the box now and then.

BRUCE G RAINE Nassau November 9, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, November 16, 2018, PAGE 5

FORMER Senator Frank Smith is pictured at court this week.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Smith corruption cop grilled over inquiry from page one contract in question during Smith’s initial record of interview on July 19, 2017.

The officer also said he never spoke with National Security Minister Marvin Dames or Health Minister Dr Duane Sands, both of whom admitted to interacting with Mrs Hanna at varying degrees ahead of a police investigation into her claims; however, Supt Johnson said their names never came up at the time.

Supt Johnson also said he never interviewed former Health Minister Dr Perry Gomez, who Dr Sands had previously said Mrs Hanna did not report Smith’s alleged actions to because she was, at the time, paying Dr Gomez’s secretary $500 a month.

The revelations came a day after Smith’s lead attorney Keith Knight questioned the officer as to whether he had secured enough evidence to corroborate with Mrs Hanna’s claims that Smith demanded $5,000 per month in exchange for his assistance in her getting the contract to clean

the Critical Care Block of the Princess Margaret Hospital, before moving to charge him over the allegations.

Taking the witness stand yesterday, Supt Johnson said he interviewed Mrs Hanna on July 3, 2017, at which time she presented a copy of the contract to him. Later that month is when he charged Smith with the offences, who was arraigned before the chief magistrate on July 21 last year.

However, it was not until January 31 that Supt Johnson interviewed PHA Legal Advisor Leslie Isaacs and subsequently confirmed the contract’s validity, according to the evidence. Supt Johnson said he attempted to interview former PHA Managing Director Herbert Brown on the matter, but said Mr Brown refused to give a statement.

When asked if he charged Smith without knowing if there was in fact a contractual agreement in place between Mrs Hanna and the PHA, Supt Johnson said he had to accept the contract Mrs Hanna gave him at “face value”, though conceding that it may or

may not have been a legitimate document.

Nonetheless, moments prior, Mr Knight instructed Supt Johnson to read from a document dated December 23, 2015, that outlined the PHA’s resolution to award Mrs Hanna the contract, and further noted that the contract was signed by Mr Brown on February 15, 2016.

Asked when Mrs Hanna met Smith for the first time, Supt Johnson said sometime in March 2016.

Concerning the call logs, Supt Johnson said he requested that information from BTC in a bid to establish a link between Smith and Mrs Hanna, based on Smith’s insistence during his record of interview that he did not know the Barbara Hanna who had made the allegations against him.

Supt Johnson said he subsequently got the call logs from BTC’s internal auditor Marlon Gary Francis, compiled on a CD. The senior officer said he then printed off the information and compiled it in a booklet, before giving the CD to Corporal Quarry Adderley and instructing that officer to perform an analysis of

the CD’s contents on July 25, 2017.

Cpl Adderley, however, has previously stated that based on the information contained in Mrs Hanna’s BTC phone bills, there was a discrepancy between the call logs he analysed and her phone statements. The officer also accepted that if he was privy to the information in the BTC phone bills, his analysis results would be fundamentally different.

Yesterday, Supt Johnson denied that he had anything to do with the modification of the call logs, maintaining that he trusted what was given to him as accurate.

He further stated that he could not fully address the discrepancy between the call logs and the phone bills because he did not request the latter as a part of his investigations.

Issues also arose concerning an “addendum” made on February 26 of this year to Mrs Hanna’s statement to police on July 3, 2017.

Lead Crown attorney Edward Jenkins, QC, said after being formally parachuted into the matter in February, he instructed Supt Johnson to make the addendum to Mrs Hanna’s statement because he did not want the defence to be in the dark about things Mrs Hanna allegedly told the officer, but were not contained in her initial statement.

However, Mr Knight said because the addendum was not signed by Mrs Hanna, it raises the issue of there being nothing outside of Supt Johnson’s claims that she told him whatever she did to prove Mrs Hanna made the statements.

The matter continues.

Smith is facing 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.

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

Concerning the bribery charge, it is alleged 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.

PAGE 6, Friday, November 16, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Davis demands answers on Cargill consultancy from page one matters. I am pleased to note that it was a very productive discussion.”

It’s not clear how much Mr Cargill is being paid or what his official consultancy position is.

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has, in the past, been critical of how much consultants were paid during the Christie

administration. He also announced a hiring freeze last year as his government fired hundreds of workers in an attempt to improve the country’s fiscal position. He never officially announced the lift of the hiring freeze.

Last year he tabled the 2015 and 2017 contracts of Sir Baltron Bethel, a former advisor in the Office of the Prime Minister, in the House

of Assembly, revealing that Sir Baltron had his contract extended two weeks before the May 10 general election and his salary increased from $140,000 to $200,000. He also tabled contracts of V Theresa Burrows and Cecile Williams-Bethel, two consultants of the National Insurance Board who each made $125,000.

Dr Minnis announced he would not honour the

contracts, challenging holders of them to take him to court.

“I find it hypocritical for them to complain about the number of consultants we had and they continue to hire consultants,” Mr Davis said when contacted yesterday.

“I’d want to see the terms of reference for this hire to see whether or not it’s in keeping with what they have been saying

about consultants.”

Mr Davis added that he wonders whether the government has taken Grant Thornton’s audit report into account before entering a contract arrangement with Mr Cargill.

Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar could not be reached yesterday to discuss the matter, though he told this newspaper on Wednesday that he will answer questions about it.

ALGERNON CARGILL

GIVING THANKS AT GREAT COMMISSION

BISHOP Walter Hanchell is pictured at the annual Thanksgiving luncheon hosted by Great Commission Ministries. The event supplies food to members of the local and Great Commission communities.

Photos: Koy Martin

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, November 16, 2018, PAGE 7

‘Patriarchy and discrimination’ still troubling The Bahamas

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net DEEP rooted patriarchal attitudes and discriminatory stereotypes about the societal and familial roles of men and women were flagged as a major concern by the UN’s expert committee on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

The committee was tasked with reviewing the county’s efforts to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women since its last assessment in 2012, which were included in its sixth periodic report and oral submissions before the body in Geneva last month.

In its concluding observations, the committee stated these attitudes were reflected in the insufficient public awareness and debate on women’s issues; adding that the state had not taken sustained measures to modify or eliminate discriminatory stereotypes - which are a root cause of violence against women.

The committee underscored the “crucial role” of lawmakers in ensuring the convention was fully implemented, and urged the state to recognise women as a driving force of sustainable development, and to adopt relevant policies and strategies.

Its report called for increased capacity-building and the strengthening of existing institutions, but also clearly-defined strategy and policy across most public sectors in its report released yesterday.

Most notable were renewed concerns over sex-based discrimination against women and on nationality in the country’s constitution, particularly

MEMBERS of the Bahamian delegation at CEDAW in Geneva, Switzerland. the absence of an explicit sensitisation campaign and services on breast cancer. definition of discrimination the inclusive participation The committee also against women or provisions of civil society. expressed concerns about on gender equality. The On health, the com- the Marriage Act, which committee also called for mittee hit out at the lack states a minimum marriage abortion to be decriminal- of age-appropriate and age of 15 but allowed excepised in all cases, and for the comprehensive edu- tions for unions of persons procedure to be legalised in cation on sexual and between the ages of 13 and cases of rape and incest, and reproductive health and 15. It was also noted there severe foetal impairment. rights, including respon- were no legal provisions The committee noted sible sexual behaviour for governing de facto unions, there were no effective girls and boys; and the which could deny women mechanisms, and insuffi- lack of family-planning protection and redress in cient budgetary allocations, services. It also expressed cases of separation. to implement and monitor concerns about high It called on the state to the laws relating to gender maternal mortality rates enforce a minimum marequality; and highlighted and factors that exacer- riage age of 18 with no the failure of the state to bate maternal mortality exceptions, and to accelereliminate discrimination and morbidity, including ate the establishment of a against vulnerable and the possible impact that unified court system. intersecting groups, namely early pregnancy and Addressing access to women of Haitian descent, unsafe abortion may have justice, the committee migrant women, women on the rate of maternal underscored the limited with disabilities, lesbian, mortality. capacity of both police and bisexual and transgender The committee called the courts to address comwomen and intersex per- for the implementation of plaints from women about sons, and women living in an integrated school cur- gender-based violence in the Family Islands. riculum; for girls aged 16 a sensitive manner. It was The UN committee called to have free and adequate also noted that women on the government to set access to contraceptives from disadvantaged groups a clear timeline for consti- and sexual and reproduc- are unaware of their rights tutional reform that would tive health services; and to under CEDAW, and could be supported by a compre- improve access to mental not make claims due to lack hensive educational and health services and special of information.

TWO HELD AS MAN STABBED AT DUMP A MAN is in hospital and two others were arrested after a stabbing at the city dump.

According to police, shortly after 1pm on Wednesday, a man was at the city dump on Tonique Williams-Darling Highway when he was attacked by three men. One of them was armed with a sharp

object, who stabbed him about the body before getting into a white truck and speeding away. The injured man was transported to hospital and is listed in stable condition.

A short time later, police arrested two men in connection with this incident.

Police also said an American woman was

arrested shortly before 10pm on Wednesday at Lynden Pindling International Airport.

Airport Division officers, while in the US Customs Hall at LPIA, arrested the woman after she was allegedly found in possession of a quantity of suspected marijuana.

Investigations continue.

It also expressed concerns that asylum seeking migrant women and women of Haitian descent, who do not have identity documents and passports, do not report abuse to authorities due to fear of deportation.

The committee recommended the state adopt legislation that incorporates gender in the refugee and asylum seeking processes; take measures to improve the social and economic situation of refugee, asylum seeking, migrant women and women of Haitian descent; and ensure that a gender-sensitive approach is applied to asylum claims by women and girls; and to provide refugee, asylum seeking and migrant women with free legal counselling on the procedures available for obtaining legal status in the state party and nationality documents.

Since its 2012 review, the Bahamas has ratified the following treaties: the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or

Degrading Treatment or Punishment, in 2018; the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in 2015; the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of Children in armed Conflict in 2015; the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, in 2015.

However, the committee noted there was limited human resources and under-utilised financial resources at the Department of Gender and Family Affairs, along with a “weak institutional structure” which limited its autonomy and authority to effectively carry out its mandate.

The country’s next periodic report is due November 2022; however, it is expected to provide a written report on steps taken to implement recommendations within two years.

PAGE 8, Friday, November 16, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Dads, don’t turn your nose up at this advice As I exited one of my favourite haunts, KFC Saunders Beach, I bumped into a young man who is a fan of this column and my #COLDEST videos.

While he was explaining why he liked the column, I couldn’t help but notice his year-old son was having diaper issues, on top of that my sense of smell confirmed my initial fears.

A dirty diaper! (Huge understatement).

Before I could offer some ‘Veteran Daddy’ advice, his progeny was intent on putting his lunch on display, all over himself and his, now thoroughly embarrassed dad.

I’ve been there, maybe not in public, but I’ve been there.

All I could do at this point was to relate a personal, similar experience involving my oldest son.

I must say it did help him get through that sticky situation with a laugh, so much so he thanked me for the story, and advice. Going as far as to say, that I should tell the story in my column, so that it could help other young fathers deal with

some of the impending pitfalls of fatherhood.

After a bit of reflection, and realising I still have zero shame, here goes, hopefully it is beneficial to some young fathers in the 242.

What went into my child as pretty orange carrots, yellow corn and sweat potato came out florescent green and deadly.

TESTIMONIAL My wife was at the beauty salon for some well deserved pampering, and I had to watch the kids.

My oldest son had gorged

himself on two bottles of milk, cereal, applesauce and a couple of zwieback biscuits, not to mention the apple juice he guzzled out of his “Sippy Cup”.

After walking 2,158 steps trying to get him to sleep, the circulation in my arm had stopped, and I was sweating like I had run several games of full court basketball.

I needed a break.

My mind was on the ice cold “switcha” in the fridge, so I slid my son in his walker and bee-lined it to the fridge to pour my drink, chug it down and dash back to my boy without missing a beat.

Why the paranoid rush to get a well deserved refreshment?

Simple, nothing is happening on my watch.

I could never live that down.

On my way back to my den, I could smell a rather unpleasant aroma, which was indeed pungent to the nostrils.

The closer I got, the more putrid the air became; it was definitely a strong nine out of ten on the fart scale.

Honestly, it made my eyes burn and water (it was giving “mace” a real run for its money.).

I was about to “stop, drop and roll” as the heat (along with its smell) had me in fear of some sort of combustible reaction.

It was at that very moment I noticed my wife’s Shih Tzu completely laid out on the floor in a canine coma.

Instantly, I knew what had happened; the poor Shih Tzu had run headlong (and mouth open) into the initial blast of my son’s “Carbonic Assigas”.

As alert as animals usually are, the poor dog never saw or smelled it coming.

ON THE RUN Hoping to wait it out until my wife’s return so she could face whatever was in that kid’s diaper, I became distraught when

she informed me that due to freshly polished, wet nails, I would be on diaper duty for the rest of the afternoon.

So I mustered what little bravado I had at that moment and decided to take the bull by the horns.

With wipes in hand and fresh new diapers in my back pocket, I bravely went in…

And what I saw changed my life!

What went into my child as pretty orange carrots, yellow corn and sweat potato came out florescent green and deadly.

Half an hour later, when I was finally done changing my son, I stood there traumatised; that diaper looked like a hot, molten, piece of lava, just smoldering and emitting toxic fumes.

RECYCLING In my delirium, I started

thinking how old baby diapers could be used as chemical weapons to protect our borders from illegal immigration.

The scent alone from them baking in the sun, wafting out to sea could turn boatloads of illegal immigrants back. And think how cost-effective that would be since one dirty diaper could surely cover miles of shore.

There must be some use for dirty baby diapers, right?

Maybe we could let teenagers smell the really horrid ones; maybe that would help curb teen pregnancy.?

But I digress.

My only solace is that one day my kids will have to take care of me and maybe they’ll have to change my diapers.

If that day ever comes you can bet the house I will have a rainbow of colours waiting on them in my Depends.

Truthfully, after what I’ve been through, I am kind of looking forward to it.

Yes, I wrote about “baby farts” this week, relax, those of you who maybe all uptight, it could’ve been worse.

I easily could have written about Trump, and “S*#t Holes!

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, November 16, 2018, PAGE 9

Cruise ship chief praises nation but says there is still more to do

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net EVEN as he called the Bahamas Royal Caribbean International’s most popular destination, RBI President and CEO Michael Bayley suggested The Bahamas is still not doing enough to reward visitors from cruise-ships with satisfying experiences.

Royal Caribbean International docked its newest ship, Symphony of the Seas, in Nassau’s harbour on Wednesday, the first stop on its maiden voyage. Mr Bayley’s comments, along with several of the company’s significant investments in the country, raise questions about what role RBI may have in the future of Nassau’s cruise port.

Tribune Business reported last month that the cruise ship industry has discussed submitting a bid to manage the port, which Mr Bayley told this newspaper at the time is “sadly among the Caribbean’s bottom”.

Though he was less critical yesterday during talks with Bahamian reporters, he emphasised that RBI is eager to partner with the government to improve visitor experiences.

He also rebuffed concerns that the downside to

the development of impressive cruise ships like the Symphony of the Seas is that fewer guests will leave ports and spend money in their destinations.

“We have (not seen a decline of people leaving ports because there’s so much to do on large ships),” he said.

“We track this statistic.

Interestingly, one of the biggest drivers for booking a cruise is based upon destination. It’s really the itinerary. The destinations that a ship sails to really are an important factor in the decision making for the customers. They want to have adventurers, they want to explore, they want to create memories and so destination is very important. It’s true that customers who have been to a destination multiple times will have a greater tendency to stay on board the ship than to go ashore, I think that would be the same for everybody.

“I would say one of the biggest areas of opportunity is in this idea of destination development.

“We have these discussions with tourism ministers from the Caribbean all of the time. We’re developing these ships and creating these experiences, it’s also the responsibility of the destination to start planning

THE SYMPHONY of the Seas docked in Nassau’s harbour this week. and thinking about the future and how you want to deliver your destination as an experience to customers and tourists who come from around the world to see you.

“I think sometimes, not being critical, sometimes we could do better in this area.

We’re very open as partners to work with different Caribbean destinations on developing ideas and ways of improving that experience.

“The Bahamas has always been a great partner

for Royal Caribbean. We have a 50 year history with Royal Caribbean. We meet frequently with the Bahamian government, we talk about ideas.”

Last month, Mr Bayley told Tribune Business that satisfaction surveys showed Nassau ranked near-bottom among 35 Caribbean destinations.

Yesterday, he said: “Making sure you have the right kind of experiences customers want to have

when they come to these destinations. I would say that’s one of the biggest areas of opportunity for The Bahamas, is this idea of more planning and thinking through. How do you create the right destination experience? You have almost everything you need.

“You have stunning beautiful islands that everyone wants to go to. You have warm, friendly, beautiful people, who are always approachable and friendly.

“There are just some additional things that need to be thought through in terms of the actual experience and some of the infrastructure issues that make it easier for people to travel around. Just teamwork, for example between Royal Caribbean, the government and Bahamian developers and we’re happy to team up and help think through some of these ideas that help make The Bahamas a bit more attractive.”

MAN ACCUSED OF DOUBLE MURDER AND ATTEMPTED KILLING

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

RENALDO Hudson, 20, is on trial in the Supreme Court for the armed robbery and the double murder of a man and woman and the attempted murder of another woman two years ago during a robbery in a Grand Bahama area known as “the ghetto”.

After a lengthy jury selection process, a ninewoman and three-man jury was empaneled at around noon on Thursday.

Hudson, who is represented by Mario Gray, is accused of the shooting deaths of Jacquelin Armbrister and Noel Hamilton, and shooting Agatha Gaitor during a robbery on March 21, 2016. The victims were found with gunshot injuries to the head in a wooden shack off Hearn Lane and Bruce Avenue, Freeport.

Armbrister died at the scene. Ms Gaitor and Hamilton were taken by EMS personnel to the hospital, where he later died of his injuries.

Prosecutor Erica Kemp presented the particulars of the case. She told jurors that on the morning of March 21, 2016, Armbrister and Hamilton were in a small wooden shack when sometime after 11am shots were heard in the area. She said it was discovered that three persons in the shack were shot, however one survived. The prosecutor said spent firearm cartridges were found at the scene.

Police Corporal 1351 Philip Forbes, an officer attached to the Mobile Division, was the first officer to arrive on the scene around 11.23am on the day in question.

When he arrived, he observed two spent bullet casings, and saw a woman sitting in a white plastic chair, bleeding from the head and pleading for help, and two other persons – a man and woman who were unresponsive.

Officer Forbes said he secured the scene and called EMS personnel, who transported Ms Gaitor and Hamilton to hospital for medical attention. He said Armbrister had died at the scene.

When asked by Prosecutor Kemp about injuries he observed on the victims, Corp Forbes said all the victims had injuries to the head.

Jackson Curry, a resident of the area, said just before the shooting he had observed two men wearing

with black hoodies in the area standing on the wall in a yard, which is approximately 15ft in proximity to the shack.

He described one of the men as being very “terrifying.” About an hour later, Mr Curry said he heard several gunshots.

“I was inside my room for about an hour or less when I heard, bam, bam, bam, bam…,” said Mr Curry who lives in another house just behind the wooden shack.

He went outside and saw Armbrister laying slumped in a chair and blood draining down her hand.

“Did you go in the shack?” asked Prosecutor Kemp. “No ma’am,” he replied.

Mr Curry said he went across the road and asked a neighbour to call the police.

He said officers arrived immediately.

Mr Curry told the court the two men wearing black hoodies were no longer in the area. He said one of men was known as “Mooby”, who he described as a strapping man about five feet, 11 inches. He said the second man was about five feet, 10 inches tall and looked to be around 16-17 years old.

Detective Constable

Sterling Francis, attached to the Crime Records Office, testified he arrived at the scene 11.30 am. He said he took photographs of a black female who was dead inside the shack, two spent bullet casings, and the interior and exterior of the shack.

He then went to the Trauma Bay at the Rand Memorial Hospital around 1.20pm, where he spoke with 772 Johnson and took photographs of the deceased Noel Hamilton, who had laceration on the right side of the forehead.

At about 2.20pm on date in question he went to the Central Detective Unit where he spoke with Sgt 772 Johnson, who pointed out a suspect. Constable Francis said that he conducted a gunshot residue kit.

The officer had also collected latent fingerprints from an Eclipse beer bottle, which he also photographed for evidence. He downloaded all the photographs on a CD and made enlargement and compiled several albums.

Prosecutor Kemp entered the albums as evidence.

Detective Inspector Martin Roberts, of Crime Records Office, said on March 23, around 11am he went to the hospital’s

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morgue where autopsies of Hamilton and Armbrister were performed by Dr Mandy Pedican.

He said he took photographs of the deceased victims’ injuries. He also

received blood samples and microfiber collected by the pathologist from the victims, as well as a metal fragment removed from the body of Armbrister.

Justice Estelle

Gray-Evans is presiding over the matter, which resumes today.

Erica Kemp and John Kemp of the Attorney General Office are appearing on behalf of the Crown.

PAGE 10, Friday, November 16, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

I

T is Wednesday early morning and I am aboard Symphony of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, sailing toward Nassau where we will dock in another hour or so and be greeted by a welcome ceremony. The morning light dawns brighter and the familiar sights of Nassau harbour come into view, though it is not a view I have ever seen in quite this way from more than 100 feet high on the patio of the port side of the vessel, the colours of the water, the palms, the few docks in various states of repair are so inviting I realise all over again the enduring romantic appeal Nassau has to the cruise industry. The beauty of where we are is stunning.

Symphony glides smoothly into the harbour where in a little while the rousing applause, speeches, key and plaque exchange will take place. It will be a fullout event with performances by the Royal Bahamas Police Force and Defence Force bands, National Children’s Choir, the Gerald Cash Primary Rhythm & Youth Band, two Junkanoo groups.

The celebration will be fitting for the inaugural Nassau call of the ship, the newest gem in Royal Caribbean’s crown.

It will also be an historic tribute of sorts.

Royal Caribbean has grown its fleet, its vision and its role in regional tourism slowly and steadily over 50 years. In every one of those years, The Bahamas has figured prominently. Its first ship, the Song of Norway, made Nassau its first port of call outside the US in 1970 and a photo of that historic occasion still hangs just outside the door of Port Controller Dr Raymond King’s office.

The cruise industry and the ships that transported some 13 million guests in the North American market last year have changed so dramatically it is hard to sum up in a few words the difference half a century has made. It is like comparing a rotary phone to a Samsung 9+ or the latest iPhone.

It is not so much the size of the ship nor the sheer magnitude of its features but the fact that everything works that makes it so impressive. To appreciate the scope of perfection in operation, consider this: Symphony is 1,188 feet long, longer than three football fields. She is 215 feet wide, carries up to 6,600 guests and more than 2,000 crew.

E

VERY square inch above and below her 18 decks has to fit precisely, no shims in this kind of hardware. Every outlet in every room, every toilet in every cabin, every light in every public space, every magnetic cabin key, every one of the 24 elevators has to work without a moment’s fail 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Every one of the 17 restaurants or dining experiences has to open on time, serve up what’s promised and ensure that not a single item of food is mishandled.

There are 13,000 living plants and a Central Park on Deck 8 in the middle of the ship, and while Symphony sails so smoothly through the waters, you hardly remember you are at sea unless you wander up to Deck 16 and see the sky, pools, hot tubs, solarium, or catch the view from the patio outside your cabin door and physically look at the water.

It is hard to fathom how it all comes together, who orders and takes delivery of the thousands of eggs a day or ensures that the $3 million production in the Royal Theatre goes off smoothly with all the

An orchestration of human and technological harmony SYMPHONY of the Seas opening ceremony.

Top, the RBDF band strikes the right note.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

acrobatics of people flying through a theatre space or that the internet stays up and running for guests shooting videos and selfies and sending them around the world instantly.

The true miracle of operating a ship of this size with so many features and with the expectations of today’s traveler is in the detail of operations. It is in the design, the engineering, in the bowels of the ship, the parts guests never see.

Below decks, the most advanced equipment from Sweden and Norway helps to generate power and allows the ship, which runs on diesel, to operate at 25% greater efficiency than any before it. New ships are being designed to run even cleaner on LNG but for now, Symphony is as efficient as it gets.

Aside from fuel and energy production efficiency, it is a wonder in water production. The average American uses 80-100 gallons of water a day, including bathing, when at home. Onboard, thanks to design, the average consumption is 50 gallons and very little has to be onboarded. Eighty

five percent of the water used is produced onboard.

As for waste water management, waste water, shower water, kitchen water, laundry water are mixed in pre-determined percentages and sent through a tertiary treatment process although US agricultural law prevents the ship from using it, even for watering any of those 13,000 plants.

At the macro level, this is a company that is involved in 50 port development projects. It is a company that knows its market.

President & CEO Michael Bayley said in a press briefing that Royal Caribbean’s “sweet spot” was multi-generational family guests. That’s why it created the over-thetop family suite, two-storeys high with a slide, as comfy and roomy as a private townhouse.

It is a company that knows what its guests want – the two most important elements, thrill and chill.

But it is also a company and a ship that knows what makes it all magic, the importance of the human component, the willingness to invest in the research

required to drive the best performance.

Whether the razzle-dazzle and never-ending choices of food are your style or you prefer to sit quietly on the deck, you have to respect what is involved in making it all come together. Even a piece of maintenance equipment called the Water Boy, presumably named by the company that manufactured it, is a multi-tasker sight worth admiring. The tank on wheels, probably 30 gallons, is equipped with an easy-to-use flexi-hose for watering plants along with compartments for supplies and handles for trash bags so while a member of crew is watering the lush shrubbery growing everywhere, he can pick up dead leaves or trash at the same time, combining what might have been roles carried out by two different staffers.

The efficiency of equipment, the absolute cleanliness of the underbelly corridors where carts and people and food and laundry pass each other by are all mind-blowing.

Others will discuss the economic impact of a ship this size or how we can best improve the Nassau experience building on its historic roots and architectural treasures, all worthwhile subjects for discussion. For me as we arrive in Nassau and see the shimmering waters, my emotion runs high that this magnificent ship that operates with such perfection is calling on my home. Hats off to Royal Caribbean for Symphony of the Seas, an orchestration of human and technological harmony.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, November 16, 2018, PAGE 11

PAGE 12, Friday, November 16, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

SRI LANKAN LAWMAKERS FIGHT IN PARLIAMENT OVER PM DISPUTE COLOMBO Associated Press AS SRI Lanka’s president met with opposition lawmakers over a no-confidence vote against his newly appointed prime minister, thousands rallied in support of the prime minister he ousted, burning coffins representing what they called the death of democracy in the Indian Ocean nation.

Earlier yesterday, rival lawmakers exchanged blows in Sri Lanka’s Parliament after disputed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed the speaker had no authority to remove him from office by a voice vote. That

happened on Wednesday when lawmakers convened for the first time since a political crisis began on October 26 with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s ouster.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya told the chamber that the country had no government and there was no prime minister. Rajapaksa disagreed, saying “a vote should have been taken. Such important motions should not be passed by a voice vote.” He accused the speaker of partiality toward his party, the United National Party, led by Wickremesinghe.

Rajapaksa also repeated his call for new elections, suggesting that

SRI Lanka’s lawmakers scuffle at the parliament in Colombo.

It’s my Brexit deal or chaos, May tells MPs

TRUMP VISITS THE MARINES AND TALKS AT VETERANS’ EVENT WASHINGTON Associated Press PRESIDENT Donald Trump visited with Marines and spoke at a White House veterans’ conference yesterday amid fallout over his decision not to visit an American cemetery during his weekend trip to Paris to commemorate the end of World War I. The president and first lady Melania Trump spent about 40 minutes at the Washington, DC Marine Barracks compound, where about 150 Marines had gathered in an event space at tables set with mini pumpkin pies. Trump later spoke at a conference with state and local veterans’ leaders, where he applauded his administration’s efforts to improve veterans’ care.

“The fact is I’ve done a lot,” Trump said of himself, drawing applause from the room.

The events came after the president was criticised for cancelling a trip to an American cemetery about 60 miles northwest of Paris on Saturday after his helicopter was grounded by bad weather. Trump was in Paris for ceremonies marking the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I on Sunday, and did not attend the annual commemoration for Veterans Day at Arlington National Cemetery.

it was the best way to resolve the crisis. The brawl erupted after the opposition asked for a vote on Rajapaksa’s statement, with some lawmakers supporting him gathering in the middle of the house while others rushed Jayasuriya, tussling for his microphone.

Rajapaksa ally Dilum Amunugama was taken to a hospital with injuries to his hand incurred while trying to take the microphone from the speaker’s table.

Several dozen lawmakers in white robes in the 225-member house engaged in the melee, some throwing water bottles, pitching trash cans and landing kicks.

LONDON Associated Press

THERESA May at 10 Downing Street in London yesterday.

PRIME Minister Theresa May defied mounting calls to quit or change course yesterday over Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, warning that abandoning her Brexit plan would plunge the country into “deep and grave uncertainty”.

Britain’s long-simmering divisions over its future in the EU erupted into turmoil just a day after the government agreed to a divorce deal with the bloc. Two Cabinet ministers resigned and some lawmakers from May’s own party called for her to be replaced. The crisis threatened to destroy the Brexit agreement, unseat the prime minister and send the U.K. hurtling toward the EU exit without a plan.

In an evening news conference aimed at regaining some control, May said she believed “with every fiber of my being that the course I have set out is the right one for our country and all our people.”

“Am I going to see this through? Yes,” she said.

The hard-won agreement with the EU has infuriated pro-Brexit members of May’s divided Conservative Party. They say the agreement, which calls for close trade ties between the U.K. and the bloc, would leave Britain a vassal state, bound to EU rules it has no say in making.

May insisted that Brexit meant making “the right choices, not the easy ones” and urged lawmakers to support the deal “in the national interest.”

But she was weakened by the resignation of two senior Cabinet ministers, including Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab. Hours after he sat in the meeting that approved the deal, Raab said he “cannot in good conscience” support it.

Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey followed Raab out the door.

She said in a letter that it is “no good trying to pretend to (voters) that this deal honors the result of the referendum when it is obvious to everyone that it doesn’t.”

A handful of junior government ministers also quit, and leading pro-Brexit lawmaker Jacob Rees-Mogg called for a vote of no-confidence in May. Rees-Mogg said May’s deal “is not Brexit” because it would keep Britain in a customs union with the EU, potentially for an indefinite period. He said May was “losing the confidence of Conservative members of Parliament.”

Rees-Mogg called for May to be replaced by a more firmly pro-Brexit politician, naming ex-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, former Brexit Secretary David Davis and Raab as potential successors.

Under Conservative rules, a confidence vote in the leader is triggered if 15 percent of Conservative lawmakers — currently

48 — write a letter to the party’s 1922 Committee of backbenchers, which oversees leadership votes.

Only committee chairman Graham Brady knows for sure how many missives have been sent, but ReesMogg’s letter is likely to spur others to do the same.

If a confidence vote is held and May loses, it would trigger a party leadership contest in which any Conservative lawmaker — except her — could run.

The turmoil is the latest eruption in the Conservative Party’s long-running civil war over Europe. Ever since Britain joined what was then the European Economic Community in 1973, the party has been split between supporters and opponents of Britain’s membership. In 2016, then-Prime Minister David Cameron called a referendum “to settle this European question in British politics” once and for all.

He was confident the country would vote to remain, but voters opted by 52 percent to 48 percent to quit the EU, a result that left both the Conservatives and the country more divided than ever. Cameron’s successor, May, has been struggling ever since to deliver a Brexit that satisfies those who want to leave, reconciles those wanting to remain and doesn’t rock the economy — a near-impossible balancing act.

Thursday’s political mayhem prompted a big fall in the value of the pound, which was trading 1.5 percent lower at $1.2797 as investors fretted that Britain could crash out of the EU in March without a deal. That could see tariffs on British exports, border checks and restrictions on travelers and workers — a potentially toxic combination for businesses.

SAUDI ARABIA TO SEEK DEATH PENALTY IN KHASHOGGI KILLING DUBAI Associated Press

SAUDI Arabia will seek the death penalty against five men suspected of killing journalist Jamal Khashoggi, its top prosecutor said yesterday, while the US slapped sanctions on 17 Saudi officials in the toughest action it has taken against the kingdom since the slaying.

The Saudi moves failed to appease Turkey, which has put increasing pressure on its regional rival since Khashoggi was killed in Istanbul last month, but they could be enough for some of Saudi Arabia’s Western allies to move on and press for key demands, such as an end to the war in Yemen.

The prosecutor’s announcement sought to quiet the global outcry over Khashoggi’s death and distance the killers and their operation from the kingdom’s leadership, primarily Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Officials and analysts say an operation

of this kind could not have happened without the prince’s knowledge.

Pressed by Western journalists in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat said the crown prince had “absolutely” nothing to do with the slaying of The Washington Post columnist, who was sharply critical of the heir to the throne.

The Saudi investigation pointed the finger at some members of the crown prince’s inner circle but stopped short of accusing them of ordering the writer’s death.

Those closest to the prince are instead accused of ordering Khashoggi’s forced return in an operation at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul that the Saudis allege went awry.

In a news conference, Sheikh Shalan al-Shalan, the deputy attorney general, said the killing was ordered by an individual whom he did not identify but said was responsible for negotiating Khashoggi’s return back to Saudi Arabia from Turkey.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, November 16, 2018, PAGE 13

BACK TO SCHOOL FOR CH REEVES TEACHERS, SAYS LLOYD

By RIEL MAJOR

EDUCATION Minister Jeff Lloyd said teachers and students returned to CH Reeves Junior High School on Tuesday after a two-week sit out was conducted by teachers.

The minister said: “I’m happy to tell you that teachers returned to the classroom on Tuesday.”

Last week, Mr Lloyd said the Ministry of Education requested the assistance of Anthony Ryan of the Environmental Monitoring Risk Assessment Division in the Department of Environmental Health, who assessed the school’s affected classrooms, finding what he described as recognised environmental concerns, including dust and accumulated dirt.

He subsequently formulated a prescription to rectify those issues,

Mr Lloyd said, adding that a contractor was immediately hired to conduct the remediation process.

This included the removal of mildew, the cleaning of dust on ceiling beams, and the cleaning of air-conditioning units, window sills and elsewhere. Other contractors effected repairs to a leaky roof and to faulty toilets in one of the female students’ bathrooms, the minister said.

On Friday, November 2, teachers had refused to work despite the fact that a new classroom schedule was constructed by administrators that accommodated all classes.

This led to a second round of environmental tests where mould was discovered in multiple classes.

Mr Lloyd said: “There is a presence of mould (and) the teachers unfortunately were placed in a

situation that is obviously and injurious potentially injurious to their health and that is regrettable and that’s not something we are proud of and we have remedied it.”

The minister said the mould infected classrooms were removed from the inventory and sufficient classrooms are available to continue with the educational process.

He also confirmed that a new unused building consisting of 12 classrooms is ready for occupancy and the ministry is only waiting for an occupancy certificate.

“I spoke on (Tuesday morning) with the Minister of Works Desmond Bannister who assured me that within a day or two, whatever is required, and I think it is an electrical issue will be satisfied, done so that an occupancy certificate can be hand delivered to the school,” Mr Lloyd said. “And those 12 classrooms can be used.”

MINISTER of Education Jeff Lloyd.

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