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Volume:115 No.19, DECEMBER 15TH, 2017

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Weekend

Friday, December 15, 2017

SHUANG BA OPENS Pages 8 &9

‘Last Jedi’ fever

Fans rush to Star Wars retu rn

Film, page 20 & 21

WEEKEND: FANS GET READY FOR THE RETURN OF STAR WARS

Detained - pregnant woman and children

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

THE pregnant wife of a Bahamian man is among six new people who have made habeas corpus applications, bringing the total number of people the state will have to justify detaining in immigration operations to 12.

Mirlene Corvil is two months pregnant and has been held at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre (CRDC) C since December 4, according to her supporting affidavit, which indicated fears of malnourishment and lack of access to prenatal care.

Another applicant is Kediesha Bent-John, who was arrested along with her 11-year-old child and both have been detained since December 8 at an immigration safe house for women and child migrants.

Yesterday, her tearful Bahamian husband

Andrick John told The Tribune he has been under heavy emotional distress because he has not been able to see or hear from his wife or his adopted daughter since their arrest. Mr John, 41, said he was not allowed to produce any documentation to immigration officers at the time of their arrest.

Fanel Gassant has been in detention at the CRDC since November 29; however, supporting affidavits say he is married to a Bahamian woman and has an outstanding application for a spousal permit.

In the case of Earl Burton, a Jamaican who has been detained at the CRDC since August 15, it was claimed he was exposed to tuberculosis and it is unclear whether he has contracted the disease. As a result, he has been unable to meet with legal counsel.

SEE PAGE THREE

HUNT FOR MAN LOST AS PLANE HITS OCEAN

FIVE YEARS FOR $1.7M DRUG RUN

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

A HAITIAN man was yesterday sentenced to five years at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services after pleading guilty to several drug related charges stemming from the seizure of over $1m worth of cocaine in Inagua last weekend.

Dones Benjamins, 47, of Cap-Haitien, Haiti, was jailed after entering

guilty pleas to conspiracy to possess dangerous drugs with intent to supply, conspiracy to import dangerous drugs, possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply and importation of dangerous drugs.

His four co-accused, Haitian nationals Walter Gustave, Marc Evens Belfort, Ifrandieu Clermonvil and Vickson Polydor, entered not guilty pleas during the arraignment SEE PAGE NINE

S&P RATINGS AGENCY - WE STILL NEED TO IMPROVE

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Government must “prove” it can deliver on its fiscal and economic turnaround strategy, the Deputy Prime Minister admitted yesterday, after Standard & Poor’s (S&P) kept the Bahamas at “junk” status.

K P Turnquest told Tribune Business he was “not at all” disappointed at the outcome of S&P’s annual review of The Bahamas’ sovereign creditworthiness, despite having previously expressed optimism that the Government could make the case to be upgraded to “investment grade” status.

Taking a swipe at the former Christie administration, he said S&P’s scepticism about the Government’s ability to execute was “not unreasonable”, given that the credit rating agency had previously been given “big stories” that were never followed through.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

CHILD DIES AFTER FALLING FROM TRUCK

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

tracheal esophageal fistula (TEF), a condition where the esophagus is not connected to the stomach. This prevents the child from being able to eat without regurgitating the food.

His mother Jonique was heartbroken when doctors

A CHILD believed to be between the age of eight and ten years old died in an accident last night after falling off a tow truck.

According to police Superintendent Shanta Knowles, the child “attempted to jump” on the hydraulic lift of the truck but lost his balance and fell off.

Supt Knowles said up to press time last night, investigators were still talking to witnesses to determine what happened.

They did not yet know whether the tow truck driver was even aware that the child attached himself to the truck, she said.

SEE PAGE SEVEN

SEE PAGE FIVE

A SEAPLANE and a helicopter come to the aid of a female passenger in the water after the plane she was flying in crashed. For the full story, see page three.

‘HELP US - SAVING OUR SON LEFT US $100,000 IN DEBT’

By MORGAN ADDERLEY

THE mother of a baby born with a skull defect is making an impassioned plea for the public’s help in settling the more than $100,000 in medical expenses for her son’s surgeries.

Tatum Hall-Holness was

born on December 23, 2015 with craniosynostosis, a birth defect affecting the skull. Craniosynostosis is a condition where one or more of the fibrous sutures in a baby’s skull prematurely fuses and turns into bone. This changes the growth pattern of the skull.

He was also born with

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

PAGE 2, Friday, December 15, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

THE STUDENTS of St Andrew’s School had a special visit from Santa Claus, Elmo and Peppa Pig yesterday. Students also brought gifts which they presented to Santa which will be distributed to the Elizabeth Estates Children’s Home, Bain and Grants Town youngsters and special needs children.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

When Santa Claus dabbed FOR over 40 years, Santa has been visiting St Andrew’s School at Christmas time where he receives gives from the students to give to those less fortunate boys and girls in the Bahamas.

Each year, students, parents, teachers, administrators and board members line the St Andrew’s School parking lot in anticipation of Santa’s arrival.

“Our students are always excited to see what method of transportation Santa will come in on as it is always top secret,” said Tamika Cartwright, the school’s director of development and public relations.

“This year, students were thrilled to see Santa as he arrived on the back of a red and white striped Jet Ski, fitting the theme of Christmas. His grand entrances in previous years included a helicopter, fire truck, horse and carriage, golf cart, donkey cart, motorbike, speed boat, truck, garbage truck, cement mixer and a red convertible car.”

Instead of Santa bringing gifts for the boys and girls at St Andrew’s, students surprise Santa each year by giving him gifts for less fortunate children. Each year Santa collects hundreds of gifts from the students and this year was no exception,

the school said. This year, gifts will be donated to the Bain and Grants Town community, the Elizabeth Estates Children’s Home and to physically disabled and special needs children.

“An important part of the St Andrew’s School philosophy is service learning where our students learn the importance of giving back to those in need and we are humbled to be able to spread the joy of Christmas to those in our community through giving,” said Ms Cartwright.

St Andrew’s School is an international baccalaureate school in eastern New Providence.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, December 15, 2017, PAGE 3

Detained pregnant woman and children from page one Other applications are for mothers Gerna Jean Tinord and her ten-monthold infant, and Verante Mocombe and her oneyear-old baby, who have been detained at an immigration safe house for women and child migrants since December 1 and 5 respectively.

The applications were filed by Crispin Hall Jr and Garth Philipe of Callenders & Co. The affidavits, in separate matters, were all sworn by Callenders & Co law firm’s

legal assistant Wislande Geffrard, who claims their imprisonment is unconstitutional and unlawful.

The applications for habeas corpus writs were filed in the Supreme Court against the attorney general, minister of immigration, director of immigration and superintendent of the CRDC. The government will have to prove the lawfulness of the detention of all 12 in separate cases before Supreme Court Justice Gregory Hilton on December 19.

Justice Hilton has also set an injunction against the Department of Immigration

to block the agency from deporting or repatriating any of those who have filed cases.

Another high-profile habeas corpus case involves Jean Rony Jean-Charles, whose whereabouts are now the subject of court proceedings.

The Supreme Court last week gave the government until December 19 to produce Mr Jean-Charles and either provide evidence justifying his detention or be held in contempt of court.

Immigration officials have said Mr Jean-Charles has been repatriated to Haiti.

JUNKANOO HONOUR FOR FERGUSON

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

MINISTER of Youth Sports and Culture Michael Pintard has announced the 2018 New Year’s Day Junkanoo Parade in Grand Bahama will be named in honour of Junkanoo legend Kenneth “Motorboat” Ferguson.

Irma Ferguson, Ferguson’s widow, junkanooers and members of the Grand Bahama Junkanoo Committee were present for the announcement last week at the Office of the Prime Minister in Grand Bahama.

In addition to naming the parade after Ferguson, Mr Pintard revealed they are also considering establishing a creative arts scholarship in tribute of him.

He said Ferguson made a tremendous contribution to development of culture, particularly in the culture of Junkanoo.

Ferguson, the leader of the New Classic Dancers Junkanoo Group, died September 14. He was 62. He was also a minister of the gospel and a well-known sports enthusiast.

“It’s an honour...to name this parade in honour of Ferguson, Mr Pintard said. “Mr Ferguson played a major role in the development of culture in the country primarily through Junkanoo.

He is no stranger to the Grand Bahama community and by extension the Bahamas’ cultural community.

“He also been quite active in sports and poured his life into a number of Bahamians who were tutored by him on the softball field.”

Mr Pintard said Ferguson was very vocal, spoke his mind and did not hide his political affiliation with the PLP. “What really made him remarkable to those of us who had met him was that he spoke his mind in a country where persons are duplicitous and it is difficult to read what they are thinking and what their intentions are; you certainly knew where you stood with him,” he said.

He said Ferguson was passionate about Junkanoo and made personal financial sacrifices in order to pursue his passion.

He explained Ferguson was not selfish and helped to develop others while pursuing his passion for culture and sports.

“He did not benefit financially from it. In fact, he made tremendous personal sacrifices,” the minister said.

“Junkanoo leaders in Grand Bahama and the Grand Bahama Junkanoo Committee led by Mark Gardiner and Mr Calvin Russell were unanimous in really bringing the case to the ministry that given his level of contribution, his stature, not merely in Junkanoo but in culture thought we needed to find a fitting way to pay tribute to him.

“This is one of the ways, the naming of this parade that we are paying tribute to ‘Motorboat.’ I challenge the cultural community, and all of those non-government organisations that have built a relationship with him to join with us to finding other ways to pay tribute to him.”

Mr Pintard stated that the ministry recently formed a

Tune in to Classical 98.1 for the beautiful music of Christmas all day.

Performing Arts Federation in Grand Bahama, with the objective to promote the creative arts.

“Junkanoo is one of those creative arts. And there is no reason why with all the talent we have in Grand Bahama that we cannot name a scholarship in the creative arts for a young deserving Bahamian, in Motorboat’s honour,” he said.

Mr Pintard pledged his ministry’s support for such a scholarship, as well as his personal support.

“I will make a contribution, and I ask other Junkanoo enthusiasts and sponsors who support the art form of Junkanoo to join with us and ensure we memorialise him in multiple ways beyond 2018.”

Mrs Ferguson commended everyone for what they are doing to honour her late husband.

“I would like to thank all of you for everything you are doing for my husband. I know if he was here that he would appreciate and see the love and appreciation that is being shown to him,” she said.

A STRETCHER is lowered to lift a woman from the water after the plane she was on crashed.

HUNT FOR MAN LOST AS PLANE HITS OCEAN

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

ONE person was rescued and a search is underway for a man missing at sea following a plane crash in waters off West End, Grand Bahama yesterday morning.

The female survivor, who was pulled to safety in a basket harness by a US Coast Guard helicopter, was flown into Freeport, transported to the Rand Memorial Hospital and then flown to the United States for further treatment. A senior police official said the survivor was “incoherent” and unable to speak with authorities.

The aircraft, which is believed to be a private plane, with two persons aboard went down around 11.42am some eight miles off West End, police reported.

Police were alerted by Air Traffic Control that a blue and white single engine aircraft coming from the United States had crash landed off West

End. Police officers along with the US Coast Guard and the Marine Section of the Department of Customs responded to the scene of the reported crash.

Supt Noel Curry, officer in charge of West End Division, said officials have searched the area but were unable to locate the aircraft or spot any debris from the wreckage in the water.

The aircraft left the United States, but Bahamian authorities do not know the plane’s intended destination.

“We located a seacraft which is not the aircraft in question and saw a lone female survivor aboard that seacraft,” Supt Curry told reporters.

“She was assisted by the US Coast Guard to Grand Bahama International Airport to seek further medical attention,” he said.

“We searched the area, along with the USCG. However, we have not located the area we can assign as a crash site, so we are still conducting

investigations.”

He said they believe the crash might have occurred some eight miles off West End. A video of the actual helicopter rescue was circulated on social media.

“We believe there were two persons on board - a female and a male. They were en route from the United States to a destination in The Bahamas which we have yet to confirm,” Supt Curry added.

“At this time we cannot say where the location of the crash is because there is no debris field. Only what we have in terms of take-off of a small aircraft,” Supt Curry said, who did not know the actual depth of the water where the plane went down.

“When we found her, she appeared incoherent after the traumatic event.

We did not get a chance to have a dialogue with her … but we will follow up with her.”

Supt Curry thanked the residents in the area who assisted them in getting them by boat to the rescue site.

PAGE 4, Friday, December 15, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

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We have no real option but to play by the rules THE flurry of activity recently by the Government in connection with new pressure from the European Union (EU) against so-called tax havens is an indication of the continuing fundamental importance of the financial services industry to our nation’s economy.

We escaped the EU’s newlyunveiled 17-nation “blacklist” mainly because of its recognition of the damaging effects of the last hurricane season in The Bahamas, even though we were largely spared the wrath of the two major storms, Irma and Maria, which devastated the eastern Caribbean during September.

As part of an eight-nation group, we have been given a further year to meet the EU’s demands for fairer taxation, transparency and compliance with EU standards in the struggle against tax avoidance and evasion as well as money laundering.

This means, in effect, The Bahamas is “on probation” while we decide what action to take in order to meet the concerns of the EU as well as those of the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and be regarded by them as a co-operative jurisdiction.

The EU blacklist is based on the drive to eradicate what are termed harmful tax practices which mainly enable multinational companies as offshore entities to avoid tax or enjoy special tax concessions in certain jurisdictions that are not available to similar domestic operations; so the EU seeks, in particular, to stop preferential treatment for non-resident foreign entities. For its part, the OECD wants countries to sign on to its Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters convention in order to achieve automatic tax information exchange.

In the face of this, some people question the EU’s and OECD’s authority to determine tax standards for others, in particular smaller countries that lack the resources to resist their demands while larger transgressors like the USA, or EU member states like Ireland and Luxembourg, are ignored.

Our Deputy Prime Minister has suggested it might be an overreach for these bodies to dictate to sovereign nations what their tax structures ought to be. He conceded, however, that it was not in the interests of The Bahamas to be perceived as facilitating tax avoidance or evasion. It is clear that to be placed on the blacklist would have had serious negative consequences for our financial services industry and for the wider economy because of the adverse effect on foreign direct investment.

We believe that, in reaction to growing external pressure and in order to remain competitive, we need to ensure our tax practices and the exchange of information are in line with best international practice. In these circumstances, Dr Minnis’ government deserves praise for grasping this particular nettle and taking urgent action to push through the necessary legislation to enable The Bahamas to sign on

to the OECD’s convention on multilateral tax information exchange and thus comply with that organisation’s Common Reporting Standard which has become the global model for such exchange.

This is a significant step towards what the Attorney General has described as “a giant leap further away from blacklisting”. Equally, he has spoken of our country’s poor record in implementing and enforcing legislation to combat financial crime that is already on the statute book.

Reportedly, there has been a slippage in our performance during the last decade to the extent that in 2017 The Bahamas was rated compliant in only eight of the 40 recommendations of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force. Moreover, it has become clear that over the last few years the PLP government failed to meet its obligations in relation to tax information exchange agreements.

The new FNM government has shown a commendable willingness to be proactive as a compliant jurisdiction and has drawn up an action plan.

While new legislation is promised, poor implementation has been a longstanding issue and will now become a key factor in its efforts to avoid the blacklist.

All this fits in with its wider strategy of liberalizing and deregulating the Bahamian economy, the first step of which is the Commercial Enterprises Bill. But it also provides an opportunity for comprehensive tax reform including an overhaul of our corporate tax structure, which has already been advocated by the IMF, together with removal of the ring-fencing for nonresident companies. Tax reform will anyway be required for WTO membership - for example, the elimination of certain import tariffs.

As a nation we need to free ourselves from the tax haven label. Given our small size, we have no option but to play by the international rules.

Since we depend on foreign investment for our prosperity, we cannot risk the damaging consequences of standing alone and refusing to comply.

The Government has made clear its intent to bring The Bahamas into full compliance with international requirements in a measured way and this is surely the right approach for this country.

Nonetheless, while accepting many international standards may be mutually beneficial in a globalised economy, as a proud sovereign nation we do not like to be bullied. So, in the longer term we should not rule out joint action by the Caribbean countries affected – based on CARICOM solidarity and utilising the potential protection deriving from WTO membership – to challenge the EU’s and OECD’s authority in deciding our tax rules and standards, or at least to negotiate some of the provisions being foisted on us. While, in light of our history, realistically the prospect of this may be remote, some discussion regionally about such an important issue would be useful.

No rent for post boxes EDITOR, The Tribune.

POST Boxes at General Post Office, East Hill Street - I totally agree with your letter writer - how can the Ministry - The People’s Government have the face to charge renters for Post Boxes when they have been unable to provide mail delivery for over two years?

jrolle@tribunemedia.net

Minister Campbell we receive mail three to four months late: months sir.

Many people have Registered Mail totally lost - Parcel post packages also lost in the mess in sorting and your Ministry thinks it is fair to bill the renters?

No rent for 2018, Mr Minister, the least you can do and let’s hope very soon

sorting out the backlog will be completed.

No excuses now the weather has changed. Your staff are wearing sweaters, it is cool Sir if you have not noticed. No rents for 2018 Mr Minister- no rents.

B FERGUSON Nassau, December 13, 2017.

Jamaal Rolle will return on Monday

Praise for PMH staff EDITOR, The Tribune.

AS a country we have a tendency to publicise the negative and keep the positive things a secret.

We downgrade and attack without ever congratulating and appreciating. Today I write in hope that we may highlight more of the good taking place in this country.

We have heard many stories about the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH).

It’s filthy, it’s overcrowded, the service is poor and other comments I dare not repeat. Often times, persons barge into PMH angry, frustrated and in distress.

They enter expecting an immediate resolution to their issues sometimes verbally abusing the staff at PMH. I am a dialysis patient that was admitted to Male Medical Ward #2 at PMH. I could hardly breathe on arrival.

I was placed on oxygen immediately and received an emergency regimen for my condition. I did not rush in shouting and demanding immediate attention. I was calm, my wife was calm and explained my condition.

My experience at PMH was extraordinary. It was completely the best and most professional service I have received in almost 60 years of living in The Bahamas. The level of care and attention that was given to me is unprecedented. The doctors and nurses were always kind and pleasant often times being the ones to keep my spirits high. They showed concern in my progress and no matter how many times I would call on them; they came with a smile each time. My medication

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net was always on time and my meals were on time, delicious and according to my diet.

We often downplay public services thinking that because it is private and expensive it is better than public services. That is such an unfortunate cliche that exists in The Bahamas. We have excellent public servants out there who are working diligently daily to provide the best possible service they can. I entered the hospital barely breathing the day I was admitted and with a calm and humble attitude, my wife explained the situation and we were able to get help. We must begin to realise that sometimes the results we get are due to the attitude we give. I have heard and seen persons barging into the hospital demanding immediate attention using vulgar and obscene language. Some pushing other aching patients to the side to receive care.

My fellow Bahamians, sometimes, the attitude you give determines the level of service you receive. Our doctors and nurses in the public hospital are there to see to it that you recover as best as possible. It is not right to be rude and disrespectful to them. We must begin to appreciate our public nurses and doctors. They work diligently every day, going above and beyond but never receive a simple thank you. It is clearly not the pay that they do it for, they love and have a passion for what they do, but they should not be

subject to degrading comments. We must be careful not under appreciate our nurses and doctors, else we may see them recruited by our neighbors. I call on you the Bahamian people to examine your behavior when using our public medical services, and our public services at large.

Appreciate the doctors and nurses for the remarkable and life saving work that they do. Let us not focus on the negative but on the good and selfless work that our health care professionals do.

And to the Cabinet of the Bahamas, motivation in any job is extremely important.

Something must be done to Show appreciation to our Nurses. They are hardworking, dedicated and should be better compensated for the extraordinary work that they do. We need nurses and if we are going to keep our nurses and make the field attractive to bring more nurses, then we must do so. Let us not tarry about the those that are already well off and travel and attend speaking engagements.

Rather let us focus on those that work tirelessly to provide care to those residing in and visiting The Bahamas.

To Dr Issacs, Dr Lockhart, Dr Longley, Nurses Moxey, Farrington, Edwards and Johnson and the entire staff at Male Medical two, I thank you a million times for your amazing professional service, for your care and for your love that contributed to my swift recovery.

Again, thank you!

SELWYN McKENZIE Nassau, December 11, 2017.

Be known as a doer EDITOR, The Tribune.

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis is not a talker. Many of the problems he has gotten into in the past seven months as Prime Minister are because he is not gifted in that way.

That’s fine.

We did not elect Dr Minnis to talk. The last PLP government was a disaster.

There was corruption. They accomplished very little.

Perry Christie was lost as Prime Minister.

The Bahamian people elected Dr Minnis to do something about crime.

They want him to fix the dump. They want him to create some jobs. They want him to do something with BEC so the lights don’t always go off and the bills are not so high.

Dr Minnis does not need to impress me with his words.

I often listen to him fight with the English language.

He loses most of those battles. It doesn’t bother me.

We need calm and sensible government around here for a while. We do not need dancing and wild promises that never come true.

When I read the newspapers and see the comments from the PLP, I get annoyed.

All of a sudden they have all the answers. Why didn’t they implement them while they were in power? Why didn’t they solve the crime problem? Why didn’t they fix the illegal immigration problem? Why didn’t they grow the economy?

The answer to all those questions is they couldn’t because they don’t have a clue.

PLPs want power just to be able to share out things among themselves. This contract for you. That contract for you. That is the governing philosophy of the PLP: Let’s share it out between PLPs. Dr Minnis and the FNM would have to do a horrible, horrible job for Bahamians to vote the PLP back in the next election.

That 34-to five thrashing

the people gave the PLP was a message. We do not trust that party. We will not bring that party back until a whole new crew of people are there and all of the old guard has moved on.

Dr Minnis, stay focused.

Keep doing what you know needs to be done.

I’d also give you one bit of advice. Be careful what you say. You have a tendency to let words slip out of your mouth before you reflect on what you are saying.

Take your time. Think first, then speak. Answer simply and clearly. All of us are not blessed with speaking skills. We understand your limitation. Do not create problems for yourself.

Merry Christmas to you, Prime Minister and your Cabinet. We hope you have a successful 2018. We voted for you and we still support you.

DARWIN R LUTHER Nassau, December 12, 2017.

Popeye Bowl funds EDITOR, The Tribune.

POPEYE Bowl - Can the Ministry of Youth give one reason why the Government should be wasting the sponsorship of this event?

Past years of this event saw the stadium virtually empty - row and rows of chairs empty, the south side of the stadium totally empty - what a great TV picture.

Unfortunately for this year it’s probably too late

to cancel but for 2018 and on it has to be cancelled. I thought there was no money in the Treasury - seems we have it overflowing to waste.

All sporting events should be managed by Ministry of Tourism - they have the know how and expertise.

Mr Minister - own up, we’ve wasted thousands on sponsoring this event.

The sole worthwhile sports event - including

any of the IAAF events - is Atlantis’ basketball tournament - they make money. The employees through gratuity make money, everyone’s happy.

That is a real event, not this Popeye Bowl.

Reality check: stop wasting money Mr Minister of Youth-Sports and Culture.

PAULA MINNS Nassau, December 13, 2017.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, December 15, 2017, PAGE 5

Lobster aimed at Chinese market

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

THE government is awaiting a response from the People’s Republic of China on whether it will approve the large-scale import of live spiny lobster from the Bahamas for Chinese consumption, Agriculture and Marine Resources Minister Renward Wells said yesterday.

As live lobsters fetch a much higher price, Mr Wells said revenue generation for the Chinese market would be a lucrative addition to an already $100m seafood export industry where $80m is already accounted for by spiny lobster sales.

He said the discussion began last year and, so far, resulted in the Department of Marine Resources

conducting a series of studies necessary for a country to be a contender for the Chinese market.

Asked whether there were any concerns the move could potentially deplete the local lobster supply, Mr Wells said there were none because this resource was currently sustainable due to the closure of the season which also prohibits the fishing of mature lobsters when they are spawning.

He said: “Obviously live lobsters fetch a much higher price, so for the fishermen we were trying to get the Chinese government’s permission. Obviously, they had their concerns about sanitary conditions and how they wanted the lobster handled.

“So, the Department of Marine Resources basically went through all of

the studies that were necessary to be able to export to China and we were waiting on the approval from the Chinese government that the Bahamas’ method of processing lobster was going to be accepted as a means to be able to export into China live lobster.”

He added: “Lobster happens to be the largest earner of revenue in terms of marine export. We export about $100m a year of seafood products out of the Bahamas and into Europe and the US and into various countries across the globe.

“Of that $100m, $80m or 80 percent is simply lobster exports, the spiny lobster.

The remaining 20 percent is conch, grouper, snappers, a small amount of sea cucumber, spider crabs and snow crabs. It’s a great opportunity for us to expand our

marine sector into other areas, but at the end of the day a large number of what we export happens to be spiny lobster.”

He said this is something that should be welcomed by Bahamians because rather than sending only lobster tails out, the country will be sending out the whole lobster. In addition, he said as opposed to frozen lobster, exporters will be sending the product out live.

He also dismissed any fears that Chinese fishermen will be engaged in the exercise, saying the opportunity will be for locals to export a new item into the Asian market.

“This isn’t about China fishing our waters, this is about Bahamian fishermen capturing the lobster live, bringing it to our export facilities and us following

certain procedures and exporting it for China.

Fishing is still reserved for Bahamians,” Mr Wells said.

Earlier this year, thenPrime Minister Perry Christie announced at the launch of the Bahamas Trade Information Services Portal, that Tropic Seafood was engaged in “major research” on farming lobsters and exporting them via air to China.

Glen Pritchard, Tropic Seafood’s president, told Tribune Business previously the company has had an “excellent” success rate with flying live lobsters into Hong Kong.

“The Asian market is all about fresh seafood. We’re flying lobsters into Hong Kong right now. The success rate has been excellent.

We have a better record than the Americans in

terms of the numbers that survive,” Mr Pritchard said at the time.

Last year, then-Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries V Alfred Gray was caught in controversy over his contradictory remarks over a $2.1 billion agrifisheries proposal that the Bahamas Embassy in China was given the go ahead to discuss with Chinese investors.

Mr Gray admitted he told at the time newly appointed Bahamas Ambassador to China Paul “Andy” Gomez he could have discussions on the controversial proposal, and has said such an initiative could be a good one for the county.

However, he has also hit out at the newspaper that reported the story, and called the initial report “utterly false”.

CHILD DIES AFTER FALLING FROM TRUCK from page one She added the driver remained on the scene of the accident and assisted police with their investigation.

She said: “Shortly after 6pm we received a call that an accident had occurred at Florida Court off Balfour Avenue. We are presently on the scene and investigating the incident.

Our investigation thus far tells us that shortly after 6pm, a tow truck was traveling south on Florida Court when a young child attempted to jump on to the truck.

“The child was successful in holding on to the hydraulic lift of the truck, somehow lost his balance and fell to the ground where he received injuries. EMS was called to the scene and confirmed that the child was lifeless. We are in the very early stages of this investigation. However, we are appealing to parents and guardians, we know that schools are out and about to close for the holidays.

We are asking parents to pay attention to the children, ensure that they are secured and aren’t playing in the streets and have constructive activities for the Christmas holidays.”

Supt Knowles said investigators could not yet estimate how fast the truck was moving when the child fell off.

“We have witnesses we are speaking to,” THE SCENE yesterday where a child died after falling from a tow truck. she said.

GIBSON LAWYERS CLAIM BAIL ACT LIMITS ‘CRUEL AND UNUSUAL’

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

ATTORNEYS for former Cabinet minister Shane Gibson yesterday charged that a magistrate’s lack of jurisdiction to grant bail according to the Bail Act is tantamount to “cruel and unusual treatment” towards a defendant.

Wayne Munroe, QC, during a hearing over Gibson’s constitutional motion, submitted to Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson that the Bail Act is unconstitutional on the grounds an individual will be remanded whether “you’re charged with something light or serious”.

Mr Munroe submitted that as there is no “differentiation” between the lesser and more serious offences with regards to bail, an individual will be remanded regardless if they are charged with an offence where the maximum penalty is six months, or one where the maximum penalty is 10 years.

“But all of these are being tried in the Magistrates Court, which doesn’t try the very serious matters which are tried in the Supreme Court,” he told The Tribune after the hearing.

“But because there is no differentiation between the more serious matters, we say that amounts to cruel and unusual treatment.”

Mr Munroe further highlighted the “arbitrary” nature behind the span of time between applying for a bond and the hearing in the Supreme Court. He noted during the hearing that one of the persons on Gibson’s application had his bail hearing some 20 days after applying for a bond.

Another applicant was faced with a 15-day gap between their application for bail and the consequent hearing, he said.

“You could get remanded for something that you could go to jail for six months for, for a month,” Mr Munroe explained.

“Whereas I could get bail

in three days for something that is for 10 years.

“So if it’s serious and they (the Crown) don’t think you should have bail, we don’t have a problem with that. But all of these were matters where there was no objection to bail.”

In response, however, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Garvin Gaskins submitted the basic principle of constitutional law is that every piece of legislation passed by Parliament is presumed to be constitutional, and there is consequently a “heavy” burden to “dislodge” that presumption.

Mr Gaskins further submitted Parliament did not act unconstitutionally when in 2011, it passed the Bail (Amendment) Bill which led to changes in a magistrate’s ability to grant bail.

Regarding Mr Munroe’s submissions regarding the delays between a bail application and a bail hearing, Mr Gaskins submitted any myriad of reasons could be behind those delays, including but not limited to the court’s case load.

However, he maintained the Supreme Court is not acting in an “arbitrary” manner.

Mr Gaskins further submitted that the court has a system in place to deal with bail applications, and that the court wants to be properly assisted at all times regarding the granting of bail. The matter was adjourned to April 11 and 12, 2018.

In September, appearing before Justice Grant-Thompson during a mention hearing in connection with Gibson’s bribery and extortion related charges, Mr Munroe sought to add several people to his client’s initial notice of motion for constitutional relief.

Those people, Mr Munroe said at the time, would have been remanded for different periods of time and would not have had the luxury of having such an application filed on their behalf like Gibson, who was granted $40,000 bail by Justice Grant-Thompson in

August. Nonetheless, Mr Munroe said at the time that should the application prove successful, it could result in a “substantial liability of the state” that could potentially cause the government to pay “millions of dollars” in damages to those persons affected.

Gibson is not seeking any relief from the application, however, he remains on the application essentially as a respondent due to him being the original applicant.

Fred Smith, QC, attorney for self-styled activist Omar Archer Sr and attorney Maria Daxon, have filed affidavits in connection with Gibson’s constitutional relief application. Mr Munroe told The Tribune previously that he and Mr Smith have agreed that their respective matters should be heard together, given they cover the same material.

On August 3, Gibson was arraigned before a magistrate on 36 bribery and extortion related charges: one count of misconduct in public office, 16 counts of bribery, two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery, two counts of conspiracy to commit extortion and 15 counts of extortion--all of these concerned with Jonathan Ash. The number of bribery and extortion related charges against Gibson has since decreased to 31, though the amount he is alleged to have solicited from Mr Ash remains the same.

About an hour after his initial arraignment, Justice Grant-Thompson granted Gibson $40,000 bail with two sureties and on the condition he does not reoffend and attends his trial. She did not impose any travel restrictions on Gibson, and neither was he required to surrender his travel documents or check into any police station.

Shortly after Gibson was granted bail however, Mr Munroe shared his intent with reporters to challenge the constitutionality of Section 4 3A of the Bail Act.

Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

PAGE 6, Friday, December 15, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Mitchell defends his right to talk about Campbell’s heritage

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Fred Mitchell maintains he is in his right to critique the actions of Transport Minister Frankie Campbell, contending public officials are “subject to fair comment”.

Mr Mitchell, in a statement released late Wednesday, warned politicians “uninitiated in the business of ministerial office and political life” that despite their personal feelings and fears, criticism is and has always been “an unavoidable “occupational hazard”.

Earlier this week Mr Mitchell suggested Mr Campbell’s position within the Minnis administration caused many to view the government as soft on immigration, due to the fact Mr Campbell’s mother came to the country from Haiti as an illegal immigrant.

Those comments came in the same week a Haitian sloop landed in western New Providence with dozens of illegal immigrants on board.

Mr Campbell and Attorney General Carl Bethel criticised Mr Mitchell for the remarks.

PLP CHAIRMAN FRED MITCHELL

Mr Campbell said illegal immigrants have come to The Bahamas’ shores for decades and his position in the Cabinet has done nothing to with it.

Firing back Wednesday, the former Fox Hill MP said the principles have already been established, telling those criticising him that once elected, “Your life, both personal and public, becomes the cannon fodder for newspapers and other assorted rascals who wish to create mischief.”

Mr Mitchell continued: “You can protect your own privacy by refraining from volunteering personal information which is otherwise not of interest to the public if you do not wish that information to become the subject of public scrutiny and comment.”

Clarifying his initial comments, Mr Mitchell claimed he was only responding to questions by the press on why the government’s policy on immigration is perceived the way it is.

“My answer was based on information in the public domain volunteered by the minister,” Mr Mitchell said. “The circumstances of how he came to be Bahamian and the fact that he took

the prime minister to a church to talk about immigration and acted as the translator for the prime minister.”

He added: “I deduced from those public facts - and so did most other Bahamians - that the FNM was perceived to be softer on Immigration and they went to spread that message to the immigrant community; that implicit in their personal outreach and his personal example was that the FNM would be soft on immigration and people in that community would perceive him to be a liaison to the government on their behalf.”

Mr Mitchell concluded that from a legal standpoint, his words would be considered “a fair comment” and that all public officials are subject to it.

“The PLPs policies on immigration were fair and strict and designed to protect the country. We stand by that,” Mr Mitchell added.

“Do not personalise your response to me but rather abstract this lesson from what I said, one which all of your like-minded hypersensitive young politicians in the FNM would do well to follow: if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”

‘ARMED ROBBERY MOTIVE IN MURDER CASE’

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A LEAD police investigator said armed robbery was the motive behind the home invasion that occurred in Deadman’s

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Reef where a couple were shot to death in September 2015, the Supreme Court heard on Wednesday.

Det Sgt 772 Lorenzo Johnson said co-accused Paul Belizaire admitted during a record of interview that he went to the couple’s home with others to get money and cocaine, but found neither.

Det Sgt Johnson is the final witness the prosecution called to give evidence in the armed robbery and murder trial of three men – Belizaire, Devaughn Hall, and Kevin Dames – accused of the shooting deaths of Barry and Sheena Johnson, of Grand Bahama, and allegedly robbing them of their truck and a set of keys.

During a contentious cross-examination, the detective indicated he did an “excellent job” in gathering evidence for the case.

The witness said he has been on the police force for 30 years and has been attached to the Serious Crimes Section for several years.

“When you do your investigations, you do it prudently and with due diligence?” asked Carlson Shurland, who is representing Dames. “Yes,” replied Det Sgt Johnson.

Mr Shurland continued: “You did the best you could with the investigation?”

“Yes,” Det Sgt Johnson said.

Jethlyn Burrows, counsel for Hall, asked the officer when he charged her client on September 19, whether during the investigation he

had access to the accused’s antecedents. Det Sgt Johnson said he did.

Mr Burrows asked: “What was the result of the check and your request?”

Det Sgt Johnson replied Hall had not been convicted of any criminal offences.

Geoffrey Farquharson, counsel for Belizaire, asked the investigator if he had beaten any of the three accused men. “No,” Det Sgt Johnson answered.

“Do you know if you lie in a murder trial, you can go to prison for life?” asked Mr Farquharson. Det Sgt Johnson said he did not know what the sentence was for such an offence.

Mr Farquharson then questioned the witness about his rank and promotions through the police force. The officer said he had been a constable for 17 years, a corporal for three years, and has spent 10 years as a sergeant.

Mr Farquharson asked the lead investigator why he hadn’t been promoted from the rank of sergeant after so many years. Det Sgt Johnson said there was no reason and there was nothing wrong with him being a sergeant for ten years.

“I do an excellent job,” the witness said.

“You have not been promoted because you do not have the right stuff; you have limited skills and conduct a shoddy investigation,” the attorney suggested. “You are not qualified for promotion.”

“You don’t know the police

system, you have no idea,” replied Det Sgt Johnson.

Both men became combative during the line of questioning and Justice Estelle Gray-Evans intervened, telling Mr Farquharson not to raise his voice while putting questions to the witness, and the witness to give answers only to the questions put to him.

Mr Farquharson asked Det Sgt Johnson what was the motive for the crime.

The witness indicated that armed robbery was the motive. “Your client (Belizaire) told me he went to get the money; that he went to rob the people who live there of money in the middle of the night,” Det Sgt Johnson said.

“In the course of the investigation, was there any money found in the house?” asked Mr Farquharson.

“Your client said no money was found,” Det Sgt Johnson said.

When asked about the record of interview he had conducted with Belizaire, the officer said the coaccused stated that no cash or cocaine was found in the house. “So the motive that was there disappeared?”

Mr Farquharson asked.

However, the officer indicated there was money in the victim’s purse, which he gave to the deceased’s sister.

When Mr Farquharson asked the witness why wasn’t that mentioned in his police report on October 28, 2015, Det Sgt Johnson said he had written it down in the police file.

BPSU STILL WAITING ON GAMING BOARD TALKS

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net DESPITE threats of legal and industrial action, Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU) President Kingsley Ferguson yesterday said his organisation is “still waiting” for progressive dialogue with Gaming Board officials about the reinstatement of more than a dozen fired workers.

In an interview with The Tribune, Mr Ferguson doubled down on the BPSU’s demand to have 17 of the 30 employees terminated by the Gaming Board last month reinstated.

“It is on them,” he said when contacted for the latest on the union’s efforts.

“We did our part and we are still waiting on them to come to the table. “(The BPSU) made

attempts to communicate with the Gaming Board, when we went there, we met resistance. A security officer tried to stop us, but we persisted only to be stopped one step short of the chairman.

“With that being the case, we have made recommendations to the Industrial Tribunal and there has been some legal efforts; but despite that, we are still working to meet with and communicate with government and the Gaming Board.”

In a separate interview, attorney Wayne Munroe, who is representing several of the terminated employees in legal proceedings, confirmed his office was preparing to pursue action against the Gaming Board.

Mr Munroe said he was hopeful the suits could be filed “this week”.

Gaming Board Chairman

Kenyatta Gibson last month confirmed some 30 employees were fired after a manpower assessment of the agency.

Mr Gibson said over the past four years, staff at the Gaming Board increased by 40 percent. He also said the board is focused on engaging people with a certain skill set who can properly regulate the gaming sector.

He said all those who were fired were paid “equitable and fair separation packages, with each and every one of their entitlements having been dealt with in a very generous fashion.”

Mr Gibson said if any errors in separation payments were made, they would be corrected once brought to officials’ attention.

When contacted yesterday, Mr Gibson refused to comment.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, December 15, 2017, PAGE 7

‘Saving our son left us $100,000 in debt’ from page one

repeated until my baby was ready to come home.”

Though his first surgery at Princess Margaret Hos- was a relative success, Mrs pital (PMH) told her the Holness still notes that news.

Tatum still experienced “I started to question and some difficulties eating. cried out to God: ‘God why She was also concerned for us, why us?’ We did every- other reasons. thing right, we did the right “While Baby Tatum was thing to get married first, in NICU, I noticed his forenow this is what we get for head was a little misshapen, doing it the right way. Our (but) the doctors didn’t first child. All that day I seem concerned. They told cried and cried. The news me that ‘sometimes the was painful,” she said. (bone plates in the baby’s “For (the first) six days skull) overlap coming of his life, baby Tatum through the birth canal. It’s couldn’t eat, they had him nothing, he will outgrow on drips until surgery. At six it.’” days old he However, had his first ‘Going up to the Mrs Holness surgery to (Neonatal Intensive knew someconnect his thing was Care Unit) every day esophagus to still wrong. his stomach. and night was hard Despite her Going up to for us, especially requests the (Neonafor X-rays, tal Intensive me, to see my baby Tatum did Care Unit) in that state. Leaving not receive every day him up there one until and night nearly four was hard for was the hardest months later. us, especially thing I’ve ever Upon disme, to see done in my life.’ covering an my baby in issue with that state. the sutures in Leaving him up there was Tatum’s skull, it was deterthe hardest thing I’ve ever mined that an MRI was done in my life, all I could needed. The scan had to be hear (was) the sound of his done at Doctors Hospital. monitors ringing in my ear.

The bill for that alone was “It hurt me so (badly) $5,000, she said. to see other mothers going Although money was home with their babies and tight, Mrs Holness and her I’m going home with a baby husband heeded advice to carrier but no baby. Only get a second opinion, and who feels it knows it, it was took Tatum to a hospital in hard. Every night when the US. I (thought) my husband She said: “Tatum had his Jermaine was fully sleep I surgery in January 2017 (broke) down in bed and in Florida and it was succried myself to sleep. This cessful. The results (were)

BABY Tatum Holness was born with craniosynostosis. He is pictured with his parents Jonique and Jermaine and, right, during his time in hospital. amazing down to his stitches (which are) clean and stitch neatly like a sewing machine did it. We asked God for a favour on that trip and we got it.”

Tatum stayed in the hospital for four days and the bill amounted to $98,000.

The anaesthesia was an additional $10,375. After the surgery, the family visited the hospital every two weeks for follow-ups, and Tatum was fitted with a custom made helmet to help shape his head.

The helmet cost another $2,500.

“The trips were exhausting,” his mother said. “I didn’t have time for myself, just had to make couple dollars for ticket money, head back over, come back home, make couple dollars again and head back over.”

Tatum will be twoyears-old later this month.

Although he is doing well and meeting his milestones, his medical expenses still have to be paid. His family will be holding a raffle to raise money for these fees on his birthday, December 23, at the Braiding Bar Hair & Nail Studio on Carmichael and Lazaretto Road.

The raffle will occur at 3pm at The Braiding Bar, Hair & Nail Studio on Carmichael and Lazaretto Roads. Prices are $3 per ticket and $33 per book.

Tickets are sold at Beat Studio, Mario’s, and Multi Discount.

The family has also set up an online GoFundMe account which can be accessed at www.gofundme.com/ tatum-skull-surgery.

If you would like to make a further donation or have any questions, contact Mrs Holness at 242-425-1786 or joniquehall@gmail.com.

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PAGE 8, Friday, December 15, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Office party politics THERE’S nothing more “political” than office parties, especially office Christmas parties.

So to ensure all you office party goers remain “politically correct” and don’t end up either in court, incarcerated, hospitalised or all of the above, here’s my Top Ten list of what not to do at your office Christmas party, because we all know, work rules still apply.

1. GETTING INEBRIATED (DRUNK) It’s a party, so you can expect a lot of people to get a bit tipsy.

However, dancing on the bar or starting a fight is still unacceptable.

As long as you don’t do anything that is illegal, then the worst punishment you will have is being “shame” well into the New Year.

If the company puts on a “open bar” employees might feel that they cannot be held responsible, but they can.

So no need to show your “jungaliss” side.

2. ASKING FOR A RAISE There is a time and a place to negotiate a change in your pay, the Christmas party is not it!

Drunken slurring about how you’re the best employee to your boss while spilling your drink will not have the desired effect in securing your raise.

3.

DON’T INVITE FRIENDS TO THE OPEN BAR The open bar is considered a gift from the employer to the employees, bringing your friends will make you “persona non grata”.

4. MAKING ADVANCES An employer may be ultimately responsible for the actions of its employees at a Christmas party, just as it

may be responsible for the actions of its employees in the workplace.

So no “cutting up” with the bosses wife or secretary for that matter.

Nor any of your colleagues’ signifigant other.

Neither any of your co workers directly. I don’t want to see anybody “Frankened”, “Lauered” or “Simmonsed” in the process.

5. DON’T ARRIVE OR LEAVE EARLY The office party is not as easy an event for some as it is for others.

In a multi-cultural society some might argue it is debatable whether or not the concept of the Christmas party is outdated.

In anycase, always remember to be “fashionably” late and leave early, right ahead of the staff, and you won’t be in violation of office party etiquette.

6. NO MAN LIKERY OR GOSSPING After a few drinks, “liquid courage” might make people more talkative, but putting down colleagues or gossiping is never cool.

You don’t know if the person you are talking to will repat your conversation, which could lead to awkward conversations when you sober up and have to face people in the office.

7.

FUSSING AND FIGHTING Not surprisingly, fighting constitutes gross

misconduct, which should be dealt with formally under a company’s disciplinary procedures.

Advice to anyone thinking of getting involved in one is these – it will most likely lead to your firing.

8. NO TALKING SHOP Talk shop and you might find you have a lot of very short conversations.

The Christmas party is a chance to talk with colleagues, but not about work. You don’t want to be known as “Boring Brad.”

9. DON’T OVERLOAD YOUR PLATE The food is for everyone.

So make sure it lasts the night.

You want to have something to eat, especially if you’re drinking, but you don’t want to be the person at fault for why someone else hasn’t got any macaroni.

“Toting” however is completly acceptable.

10. DANCE MACHINE In the old millennium, looking lost on the dance floor might have been largely forgotten as memories faded.

Today, you can guarantee those “moves” could haunt you for a very long time.

Social media is a wicked beast, and cellphone cameras are everywhere!

Oh and before I forget, here’s a bonus tip, don’t photo copy parts of your body, period.

Until next week, party on!

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THE TRIBUNE

Friday, December 15, 2017, PAGE 9

Five years for $1.7m drug run from page one

before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes and will face trial on February 28, 2018.

They were remanded to prison in the interim.

The five men were arraigned before the deputy chief magistrate in connection with last weekend’s drug seizure, said to be the result of “intelligence led policing”.

It is alleged between December 9 and 10, at Matthew Town in Great Inagua, the five men were found with a quantity of cocaine with the intent to supply.

It was also alleged that on December 9 at the same location, they imported cocaine into the Bahamas.

It is further alleged the five men, between December 3 and December 10, and being concerned together, conspired to possess cocaine with intent to supply and conspired to import cocaine.

According to the prosecution, around 4.45pm on December 9, Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) officers stationed at Inagua, acting on information, went to a public dock and boarded a Haitian freighter moored at the southern end of the dock.

Upon boarding the vessel, they met a number of people, including the captain, Gustave, and informed them they were suspected of carrying drugs and firearms and that they wished to search the vessel.

The prosecution said the five accused men produced passports showing they cleared immigration upon entry into the Bahamas.

Nonetheless, a search of the freighter was executed.

While in the engine room, officers found a hidden compartment. Once they gained access to the compartment, officers removed some 43 packages, each of which contained a powdery substance suspected to be cocaine.

Due to poor lighting and the time of day, officers

FROM left, Ifrandieu Clermonvil, Marc Evens Belfort, Walter Gustave and Vickson Polydor. were forced to suspend their with police when initially He sentenced Benjamins search, and all of the people interviewed. to five years for conspiracy present during the search However, Deputy Chief to possess dangerous drugs were taken into custody. At Magistrate Forbes said not- with intent to supply, three “first light” the following withstanding the mitigating years for conspiracy to day officers returned to con- factors, an aggravating import dangerous drugs, tinue their search. factor for him is that a great five years for possession of While doing so, officers deal of effort was made by dangerous drugs with intent came upon another hidden Benjamins to conceal so to supply and three years compartment which they many packages of cocaine for importation of dangerhad to use a blow torch into the vessel in question ous drugs. to unseal. Upon doing so, and subsequently travel The sentences are to run officers found an additional from Haiti to The Bahamas. concurrently.

63 packages of suspected cocaine.

Altogether, officers discovered a total of 106 packages weighing 273 lbs, with a street value of $1,749,000. The drugs and the suspects were subsequently handed over to DEU officials.

When initially interviewed under caution with the assistance of a translator, Benjamins, the cook in the vessel’s crew, admitted to all of the offences which he would eventually plead guilty to yesterday.

According to his attorney Roberto Reckley, others on board the ship were unaware of Benjamins’ actions.

Mr Reckley, during a plea of mitigation, said his client, a farmer by profession, has never been in trouble in Haiti, and has no prior convictions in this jurisdiction.

However, Mr Reckley told the magistrate his client fell on hard times and after an opportunity presented itself to him, Benjamins made an “unwise” decision for which he was “remorseful”.

Mr Reckley also noted Benjamins did not waste the court’s time and pled guilty at the earlier opportunity and noted how investigators said he was cooperative

UN EXPERT ON VIOLENCE TO WOMEN VISITS BAHAMAS THE United Nations special rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Dubravka Šimonovic has undertaken the first official visit of her mandate to The Bahamas this week to assess how the country is working towards eliminating violence against women.

“This visit will provide a useful opportunity to assess the country’s commitment to combating violence against women, its causes and consequences, and to evaluating its legal framework and policies on gender-based violence and its implementation,” Ms Šimonovic said.

“I will assess, in particular, the measures that the government must take to bring its legislation and practices into line with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the CEDAW Committee’s new general recommendation No 35 on gender-based violence against women as well as the Belém do Pará Convention which includes the State’s obligation to protect migrant women,” the expert said.

“Like many other places,

The Bahamas is contending with strong patriarchal attitudes that may contribute to gender-based violence but it also faces specific challenges such as devastating hurricanes and a high crime rate. I will examine the steps being taken by the authorities to address these challenges and will aim to provide recommendations to ensure women’s rights and safety are in line with accepted international standards and are prioritised in policy initiatives.”

During her five-day visit, which is at the invitation of the government, Ms Šimonovic will meet government officials, representatives of state institutions and civil society organisations, as well as individual women in New Providence and Grand Bahama.

The special rapporteur will present her preliminary observations at a press conference today 11am at the Pan American Health Organisation.

A comprehensive report containing her final findings and recommendations will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2018.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

DONES Benjamins.

Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

PAGE 10, Friday, December 15, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

DISNEY BUYS MUCH OF FOX IN $52.4BN DEAL

NEW YORK (AP) — Disney is buying a large part of Fox, including its movie and television studios, for about $52.4 billion, as the home of Mickey Mouse tries to meet competition from technology companies in the entertainment business.

Disney’s all-stock deal for the Murdoch family’s 21st Century Fox gives it the studios that produce the Avatar movies, The Simpsons and Modern Family. Murdoch will form a new company to keep the US television networks, including Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network and Fox Broadcasting. The Simpsons will continue to air on Murdoch’s Fox stations.

The deal also brings Marvel characters such as X-Men and The Avengers under one roof — Disney’s.

In owning these properties, Disney will be in a better position to compete with the likes of Netflix when it launches ESPNand Disney-branded streaming services in the coming years.

That Rupert Murdoch and his sons were willing to sell off much of the business that has been built up over decades came as a shock to the entertainment industry.

Murdoch, who built a global media and entertainment empire out of an inheritance from his father in Australia, said what remains of his family’s business will be able to focus on American news and sports.

During a call with investors Thursday, Murdoch and his sons described the move as a return to the company’s lean and aggressive roots.

RUBIO MOVE CASTS DOUBT ON TAX BILL WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republicans’ razorthin margin for driving their sweeping tax package through the Senate was thrown into jeopardy Thursday when GOP Sen. Marco Rubio declared he will vote against it unless negotiators expand the tax credit that low-income Americans can claim for their children.

Rubio’s potential defection complicates Republican leaders’ goal of muscling the $1.5 trillion bill through Congress next week, handing President Donald Trump his first major legislative victory by Christmas.

Senate Republicans could still pass the package without Rubio’s vote, but they would be cutting it extremely close. An original version was approved by only 51-49 — with Rubio’s support. The co-sponsor of Rubio’s proposed change, Republican Sen Mike Lee of Utah, is undecided on the overall bill and pushing to make the credit as generous as possible, said Lee spokesman Conn Carroll.

LINDSAY Chestnut of Baltimore holds a sign that reads “I like My Internet Like I Like my Country Free & Open” as she protests near the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in Washington yesterday.

Photo: Carolyn Kaster/AP

FCC votes along party lines to end net neutrality THE Federal Communications Commission repealed the Obama-era “net neutrality” rules Thursday, giving internet service providers like Verizon, Comcast and AT&T a free hand to slow or block websites and apps as they see fit or charge more for faster speeds.

In a straight party-line vote of 3-2, the Republican-controlled FCC junked the longtime principle that said all web traffic must be treated equally. The move represents a radical departure from more than a decade of federal oversight.

The big telecommunications companies had lobbied hard to overturn the rules, contending they are heavy-handed and discourage investment in broadband networks.

“What is the FCC doing today?” asked FCC chairman Ajit Pai, a Republican. “Quite simply, we are restoring the light-touch framework that has governed the internet for most of its existence.”

The push to eliminate net neutrality has stirred fears among consumer advocates, Democrats, many web companies and ordinary Americans afraid that the cable and phone giants will be able to control what

people see and do online.

But the broadband industry has promised that the internet experience for the public isn’t going to change.

The FCC vote is unlikely to be the last word. Net neutrality supporters threatened legal challenges, with New York’s attorney general vowing to lead a multistate lawsuit. Some Democrats want to overturn the FCC action in Congress.

“The fact that Chairman Pai went through with this, a policy that is so unpopular, is somewhat shocking,” said Mark Stanley, a spokesman for the civil liberties organization Demand Progress. “Unfortunately, not surprising.”

On Thursday, about 60 demonstrators gathered in the bitter chill of Washington to protest the FCC’s expected decision. Just before the vote, the hearing room was briefly evacuated and searched for unspecified security reasons.

The FCC subscribed to the principle of net neutrality for over a decade and enshrined it in rules adopted in 2015.

Under the new rules approved Thursday, the Comcasts and AT&Ts of the world could slow down or block access to

services they don’t like or happen to be in competition with. They could also charge higher fees of rivals and make them pay up for higher transmission speeds.

They just have to post their policies online or tell the FCC. Such things have happened before. In 2007, for example, The Associated Press found that Comcast was blocking or throttling some file-sharing. And AT&T blocked Skype and other internet calling services on the iPhone until 2009.

Thursday’s rule change also eliminates certain federal consumer protections, bars state laws that contradict the FCC’s approach, and largely transfers oversight of internet service to another agency altogether, the Federal Trade Commission.

Angelo Zino, an analyst at CFRA Research, said he expects AT&T and Verizon to be the biggest beneficiaries because the two internet giants can now give priority to the movies, TV shows and other videos or music they provide to viewers.

That could hurt rivals such as Sling TV, Amazon, YouTube or startups yet to be born.

However, AT&T senior

SUSPECT IN CAR ATTACK FACES NEW CHARGE OF MURDER

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. Associated Press

BLACK WOMEN WANT REWARDS AFTER ALABAMA WASHINGTON (AP) — Once again, black women showed up for Democrats, with nearly all of them voting in Alabama for new Sen Doug Jones, just as they did for Democratic candidates up and down the ballot in other states over the last few months.

The same women, having proven their loyalty by voting 98 percent for Jones, now wonder whether the Democratic Party will return the favor by sharing some of the party’s political power, handing over places at the negotiating table and pushing legislation that speaks to their unique issues.

“Black women showed up and showed out,” said Kimberlè Crenshaw, cofounder of the African American Policy Forum. In “any other context, people who get it 98 percent right, they’d be at the head of the class. It’s time for black women to be at the head of the political class.”

FEDERAL Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai. executive vice president spokeswoman Sarah Bob Quinn said in a blog Huckabee Sanders said post that the internet “will the Trump administration continue to work tomor- “supports the FCC’s effort row just as it always has.” to roll back burdensome He said the company won’t regulations. But as we have block websites and won’t always done and will conthrottle or degrade online tinue to do, we certainly traffic based on content. support a free and fair Internet companies such Internet.” as Google, Twitter and FCC Commissioner Facebook have strongly Mignon Clyburn, a Demobacked net neutrality. crat appointed by President Netflix said in a tweet it Barack Obama, lambasted is “disappointed in the deci- the “preordained outcome” sion to gut #NetNeutrality of the vote that she said protections that ushered hurts small and large busiin an unprecedented era nesses and ordinary people. of innovation, creativity & She said the end of net neucivic engagement. This is trality hands over the keys the beginning of a longer to the internet to a “handlegal battle.” ful of multibillion-dollar White House corporations.”

OMAROSA MANIGAULT

EX-APPRENTICE STAR ‘TO TELL ALL’ ABOUT WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON Associated Press

FORMER “Apprentice” star Omarosa is putting the White House on notice as she makes her exit: She has “quite a story to tell” about her time in President Donald Trump’s administration and “the world will want to hear it”.

Accustomed to the spotlight, Omarosa Manigault Newman appeared on national television Thursday to push back against reports that she was fired from her job as a Trump assistant and director of communications for a White House office that deals with constituent groups.

She also denied reports that she made a spectacle of

herself while being escorted from the White House grounds, calling the stories “100 percent false” and questioning why photos or video of her alleged misbehavior had yet to surface.

Better known by just her first name, Manigault Newman told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that she resigned this week after discussing some of her concerns with White House chief of staff John Kelly. The Secret Service said it had deactivated a pass granting her access to the White House complex, though White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Manigault Newman would be on staff through the administration’s

one-year mark.

Before her resignation, Kelly had advised Manigault Newman that changes were forthcoming — including her dismissal, according to two White House officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to publicly discuss personnel matters.

Manigault Newman was also expected to be at the White House on Thursday, Huckabee Sanders said.

She declined to say for what purpose or to explain why the former reality TV contestant will collect a salary through Jan 20, citing a policy of declining extensive comment on personnel matters.

THE man accused of driving into a crowd protesting a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville faces a new charge of first-degree murder after a court hearing Thursday in which prosecutors presented surveillance video and other evidence against him.

Prosecutors announced at the start of a preliminary hearing for James Alex Fields that they were seeking to upgrade the second-degree murder charge he previously faced in the Aug 12 collision in Charlottesville that left 32-year-old Heather Heyer dead and dozens injured.

The judge agreed to that and ruled there is probable cause for all charges against Fields, including nine lesser felony counts, to proceed.

Fields’ case will now be presented to a grand jury for an indictment.

Authorities say the 20-year-old, described by a former teacher as having a keen interest in Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler, drove his speeding car into a group of counterprotesters the day of the “Unite the Right” rally that drew hundreds of white nationalist from around the country.

The attack came after the rally in this Virginia college town had descended into chaos — with violent brawling between attendees and counterdemonstrators — and authorities had forced

the crowd to disband.

Surveillance footage from a Virginia State Police helicopter, played by prosecutors in court, captured the moment of impact by the car and the cursing of the startled troopers on board.

The video then showed the car as it reversed, drove away and eventually pulled over. The helicopter had been monitoring the violence, and prosecutors questioned Charlottesville Police Detective Steven Young about the video as it played.

Another surveillance video from a restaurant showed the car head slowly in what Young testified was the direction of the counterprotesters, who were not in view of the camera. The car reversed before speeding forward into the frame again.

After that footage, a man in the crowd shouted an expletive and cried out, “Take me out.” He and others left the courtroom.

Fields, of Maumee, Ohio, sat quietly in a striped jumpsuit with his hands cuffed during the hearing.

His attorney Denise Lunsford did not present evidence or make any arguments at the hearing, although she did cross-examine the detective.

Fields was photographed hours before the attack with a shield bearing the emblem of Vanguard America, one of the hate groups that took part in the rally.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, December 15, 2017, PAGE 11

PICTURES show the Rotaract East Nassau meeting on Monday.

Ardastra Gardens Ardastra Gardens. Ardastra Gardens hosts Night Lights at Ardastra on Saturday, with magical light displays and festive entertainment. The event runs from 6-9pm, with last admission at 8.30pm.

Admission is $5 per person, including members.

On Sunday, the night lights event will conclude with a family movie night for a Christmas movie with holiday treats on sale.

Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children aged 12 and younger or $5 per person for members.

Rotaract East Nassau Rotaract East Nassau.

JOIN THE CLUB OUR Clubs and Societies page is a chance for you to share your group’s activities with our readers.

To feature on our Clubs and Societies page, submit your report to clubs@tribunemedia.net, with “Clubs Page” written in the subject line.

For more information about the page, contact Stephen Hunt on 502-2373 or 447-3565.

- The club held a meeting on Monday, hosting the District Rotaract Representative Jevaughn Rhymer from the British Virgin Islands, who is currently touring The Bahamas.

The club said: “We were more than happy to have him join our meeting and observe the amazing

relationship we have with our parent club, Rotary East Nassau, who also had many members present.”

There were also two new member inductions, Alexander Constantakis and Shantré Pedican.

For more information about the club, visit www.facebook.com/ RotaractEastNassau.

NOTICE EARLY OFFICE CLOSURE ON DECEMBER 15, 2017 Dear Valued Client, please be advised that all offices of COLINA GENERAL INSURANCE AGENTS & BROKERS LIMITED IN NEW PROVIDENCE WILL CLOSE AT NOON ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2017 for the company’s Annual Christmas Party.

Normal operations resume at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, December 18, 2017.

WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE CAUSED.

PAGE 12, Friday, December 15, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

COMMONWEALTH Bank donated $50,000 to the Ministry of Education yesterday. From left, Gladys Fernander, vice president of finance at Commonwealth Bank; Ian Jennings, president of Commonwealth Bank; Jeffrey Lloyd, Minister of Education, and Denise Turnquest, Commonwealth Bank senior VP and operating officer.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Commonwealth gift to schools THE Ministry of Education received a $50,000 donation from Commonwealth Bank on Thursday to go towards the the needs of the public school system.

The donation brought the all-Bahamian, publicly held bank’s contributions to education to more than $2m.

“With this year’s $50,000 donation, we redouble the

bank’s commitment to education,” said Ian Jennings, bank president.

“We are pleased to have been able to meet with the Minister of Education Jeffrey Lloyd to discuss the programmes he believes will make a difference in the lives of young Bahamians.”

Commonwealth Bank

IAN Jennings and Jeffrey Lloyd yesterday.

also sponsors the Emerging Leadership Scholars programme at the University of The Bahamas, a half million dollar initiative providing scholarships for promising students expected to play a leadership role in business, banking and community affairs. Contributions to date for this programme total $350,000.