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VOLUME:115 No.63, FEBRUARY 21ST, 2018
THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1
CULTURE CLASH: JUSTICE FOR ALL - IT TAKES WORK
FULL DISCLOSURE Inside story on the men behind $5bn refinery deal By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Government was last night facing serious questions over Grand Bahama’s proposed $5.5 billion oil refinery, after the project’s chief promoter confirmed his involvement in two lawsuits alleging misuse of investor monies. Peter Krieger, Oban Energies’ non-executive chairman, told The Tribune he was one of three defendants who were accused of misappropriating more than $3.7m of investor monies by US government regulators. That lawsuit, which was filed by the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2005, was settled without going to trial some three years later. Mr Krieger, who challenged the allegations against him, paid a $110,000 civil penalty “without admitting or denying” the claims, and agreed to be bound from committing future securities law violations. And, following further research by The Tribune, Mr Krieger confirmed he was also named as a defendant in a legal action filed in 2013 by the Bahamas-based
judicial manager for a sister company of the insolvent insurer, CLICO (Bahamas). John Lopez, the KPMG (Bahamas) accountant who took over British American Insurance Company (BAICO) in the wake of its collapse, and that of its CL Financial parent, alleged that Mr Krieger misappropriated $8.7m of the company’s funds for his own personal use. The case against Mr Krieger, though, was dismissed on a technicality, as it was “time barred” according to the “statute of limitations” that applies in the US.
The Oban Energies principal yesterday said the claim against him had subsequently been defeated in the appeals courts, and added: “They really have no grounds to stand on.” Mr Krieger argued that he was the injured party, given that BAICO had failed to fully pay him the purchase price for 14,000 acres of land he sold to the insurer prior to its failure. He alleged that he had obtained a $70m judgment
against the company, and that the judge had “scolded them for perjury and making these outrageous claims against me, and dragging my wife into it”. However, The Tribune could find no record of the case or judgment, which Mr Krieger said he had filed in the middle district Florida court, despite an extensive search of that court’s case database. The Oban Energies principal, alive to the potential fall-out, said he hoped revelations of his past would “have no effect” for Oban Energies’ $5.5 billion oil refinery/ storage terminalproject given that it had just signed a Heads of Agreement for the Minnis administration on Monday. Promising future announcements about the involvement of “major international energy companies” with the development, Mr Krieger also sought to downplay his role and importance by stressing he was not part of Oban’s executive management team. He described himself as “more of an ambassador for the company”, SEE PAGE SIX
PETER KRIEGER, executive director of Oban Energies, at the Office of the Prime Minister. Photo: Yontalay Bowe/OPM Media Services.
JEAN RONY ‘LOST AUTOMATIC RIGHT’ TO CITIZENSHIP MAN SHOT DEAD By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
IMMIGRATION Minister Brent Symonette, right, has hit out at “sensationalised” reports about Bahamas-born deportee Jean Rony Jean-Charles, left, saying commentary on the matter seems to have missed the fact that not every person born in The Bahamas is an automatic citizen. Mr Symonette also said as of Monday, Mr Jean-Charles had no application before the Department of Immigration SEE PAGE TWO
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
AS HE VISITED FAMILY MEMBER
A MAN was shot dead shortly after 8pm last night as he was visiting a relative in the Wilson Tract area, police said. His death marked the 16th homicide for the year, according to The Tribune’s records. Police said they received reports shortly after 8pm of gunshots in Wilson Track. SEE PAGE THREE
PAGE 2, Wednesday, February 21, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
Jean Rony ‘lost automatic right’ to citizenship from page one for citizenship. He was asked if he had any concerns over a recent Supreme Court ruling on the government’s stay application in the high-profile matter of Mr Jean-Charles. The St Anne’s MP said media and public discourse surrounding the ordeal has suggested that any person born in The Bahamas gains the automatic right to Bahamian citizenship, once they apply, however he strongly refuted this. “We have to stop sensationalising the issue,” Mr Symonette said. “I think you asked me this morning about Bahamas-born; Bahamas-born has a very technical meaning. “For me,” he said, “it is very simple, I am Bahamian. My parents were Bahamian. I was born in the Bahamas to Bahamian parents. I am entitled at birth to a Bahamian passport. “Just because people are born in The Bahamas does not make them Bahamian. And you continue to comment, you made the point this morning, ‘Bahamas-born.’
JEAN Rony Jean-Charles with attorney Fred Smith QC after being freed. Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff “Unless you have applied about Bahamas-born. someone like myself who is for a citizenship or perma“It is very clear, you born to Bahamian parents nent residency, under the have to be born here of par- in The Bahamas,” he said. law, the mere fact of being ents who are not Bahamian, Mr Symonette said the born in The Bahamas does you have the right to apply. narrative being presented not make you Bahamian, “The government does by those working on nor does it give you an not have to give you, nor is behalf of Mr Jean-Charles automatic entitlement to it legally bound to give you, omits that he failed to apply stay in The Bahamas.” according to a ruling in the for legal status between his Mr Symonette added: Privy Council, the D’arcy 18th and 19th birthday, as “I hope we can clear this Ryan (ruling), citizenship. mandated by law. matter up once and for all, “So we (don’t) have to He said that failure, and stop the repetition that keep repeating this issue, despite the personal feelings the press has made and Bahamas-born (does not of those involved, negated ministers and Fred Smith give) them the same right as all automatic constitutional
rights Mr Jean-Charles had to apply for legal status in The Bahamas. “So I think we have to be very careful as you keep repeating the utterances that you do, that you qualify if that in Mr Rony-Jean’s case not every comment is the same, there is no application before immigration as of yesterday, that I am aware of, for anything to do with him,” Mr Symonette told reporters gathered outside the Churchill Building yesterday. “So let’s try and put some balance and not sensationalise the case. So he has lost automatic constitutional right to apply because he did not apply between 18 and 19. “He has lost his right, full stop. “There is a discretionary right for The Bahamas government to consider, but not an automatic constitutional right. “So I hope I’ve cleared that issue up,” Mr Symonette concluded. In court last Friday, Supreme Court Justice Gregory Hilton granted a partial stay of his landmark ruling in the case of Mr Jean-Charles, releasing the
government from his order to grant the Bahamas-born man status pending its appeal of his judgment. He also ordered that Mr Jean-Charles was not to be arrested, detained or expelled, and be allowed to support himself until the appeals have been determined. The government sought a full stay of Justice Hilton’s ruling, in which the judge ordered the government to immediately issue a travel document to allow Mr Jean-Charles to return from Haiti to The Bahamas, and be reimbursed for that cost by the government; and to grant him “such status” that would “permit him to remain in The Bahamas and to legally seek gainful employment” no later than 60 days after his return. Justice Hilton initially found that Mr Jean-Charles was “unlawfully expelled” from The Bahamas after having been detained at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre from September 18 to November 24, 2017, in breach of his rights guaranteed under Article 25(1) of the Constitution.
Brent Symonette. The committee, which earlier this month met for the first time to review and submit several citizenship applications to Cabinet, is expected to reconvene this Thursday and continue its process to remediate the system’s backlog. Mr Symonette said
the backlog of that, then they will be getting extra work,” he added. The Minnis administration has not publicly presented the names of the committee’s members or given details related to their workload. The committee was reportedly established to
remove the minister from the application equation and encourage a more fluid process. Once an application is reviewed by the body, it is passed on to the Cabinet for final approval. The committee is expected to remain in place until June.
CALL FOR MORE APPLICATIONS BY BAHAMIAN-B0RN PEOPLE By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
THE Citizenship Committee has tentatively requested an increase in the number of applications it reviews during its meetings, according to Trade and Immigration Minister
yesterday the committee has given the indication that it could, if necessary, review more applications during each of its meetings. Mr Symonette said: “They have asked to increase the number of applications that will be put forward, so this meeting Thursday when they meet again, I don’t
know how many applications they will consider.” He continued: “Those (applications) are for people born in The Bahamas… and applied between the ages of 18 and 19 to be registered as citizens of The Bahamas. So those are persons with constitutional (rights). “Once they catch up on
FRANK SMITH BRIBERY TRIAL SCHEDULED TO RESUME NEXT WEEK By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
FORMER PLP senator Frank Smith’s bribery and extortion trial will resume in a week’s time after revelations the virtual complainant’s health has improved to a level suitable enough for her to continue giving testimony. In December, Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt said based on a letter produced by the Crown from Dr Charles Rahming concerning Barbara Hanna, she was “satisfied” that Mrs Hanna would be unable to give testimony for at least six weeks. Yesterday, however, the chief magistrate said Mrs Hanna’s issue seems to have “corrected” itself, leading
her to set down February 26 to March 1 for the continuation of Smith’s trial. 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. He was initially arraigned before the chief magistrate in July charged with 13 counts of extortion and one count of attempted extortion and bribery. It is alleged Smith, between April 2016 and April 2017, in respect of his duties as a public officer, demanded and obtained $5,000 per month from Mrs Hanna, knowing he was not lawfully authorised to do so. He is alleged to have attempted to extort another $5,000 from Mrs Hanna in May 2017.
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 Public Hospitals Authority, where he formerly served as chairman. Smith pleaded not guilty to all of the charges during his initial arraignment. During a previous hearing, the chief magistrate said she was “concerned” about Mrs Hanna after the latter suffered an apparent meltdown and expressed frustration over her involvement in the matter. At the time, Mrs Hanna, while in the witness box, took a seat and remained unresponsive for at least five minutes after repeatedly telling lead defence attorney Keith Knight, QC, she did not “feel good” and was too
“frustrated” to answer any more of his questions. That came after she confirmed she was borrowing money from Pouland Limited, a lending company owned by Smith, at the same time she was allegedly making $5,000 monthly payments to the former PHA chairman. Those payments, she said in a previous hearing, were made to Smith after he approached her within a week of her being awarded a one-year, $500,000 plus contract to clean the Critical Care Block (CCB) at the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) in 2016. Believing it to be a one time payment, Mrs Hanna said she obliged and gave him the money. Upon doing so, however, she said she was told she had to make monthly payments in the amount of $5,000.
During a hearing earlier on in December, however, Mr Knight not only attacked Mrs Hanna’s credibility, but foreshadowed a no-case submission based in part on the allegation that she condemned her own testimony. The key moment during those proceedings came when Mrs Hanna, without prodding, claimed to have given police documents about Pouland Ltd that the prosecution did not disclose during discovery. The defence argued the lack of disclosure may mean constitutional provisions on fairness may have been breached. Mr Knight said the prosecution, which he said includes police investigators, were obligated to turn over all documents, no matter their perceived benefit. The prosecution, after inquiring during a short break
whether the documents in question were given to the police, reported that investigators said they were never in receipt of the documents. Mr Knight thus argued that if the investigators were being truthful, Mrs Hanna’s credibility is destroyed. On the other hand, he said if the documents were in fact shown to police as Mrs Hanna claimed, its lack of disclosure puts the defense at a disadvantage. Mrs Hanna has admitted to taking out two separate loans from Smith’s company, one before she started paying him $5,000 a month and one after she began doing so. She also admitted during cross-examination that she called Smith and warned him that he was being targeted, but did not reveal who she meant.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, February 21, 2018, PAGE 3
Minister speaks on plane ‘wreckage’ By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net TOURISM and Aviation Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar has responded to a video purportedly showing the wreckage of the Piper Aztec plane that crashed off the coast of Andros last month. Speaking to reporters outside Cabinet yesterday, Mr D’Aguilar emphasised the importance of allowing the wreckage to be properly investigated before it is confirmed to be the plane that crashed on January 17, killing six on board. It has since been revealed that the pilot lacked the required licences to charter commercial flights. Mr D’Aguilar added that the footage could depict the wreckage of a similar plane that went missing “two to three years ago.” The video was posted by a user on Facebook around 10pm last Thursday and has been widely shared on the platform, with over 32,000 views up to press time. It appears to show the outline of some kind of craft in the water, as onlookers observe. Mr D’Aguilar said: “The airport [Accident] Investigation Department is in receipt of that video. They are trying to obtain from the fishermen the exact coordinates of that finding. “It’s important that we get the right plane as it has been brought to my attention there was a similar plane that went missing about two to three years ago. “So we just want to make sure that we have the right plane that relates to the crash that happened in
January. So we haven’t confirmed that yet. They’re in the process of trying to first locate these…wreckage and to determine whether we have the right plane.” Mr D’Aguilar continued: “But we’re very much on top of this, we’re very aware of it. Very mindful of the sensitivity of this issue, and the airport, the airline Accident Investigation Department, their job is not search and rescue. “Their job is to investigate the wreckage once it’s been found. The actual location of the wreckage is the job of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force. They’re the ones that will find it for us and then Accident Investigation people will come down and look at the wreckage and do their investigation. “We’ve got the insurance company on standby, the salvage company on standby. Once we find all of that we’ll bring it up and process the site.” When asked how close investigators are to wrapping up the investigation, Mr D’Aguilar said: “Well there was an initial— when they were down there and the weather wasn’t terribly good. And we thought that we had gotten everything. “Now that this wreckage has appeared…that has caused us to now take another look to see whether this plane that has been filmed and released on social media actually relates to that accident. So let’s get that straight first, let’s look at the plane, let’s conclude that, and then we’ll be in a position to report back.” Reporters also asked Mr D’Aguilar if the footage in the video has been confirmed to be a plane.
He said: “Well, obviously it’s a film. So I’m sure they didn’t put the…wreckage in the water. So they obviously filmed something. But you know, you’ve got to be very careful with social media. “Make sure that it’s in the Bahamian waters, it’s a plane that crashed here. And we’re just trying to find it so we can process the scene. Until that has been done, everything is still a question mark. So let’s get some facts established and then we can report responsibly to the Bahamian people and not sensationalise this accident.” Asked if any other relevant departments have resumed searching for the plane since the video was posted, Mr D’Aguilar said: “What we’re trying to do is find the exact coordinates of the wreckage. “Once that’s been done, if we know exactly where it is, then the Accident Investigation doesn’t need a search and rescue because we know where it is. So they can go straight to the scene and they can begin to process it. Everybody wants to know what is this wreck and what it relates to so that it can be processed. “We’re as anxious as the family to bring this to a sensible conclusion. So we’re very much on top of this.” Mr D’Aguilar was also asked to comment on reports that Bahamasair’s recent launch into the Houston market has not been overwhelming. He said: “I haven’t gotten the facts on that yet, but I’m as interested as you to find out. The managing director is (travelling) this week, when I attempted to reach out to him, so I don’t actually have those facts yet.”
THE SCENE of the homicide yesterday evening at Wilson Tract.
Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
MAN SHOT DEAD AS HE VISITED FAMILY MEMBER from page one
Responding officers met the body of a male lying in a yard. EMS were called and pronounced him dead. Officers were told the deceased was visiting a family member when he was accosted by a gunman who opened fire, shooting him
several times. While they did not release his identity, police said the victim is known to them. Police also said they are following significant leads about who may be responsible but appealed to the public for any information that can help solve the crime. Anyone with information is asked to call 919, 502-9991/2, or Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS.
NO DECISION YET ON OFFICE OF THE SPOUSE PROPOSAL By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
CABINET has yet to take a formal position on the proposed Office of the Spouse, Press Secretary Anthony Newbold said yesterday. Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ wife, Patricia Minnis, promoted the idea as a way to address women’s issues in the country. Mr Newbold declined to
reveal Dr Minnis’ personal view on the matter, saying he “can only have formal positions.” His statement came after he revealed that Mrs Minnis will attend a meeting of the Spouses of the Caribbean Leaders Action Network (SCLAN) next week when she travels with a Bahamian delegation to a CARICOM intercessional meeting in Haiti. “No formal position is adopted on that as yet,” Mr Newbold said. “There was
a paper that was being prepared on that but there’s no formal position on that as yet. It’s one of those matters that whenever it’s decided it’s something we need to focus on, that’s what will happen. It’s not a matter at this moment that you have to have a Cabinet meeting to decide if we will have an Office of the Spouse. In the meantime, Mrs Minnis has always been very active in the community certainly in her community of Killarney, has been working
with the young ladies down there, been doing it for years. Whether or not there is a formal Office of the Spouse, she will continue to do it.” Mr Newbold said there will be about 18 items on CARICOM’s agenda next week, of which agriculture, immigration, trade and manufacturing will be the focus. The delegation will include Dr Minnis, Financial Services and Immigration Minister Brent
Symonette, Agriculture Minister Renward Wells, Transport and Local Government Minister Frankie Campbell, Tourism and Aviation Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar, Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield, CARICOM High Commissioner Reuben Rahming, Senior Policy Advisor Joshua Sears and acting Director of Agriculture Gregory Rahming. The delegation will depart Saturday and return Monday.
During the CARICOM session, Dr Minnis will have high level talks with Haitian leaders about agriculture, trade and immigration. “While immigration is an obvious concern,” Mr Newbold said, “it is a shared belief in CARICOM that the more trade there is with Haiti among the Caribbean community it should help to stabilise the Haitian economy, therefore helping more Haitians to stay at home.”
‘ON TARGET’ FOR MARCH 1 DISCLOSURES DEADLINE By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
AS the deadline for members of Parliament and senators to file financial disclosures approaches, Press Secretary Anthony Newbold said everyone is on target to meet the timeline of March 1. “The Public Disclosure Commission continues to meet and the chairman is comfortable with where he is at this point,” Mr Newbold said of the deadline, when he was asked about it at the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday. “Of course we have to wait until the actual deadline arrives to see exactly what is happening, but up to this point everybody is preparing to be ready to meet the deadline.” PDC Chairman Myles Laroda could not be reached for comment yesterday. However, late last year, he said the commission had met several times and were still in the process of reviewing various 2016 and 2017 filings. Back in December, Mr Laroda said neither he nor his unit could address any issues with filings from the 2016 and 2017 periods, or the government’s self-imposed deadline to prosecute delinquent public officials under the Public Disclosure Act.
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There was a July 3, 2017, timeline set by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis for the files on delinquent disclosures to be sent to the Office of the Attorney General, however no action was ever taken against persons who fell in this category. In the case of persons appointed or elected after the annual March 1 deadline, the Public Disclosure Act states disclosures must be filed within three months from the date – effectively, August 10 for MPs and August 22 for senators. The government has, in the past, used the latter
deadline - which coincided closely with the expiration date of board appointments - as the main reason for inaction. While it appears the Minnis administration is not as zealous now as it was previously about public disclosures, the Integrity Commission Bill 2017 does seek to make members of Parliament and ministers criminally liable for breaches of the Code of Conduct for the first time. Failing to declare under the Public Disclosure Act carries a fine not exceeding
$10,000 or imprisonment for up to two years. However, the Integrity Commission Bill, which will replace the Public Disclosure Act will mandate that failure to declare would result in a fine not exceeding $15,000 or a term of imprisonment not exceeding one year. The new bill would require public officials, including MPs, senators and other high-ranking government officials, to make full disclosures of income, assets and liabilities and those of their spouses and children.
Declarations must be filed on or before January 30 under the proposed
Integrity Bill, which has yet to be debated in Parliament.
PAGE 4, Wednesday, February 21, 2018
The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
LEON E. H. DUPUCH,
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Survivors and lawmakers on collision course over guns PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) — Students who survived the Florida school shooting began a journey Tuesday to the state Capitol to urge lawmakers to prevent another massacre, but within hours the gun-friendly Legislature had effectively halted any possibility of banning assault-style rifles like the one used in the attack. The legislative action further energized the teens as they prepared to confront legislators who have quashed gun-control efforts for decades in a state where 1.3 million people have concealed carry permits. “They’re voting to have shootings continually happen. These people who voted down the bill haven’t experienced what we did. I want to say to them, ‘It could be you,’” 16-year-old Noah Kaufman said as he made the 400-mile (640-kilometer) trip to Tallahassee. Three buses carried 100 students who, in the aftermath of the attack that killed 17 people, want to revive the gun-control movement. The teens carried sleeping bags and pillows and hugged their parents as they departed, many wearing burgundy T-shirts in their school colors. They spent the seven-hour ride checking their phones, watching videos and reading comments on social media about the shooting, some of which accused them of being liberal pawns. About 500 Leon High School students and parents applauded as the students got off the bus from Broward County. Stoneman Douglas senior Diego Pfeiffer thanked his Tallahassee counterparts as a group of Broward County students stood behind him on the school steps. “This isn’t about school shootings. This isn’t about violence anymore. This is about hope. This is about moving forward,” Pfeiffer told the crowd. As the grieving Florida students demanded action on guns, President Donald Trump on Tuesday directed the Justice Department to move to ban devices like the rapid-fire bump stocks used in last year’s Las Vegas massacre. It was a small sign of movement on the gun violence issue that has long tied Washington in knots. “We must do more to protect our children,” said Trump, a strong and vocal supporter of gun rights. He added that his administration was working hard to respond to the Florida rampage. Meanwhile at the Florida Statehouse, a Democratic representative asked for a procedural move that would have allowed the Republican-controlled House to consider a ban on large-capacity magazines and assault-style rifles such as the AR-15 that was wielded by the suspect, Nikolas Cruz. The bill had been assigned to three committees but was not scheduled for a hearing. The House quickly nixed the Democratic motion. The vote broke down along party lines, and Republicans criticized Democrats for forcing the vote. Because the committees will not meet again before the legislative session ends March 9, the move essentially extinguishes hope that lawmakers would vote on any sweeping measures to restrict assault rifles, although other proposals could still be considered. “No one in the world with the slightest little hint of a soul isn’t moved by this tragedy,” Republican strategist Rick Wilson said. “The discussion has to be a longer, bigger and broader discussion.” Lizzie Eaton, a junior at Marjory
Stoneman Douglas High School, spent the day lobbying senators of both parties and concluded that lawmakers were “just not listening to us.” The vote was “heartbreaking,” she said. “But we’re not going to stop.” The students planned to hold a rally Wednesday to put more pressure on the Legislature. “I really think they are going to hear us out,” said Chris Grady, a high school senior aboard the bus. The Feb. 14 attack initially appeared to overcome the resistance of some in the state’s political leadership, which has rebuffed gun restrictions since Republicans took control of both the governor’s office and the Legislature in 1999. However, many members of the party still have strong resistance to any gun-control measures. Republican leaders in the House and Senate say they will consider raising age restrictions for gun purchases and temporarily revoking someone’s guns if that person is deemed a threat to others. Gov. Rick Scott, also a Republican, convened groups assigned to propose measures for protecting schools from gun violence. Lawmakers will probably say that getting a new bill passed is nearly impossible with only two and a half weeks left in the legislative session. Some lawmakers who are thinking of running on a statewide ticket are mindful of their sensitive positions, since gun owners make up huge voting blocs in some parts of the state, especially the Panhandle. Wilson said he knows the students “want something to happen,” and they need “a moment to come and make their case.” But, he said, “the thought that you get to wave a wand and change the law is something that is probably going to collide with reality.” The Parkland students also plan to meet Wednesday with top legislative leaders, including House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Senate President Joe Negron. Florida has a reputation for expanding gun rights. Negron sponsored a 2011 bill that Scott signed into law that banned cities and counties from regulating gun and ammunition sales. Authorities said Cruz, 19, had a string of run-ins with school authorities that ended with his expulsion. Police were repeatedly called to his house throughout his childhood. His lawyers said there were many warning signs that he was mentally unstable and potentially violent. Yet he legally purchased a semiautomatic rifle. The Senate is also considering boosting spending on mental health programs for schools and giving law-enforcement greater power to involuntarily hold someone considered a danger to themselves. The chamber will also look at a proposal to deputize a teacher or someone else at school so they are authorized to have a gun. Kyle Kashuv, a 16-year-old student at the high school, said he was pro-gun prior to the shooting. “I had no issue with anyone having a gun of any caliber,” said Kashuv, as he rode in the bus to Tallahassee. “I was all for it. But after the situation, I realized we have some issues in our society and it has to be addressed. The fact that someone who was so steadfast in support of gun rights now acknowledges the need for changes “really shows how important what we’re doing is,” he said.
Quiet, please EDITOR, The Tribune. WHY do Political Party Chairpersons think they have to comment on everything and be so irrational let alone who really cares do you expect anything more than praise for their “master”? The immediate past PLP Chairman suffered seriously from hearing his voice
- hundreds to statements - hundreds of items on Facebook and no one read them. No hits to-day on his Facebook releases. Along comes Mr Culmer for the FNM and he falls into the same curse. Mr Culmer no one is reading your releases. By the way, the Speaker Moultrie issue just lost the FNM all the PLP switch
votes - you better start trying to reinforce the FNM as right now you are weak - the electorate are tired of nothingness. Just an observation, sir, but Chairpersons should be seen and certainly not heard. JACOB MOSS Nassau, February 17, 2018
Speaker’s shame EDITOR, The Tribune.
have been made from a bar stool. THE Speaker of the His comments were reckHouse of Assembly less and his apology was letters@tribunemedia.net believes that his river of inadequate. He said that crocodile tears can wash resigned over his role in the people who responded away his egregious trans- an embarrassing expenses to his hate speech were gression but he has done scandal. He said he did so entitled to his divine forirreconcilable damage to a to preserve the dignity and giveness. Their words hallowed institution that he decorum of the House. were hurtful and mean, cannot now be trusted to In more recent memory the Speaker said. As an help heal. the speaker of the Parlia- ordained Minister of God If he truly were to adhere ment in Nigeria resigned (loud gasps allowed), to the code of conduct of over allegations that he Mr Moultrie brought the the Westminster model had misstated his academic House the good news that of Parliament as well as qualifications. His own the Almighty is doing a new honour the 288-year-old party pulled the rug from thing by leaving him and traditions of our own Par- underneath him leaving his old-fashioned ways in liament then he would have him no choice. charge. resigned the Speakership This man’s hypocrisy What Moultrie did was over his disgraceful tirade. arguably more offensive knows no end. He says The honourable thing was than his colleagues in Brit- that it was out of character to not put the institution ain or Nigeria. It would be for him to do what he did. he claims to revere through interesting to see what the Firstly, he cannot get away the humiliation of having membership of the Con- with being his own characto publicly upbraid its ference or Speakers and ter witness. Speaker. Picewell Forbes, the Presiding Officers of the While resignation was Commonwealth think of member for Central the honourable thing to Moultrie’s behaviour. Andros, was held up as a do, it was not in the lexicon Moultrie is a member possible character witness of the man who was once and presumably he should for the Speaker. This is leader of the fringe party consider if his actions the same brethren that he the Bahamas Freedom reflect poorly on that con- summarily booted out of Alliance. Halson Moultrie clave. The CSPOC has as the House for two sessions instead waited for a life- its objective the “fostering for having the temerity to line to be extended to him and encouragement of the exercise his conscience and by his adopted party, the impartiality and fairness of walk out of the chamber FNM, who in so doing tar- Speakers”. Perhaps even in support of a member nished their own reputation they would look askew at of his caucus. Mr. Forbes as disruptors committed his behaviour. had also earlier cast a vote to shaking up the politiAfter embarrassing us of no-confidence in the cal establishment and to with his venom one week Speaker. reintroducing the culture the Speaker the next Adding insult to injury, of good governance that week insulted us with his Moultrie said he has forwe last saw with Hubert half-baked apology. For given the opposition and Ingraham. starters, he should have called on them to seek recReasonable people must apologized to the House onciliation with him. Well reject the argument that before it voted on what to Monkey Uncle! Moultrie’s hate-filled mon- do with him. He chose to The leader of the world’s ologue put Prime Minister apologize only after his job Roman Catholics, Pope Hubert Minnis between a was secured, calling into Francis, is fond of asking rock and hard place. Doing question his sincerity. for forgiveness, including the right thing at the right He directed his apol- for himself. But a former time for the right reason is ogy towards the opposition Archbishop of Canternever a cause for conflict or when it fact it was not just bury warned in 2011 that consternation. the whole House but the we must not forgive too Just imagine what a tone Bahamian people that he easily. The Archbishop Dr Minnis would have set if had insulted in our House. said that easy forgiveness instead of choosing to give No remorse for us. can make the suffering that Moultrie a blanket to coverBut was he sorry for was inflicted appear to not up his bigotry, homophobia harbouring such bile in his matter. and intolerance, he instead thoughts or for promulgatSo, we must not give the banished Moultrie to the ing such hurtful language? Speaker a pass. It is not his back benches to ponder his Or was he only sorry for place to forgive those he xenophobia and his vitriol. making his private thoughts maligned. And if he wants The opposition could be public? forgiveness then a good forgiven for not trusting the Then, amazingly, this way to start is with an act of promises made by Moultrie tone-deaf man morphed genuine contrition. 2.0 to be impartial in the himself into the victim Contrition begins with future. Hoping Moultrie instead of the bully. His the examination of your matures enough to be able wife and himself were own conscience. For the to change his ingrained attacked in the media, he faithful, simply apologizing views at his age is the same said with a straight face, for doing wrong is never mission impossible as trying not once countenancing the enough. The Speaker must to get Donald Trump to hurtful innuendos he had show that he is sorrowful disown his prejudice and hurled at a parliamentary and he must begin to make misogyny as our American wife, PLP officials and even amends. friends are finding out to a retired House Clerk who The best act of contritheir own dismay. by all accounts had served tion possible is for Moultrie The PM wasted valuable the Parliament admirably. to stop hiding behind political capital saving the Though he said his com- the FNM’s gown-tail and bacon of the Neanderthal ments were inappropriately resign! who should have been left made from the Speaker’s to twist in the wind. In chair, he couldn’t grasp THE GRADUATE Britain in 2009 the speaker the fact that his poisonous Nassau, of the House of Commons outburst should not even February 20, 2018
LETTERS
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, February 21, 2018, PAGE 5
RBC executive retires after blasting education of nation By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
TIM Rider, the Royal Bank of Canada executive who faced backlash from Bahamians after lambasting the educational standards of the country, yesterday announced his intention to retire from the institution. RBC’s senior vice-president of sales’ decision was revealed in an internal executive transition announcement to bank staff members, noting his retirement would be effective February 28. Rob Johnston, RBC’s head of Caribbean banking, is slated to assume
responsibility for sales for the region on an interim basis, the statement said. The transition of Mr Rider, pictured, from RBC’s operations comes weeks after his inflammatory comments at a Royal Fidelity Bahamas Economic Outlook angered many and stirred wide public discourse. In a rhetorical question, he asked if The Bahamas is committed to its own success and spoke poorly of the educational standards
NEWBOLD: NO TIMELINE ON APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF JUSTICE By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
PRESS Secretary Anthony Newbold said yesterday there is no timeline for when Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis will appoint a chief justice. His comment came as a small protest planned by a senior magistrate highlighting Dr Minnis’ failure to appoint a substantive chief justice was held yesterday. Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis had urged his colleagues to meet at the Supreme Court yesterday at 10am, abandoning their schedules for the day to fight the “ongoing disregard for justice, fairness and integrity”. He was joined yesterday by a handful of attorneys as well as well as another magistrate. Responding to attorney Wayne Munroe, who told
The Tribune last week Dr Minnis should have been prepared to name a new chief justice soon after Sir Hartman Longley retired last year, Mr Newbold said Dr Minnis was not caught off guard by Mr Longley’s retirement but that the decision of when to appoint the new chief justice is “his call”. Stephen Isaacs was sworn in as acting chief justice last December. “The prime minister did what he thought he had to do and when he decides he has to do something else he will do that,” Mr Newbold said. “Whether or not it is unprecedented, nothing is hurt, the judiciary, conduct of the business of law, nothing is shortchanged or hurt by the fact that this is not chief justice, no acting in front of it. Nothing is stopped from functioning because that is not the
of the country. The Bahamas, he said, cannot allow the education “status quo” to persist if it is to be competitive in the global economy. He also said the education standards and US dolar parity put this country at a disadvantage, because it has an expensive labour pool with inadequate education. “The single biggest factor, in my view, that is now and will continue to lead to income and wealth inequality in The Bahamas
ACTING Chief Justice Stephen Isaacs. case.” that a suitable qualified However, critics say person be appointed to so long as an acting chief the office of chief justice justice exists without a and assume the functions substantive officeholder, it forthwith. raises questions about the “It is neither my intenindependence and impar- tion, nor my role, to lecture tiality of the judiciary. It can create the appearance that eligible candidates have to audition for the top role. The Bahamas Bar Association, in a letter to Attorney General Carl Bethel last week, expressed “deep-seated concern and alarm” that Dr Minnis has not recommended someone for the substantive chief justice post. “Article 95 (1) of the Constitution may be prayed in aid of the decision to appoint an acting chief justice,” the letter, written by Bar President Kahlil Parker, said. “However, maintenance of the intended and proper constitutional order requires
MAN CHARGED WITH KILLING WIFE WHO DISAPPEARED AT SEA FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida Associated Press
A MAN who claimed his wife disappeared at sea when their boat collided with an unknown object near The Bahamas was charged Tuesday with killing her and intentionally trying to sink the vessel to cover his tracks. Lewis Bennett, 41, is charged with second-degree murder on the high seas in the May disappearance of Isabella Hellman, also 41, of Delray Beach, the FBI said in an affidavit filed in Miami federal court that points to financial greed as the likely motive. The affidavit also notes that Bennett did nothing to search for his wife, but he did rescue a tea set. According to the FBI, Bennett told investigators the night his wife disappeared he had gone below deck on their boat near Cay Sal Bank, Bahamas, to sleep sometime after 8pm, activated the autopilot and left Hellman above to keep watch. The FBI said he falsely claimed she disappeared after the supposed accident. Her body has never been found despite an intensive search.
Investigators said they found evidence that Bennett had intentionally tried to sink the boat, which was a sailing catamaran. For example, portholes below the waterline had been opened and damage to the twin hulls appeared to have been caused from the inside, according to the FBI. “The opening of both escape hatches is unexplainable as an accident and defies prudent seamanship,” the FBI quoted a Coast Guard expert as saying. “It appears the vessel was intentionally scuttled.” In addition, the FBI affidavit said Bennett almost immediately got into a life raft with luggage and other items — including a tea set and a jar of peanut butter— and took no actions to find his wife. They had been married only three months and had been sailing on a delayed honeymoon to St Maarten, Puerto Rico and Cuba. “When asked if he used any of the flares on board the life raft to illuminate the area to facilitate a search, Bennett stated he did not. When asked if he had yelled for Hellman while in the life raft, Bennett indicated that he did not. When
is the inadequate education and training of its citizens,” he warned late last month. He also said corruption, poor fiscal responsibility, detrimental mortgage and lending laws have had adverse consequences for the banking industry, according to an earlier report by The Nassau Guardian. However, it is unclear whether his decision to retire is connected to his controversial remarks. Following the comments, Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest told The Tribune he found the statements to be “unfortunate” and “uninformed”.
asked if he attempted to locate Hellman in the water near the vessel, Bennett also stated he did not,” the FBI affidavit said. Authorities also said there were no navigational hazards in the area and no known loose objects that might cause a collision, such as a floating shipping container or another vessel. Bennett has been attempting to get Hellman officially declared dead in Florida probate court. According to the FBI, if he did so, he would have rights to her home in Delray Beach and also access to her bank accounts. “This would be a monetary incentive, benefiting Bennett,” the FBI affidavit said.
In an interview with The Tribune yesterday, Official Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis said he “certainly” was not pleased with the comments, adding that he wrote to the bank urging officials to take whatever actions they deemed appropriate. RBC’s corporate office in Toronto, Canada yesterday chose not to speak directly to this aspect of Mr Rider’s tenure with the bank, telling this newspaper he made the decision to retire after two decades with the institution. “After more than 20 years with RBC, Tim Rider, senior vice president of sales will be retiring from the bank. We thank him for his
contributions and wish him well in his future endeavours,” the statement said. “The Bahamas is an integral part of RBC’s Caribbean banking business and we are proud of our 109-year history in the region. Rob Johnston, head, Caribbean banking will assume interim leadership of this important market and support our ongoing journey of transformation and innovation in the Caribbean. “We cherish the partnerships we have with our clients, employees and communities in The Bahamas and aim to further strengthen those relationships in the years to come.”
Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff one as learned as you (Carl Bahamas Bar Association, Bethel) in constitutional to speak out on behalf matters and varied require- (of) the legal profession ments of the rule of law. and the wider public with It is however my duty, as regard to the administrachairman of the Bar Coun- tion of justice.” cil and president of the
PAGE 6, Wednesday, February 21, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
Inside story on the men behind from page one and said his role would be “extremely limited” once Oban Energies obtained all the necessary government permits and approvals. Mr Krieger’s comments, though, will likely fuel further suspicions about the viability of Oban Energies’ proposal, given that its executive team appears to have minimal experience in dealing with major, multibillion dollar infrastructure projects. They also give the impression that Oban is seeking to obtain a Heads of Agreement with the Government, then use this as leverage to round up capital and partners by marketing the project as a “go” to potential industry investors and partners possibly even “flipping” it to a buyer. There are likely to be major questions asked as to whether the Minnis administration conducted sufficient due diligence on Oban Energies, given its desire to spark an economic revival on Grand Bahama. The Government’s normal practice is for the Bahamas Investment Authority (BIA) and National Economic Council to use Interpol and other established sources to conduct background checks on the principals involved in foreign direct investment (FDI) projects, ensuring they have clean records and no criminal past. When asked by The Tribune whether the Government had been made aware of his involvement as a defendant in the two “investor monies misuse” cases, Mr Krieger did not directly answer but instead sought to switch the conversation to another topic. He described the SEC action, filed against him and his father, Sheldon Krieger, in April 2005 as “a very embarrassing incident in my life”, but blamed it on
PETER KRIEGER, right, alongside Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis at the signing of the Heads of Agreement. Photo: Yontalay Bowe/OPM Media Services the actions of staff in his solicited through their Fund investor statements financial services business registered broker/dealer, throughout 2000 that materially overstated the value that had grown beyond a Krieger Financial Services. customer accounts. size he could control. The SEC alleged that of investors The US fedMr Krieger Numerous eral regulator I think the SEC and his father invested additional money had accused found they were “told inves- in the KFSI Fund after the duo, and dealing with a tors they receiving these inflated one of their would gener- account statements,” the young, immature employees, ate returns SEC claimed. “When these fraudulently John Madey, kid that really by trading in of “misappro- screwed up. That securities. In obtained cash infusions priating more the second failed to cover the defendthan $3.7m shouldn’t take quarter of ants’ personal expenses and of investor away from the 2000, however, the operating expenses for funds” from seriousness of what the defendants the KFSI Fund and Krieger a “defunct began divert- Financial, the Kriegers and hedge fund” happened. We ing KFSI Fund Madey defrauded investors they ran, really screwed up investor funds again by promoting ficticalled the and resolved it as to run Krieger tious bonds and promissory notes. Ultimately, these KFSI Equity Financial quickly as possible. and pay their investments could not susFund. The fund own personal tain the Fund or Krieger Financial, and both ceased allegedly raised more than expenses. $7.5m from 45 investors “To conceal their illicit operating in January 2001.” The SEC alleged that between June 1999-Decem- activities, the Kriegers and ber 2000, with capital Madey issued false KFSI Mr Krieger himself used $160,000 of investor monies to pay credit card bills for “dental visits, taking his pets to the veterinarian, designer clothing, jewellery, RUSSELL ERICKSON, who says he has more than 30 years of and high-end home entermanagement experience and boasts of expertise in construction tainment systems”. operations and staff management. Confirming that he was the defendant in the supervise. He added that they were dealing with action, Mr Krieger yester- the problems resulting in a young, immature kid day told The Tribune that the SEC lawsuit stemmed that really screwed up. the events targeted by the from a group of employees That shouldn’t take away SEC occurred when he was “running a fund”, who were from the seriousness of “not accounting properly” what happened. We really between 22 to 24 years old. “I was both fortunate for the buying and selling screwed up and resolved it enough and unfortunate of options they were trad- as quickly as possible. “Success is difficult to enough in having very quick ing, and inflated its actual to enjoy handle. An immature kid success in building a very performance made a serious mistake, but large financial services improved compensation. While the SEC law- no one was affected finanfirm,” he said, explaining that its growth benefited suit did not attribute the cially. No one felt any harm from the “dot.com” bubble problems to Mr Krieger’s from it, but that detracts employees, the Oban from the mistake I made of the late 1990s. “We were able to show principal said he settled and I don’t want that to be incredible returns for high quickly with the regulator the case... It was an embarnet worth individuals,” and ensured that investors rassing moment in my life. he added. “In a year to affected were made 100 per I’ve never been in trouble before, and never been in year-and-a-half, we went cent “whole”. “My name was on the trouble since. I’ve never from starting a company by myself to having 75 papers, my name was on the been to the principal’s office documents and the buck as a kid.” employees.” But, when The Tribune Describing himself as stops at the top,” he told “extremely immature” at The Tribune. “I’d never immediately brought up that stage, Mr Krieger said been in trouble before that. his appearance as a defendhe found the enlarged com- It scared the s*** out of me. ant in the case brought by “I think the SEC found BAICO’s Bahamas-based pany hard to manage and
GOVT HAPPY WITH OBAN PROJECT By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
PRESS Secretary Anthony Newbold stressed yesterday the $4.5bn Oban Energies project for East Grand Bahama satisfied government criteria for deals of this magnitude. Mr Newbold spoke to reporters the day after Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis signed a heads of agreement with Oban Energies to develop the oil refinery and storage company. Despite government and company officials praising the deal as good news for Grand Bahama, an island with high unemployment and a lagging economy, some critics have raised concerns about the scope of the project, whether the developers have the funding in place and questioned the background of the individuals involved. “There’s generally a project list for all projects the come in that all proposals
must satisfy,” Mr Newbold said. “In this instance you’re talking about being concerned about finance. All projects present to the government, that would be a major concern. In the case of what they’re proposing, the environment is a big concern. (Peter) Krieger spoke to that yesterday. Generally a project list is presented to all proposals coming in; once (that is complete) it gets to the NEC (National Economic Council). Whatever the technical requirements are, all the technical agencies are involved in looking at what is presented. Once satisfied it is moved on. “Obviously to have gotten it to the stage where you got to yesterday where government felt comfortable to sign the heads of agreement, you talk about due diligence, then yeah that must have been done to the point where all the technical people were comfortable. I don’t know very many bankers or venture fund capitalists will just be
giving out money because someone says ‘I have this wonderful project in the Bahamas, just give me $50m.’ Lots of things would have to happen, including something that would comfort a financier.” Asked if the government is comfortable with the people involved in the project, Mr Newbold said: “Up to this point, I would say yes and had to be to sign that agreement yesterday.” On Monday, Peter Krieger, Oban Energies’ non-executive chairman, sought to allay concerns over whether the developer has the necessary financing. “We have all of our financing in place,” Mr Krieger said. “We have already spent a significant amount of money; many millions of dollars in pre-construction to this stage. We have done our geo-technical work, our environmental studies and our marine engineering. There has already been a significant investment.”
THE TRIBUNE
$5.5bn refinery deal A6M AIN
Wednesday, February 21, 2018, PAGE 7
THE TRIBUNE
good to go t c je ro p ry e n fi re a am Grand Bah uary 20, 2018
PAGE 6, Tuesday, Febr
ed to rs so positive, we decid forward many millions of dolla this take the first stepthe engiin preconstruction to with ing engag our by bly have stage. We’ve done our neers. We proba from page one local vengeo-technical work, envi- about two dozen working engineering work, our ntly curre dors e marin the preconronmental survey, “(The BIA) would’ve we’ve on the job for ed to be assessengineering work, financial done cant struction. We want ng already made a signifi in proactive and get ahead of ments to ensure fundi n) ever, How t. investmen curve.” the is there and that (Oba rd forwa led ct,” order to move Mr Krieger also revea can complete the proje to insist with the banks, we need es that as part of the project, he said. “We would ded ct deliver certain deliverabl housing will be provi the environmental impa from vals appro our ents resid onsuch as assessment and envir per- for up to 200 local plan n. the government, our mental management Once post-constructio e mits and everything. com“The housing programm are done to ensure all that ered deliv have workers we and house ct to won’t just plete safety of each n as and there is a proje during the constructio d point every Bahamian as well that at actually fund, phase,” he said. He adde the environment.” will start drawing down that 80 per cent of jobs in we ioned quest have the Critics on the money from will be precan there the company mians, and whether the project bank. All of that is when just served for Baha produce 600 jobs and waiting for us. We training oppord by rous nume the gh completed, as toute available as have to go throu ers, every tunities will be officials. Buckeye Partn in normal process that ty d well. an oil storage facili financial institution woulgh er The housing community throu Grand Bahama with great go to you require what of Oban Energies. be “between ten and 20 storage capacity than Krieger, executive director /OPM Media Services before they allow you to will away from the facilto t Minnis, left, with Peter miles Photo: Yontalay Bowe Oban Energies plans funds.” PRIME Minister Dr Huber those s acces than those dis- ity,” he said. ent products to create, employs fewer will Mr Krieger also Energies ng and hence the differ Oban in Grand and refiniin jobs.” 200 people, by contrast. ism that the customers.” ct in this storage facilities it is missed critic increase said ct develop its proje stage er impa eye, Krieg “I read in the paper Buck Mr environmental the first Peter Krieger, Bahama now, ise, with n said, s, is Likew ructio phase Minn const ct Dr d that rned with morning,” for the proje construction tive director of the hopethe $4.5 billion project assessment t the are mainly conce com- to feature “some concern abou notice this execu should have been said the Oban on million barrels of listen storage. You’ll storage company, project is more will begin by the end of the pleted and available for of four number of jobs. If you ur; or (project) is both after Energies crude storage; a harbo days 30 now, n by withi t smen year, very carefully, the oil curpublic asses loading dock ambitious than what is are given. been and deep-sea anies building permits vessels. A given the company has large e Libservic rently offered by comp to essive The Progr approval of the and l per day refinioned seeking the like Buckeye Partners nment for 50,000 barre be built. The eral Party has quest has Bahamas gover will also Statoil. r whether Oban Energiesexe- some years now across sev- ery , which says it has “The refinery is a majo to group ng fundi . uate nistrations tes adeq expeformer eral admi asset that differentia more than 30 years’ eye cute the project. The Noting he hopes the EIA rience in constructing large us from either Buck administration completed in 45 Mr Ingraham trucor the Statoil facility,” s is said to have been con- will be said: “We’re actu- energy-related infras build he allow when a days, Krieger said. “This ture projects, will and cerned about this ct was ally ahead of the curve on n barrel liquid millio 20 us to process crude oil a proje the ally, for and up a proposal that I would say. Typic refine them. It opens bulk storage facility nistration. than before that admi ver, said the environmental study, 250,000 barrel per day market much larger Mr Krieger, howe g and other pre- a storjust storage and the for millions have already been engineerin n works would refinery. MP hold- constructio East Grand Bahama age support needed your - spent to assure stakee. begin after you have ter of Finance the refinery is quite signifi is viabl you know and Minis have ers the project our approval so that Because Peter Turnquest has said cant so it allows us to “We have all of ct. proje a sified is game a diver there be ,” he said. a much more the project will we financing in place conversations with island. group of customers that s “We’ve already spent a sig- our been changer for his government have y, mone of will be serving and it allow nt more nificant amou us to offer a lot
HOW The Tribune reported the Grand Bahama deal yesterday. judicial manager in 2013, approval process my role a boat for him which we Mr Krieger replied: “Oh, becomes extremely limited. did,” said Mr Peters. “His I’m glad you’ve brought We really do have a very intention was to take the that up.” strong management team. boat to market, but I undere Notic Mr Lopez attor“I really hope this has no stand he only sold one or ath his Deand neys Ell alleged that BAICO effect on the project, and two and he then went bankitchard, 62 ne Pr en Dian had invested a total people can really see it for rupt. His assets were bought $10.25m with a Florida- what it is. There are going by Edgewater Boats. based investment fund, the to be major announce“My understanding is he Corban Fund, for which Mr ments dealing with major was involved in car parks Krieger was the director infrastructure and energy before this, laying the surof operations, prior to its companies involved in faces, that sort of thing, and Rolle-Taylor, subcollapse. this.” the impo last I heard ten Antaniayears ssibility of Gibbs stealher that Gibbs was guilty COB by reason of u- ing such a large amount of mitted , callous and one “cold The monies were Nasnever The Minnis governago was he was selling cars. instit page the from country’s of employment at the sau, The Bahaalso money from “the such a continuous” theft of COB’s Breeze Estates, tion. The jurors were of Sea to ay, institution” over he ut that there was ron Wednesdment , and returned the judicial assured the public I remember was a nice ed nume ence funds falsifi resid s her Gibb witho at told time of docu died y d mas, According to court reason that could justif t deposit long perio . d as both ous COB direc of which so much as raising a red flag ruary, 2018repeated of money Gibbs 14th Feb ments, Gibbs servethat manager despite on Tuesday bloke but hit badlyno by ntthe the amou result n full files, thedue compared until years later. a senior clerk and a huma ced. rted to show she was er ques- received whenhome salary oun purpo furth the ann ez at be to Gom ant Mr assist ents in resources had arrangem requests, and Mr Lopez diligence beenentitleddone bankruptcy.” the with her take- 2015. to over $200,000 Funeral tioned why neither and college. payments. dent and between 2008ncey further was told Gibbs salary then-college’s presisimple Funeral Hom Dela The jury Energies Ms query and hisArrUS attorneys one Oban before Another rding to the evits by Kemp’s subAcco from angemen president of finance vice its s Gibb itted that it makes no stole over $600,000 trial, dence given at give evidence subm for each bank Gibbs . not ited did Lim feat sense sequently filed a lawsuit going ahead with aaccom Heads on Facebook plished the latter as everyconfirmed infor- during the trial, s would was affiliated with to have by manipulating the in document GibbMr had a glitch in their respective alleging that some $8.7m of AgreePeters’ mation contained on certa t in submitted to BOB have PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, left, with Peter Krieger, executive director of Oban Energies. itted subm systems that would resul be to d documents accompanie ving all that extra Bahamas to have been of the salesman was transferred from the ment signing He was d by both her receithat years withto the Banka signememory letter a by Photo: Yontalay Bowe/OPM Media Services money for seven on behalf of COB. s. even idual ing. And s indiv ez said out her know As a result, Gibb Corban Fund’s accounts in ceremony for for us Erickson was Thus, Mr Gom overwe we but the result of a bank received up to $13,000 net his client was effectively if was in Hamilton Investment ques- an interview insisted to Mr Krieger yesterday ncey Dela Ms hly , mont error above her 23 transactions to accounts the refinery inbus” andthe car didn’t under the 5 between “thrown take the fall for tioned why Gibbs The of $2,39for salary Tribune he was the Bankers, and is a licenced admitted that there were firedand him lack made to total, report it to her seniors. COB iated 2008 and 2015. In belonging to Mr Krieger project. business. propr said 000 the misap Ms Delancey thus Gibbs paid herself $640, he contended managing director. securities representative”. ked, “clearly mistakes which “hoodwin seven funds, which end result COB wasd” and led astray extra between those and his wife, Marla. But The of performance. bank was instead the andErickson ineffi- bamboozle years to various py” “slop The company also Drexel Hamilton is need to be clarified” on the of actions for those ealth country’s by Gibbs’hisall while she accounts at Commonw ar- cient manner the Mr Krieger, though, told Tribune’s details seven years, abank FirstC He was basically managed. Bank, Scoti e’s refused to confirm the involved in structuring the Oban’s website. Bank funds were being amuck” in the colleg had to put “ranexpeibbean International The Tribune he was the inquiries over “Somebody work of ll department and and the Royal Bank gun in my cli- payro ing extra smok of why Mr Dhunna finance for Oban’s refinery the “We did state Mark ing” off thedetails nothing – as Canada. Mr Gomez was “ball as ,” hand aggrieved party, and had the last few doing rience ved. ent’s money she recei Yesterday, Gibbs’ attor- said. e for was dismissed by Creditproject, but the inclusion of has no excus Michel was managing direc“She r Gomez Jr said prosRoge n ney However, Crow launched litigation against days point to littlehisas managing Ms Delancey humanly client was nothing but ecutor Al-Leecia Delancey, her actions,” Sights in 2010 for “alleged Mr Michel’s name as part tor, which is not correct,” e ed by said. a “scapegoat” in the whol assist was who BAICO himself to recover the investiga- possible director at the sted ordeal, as he tosuggeget his R&J, gross misconduct”. Mr of the Oban management he conceded. monies he claimed were tion carried but Dhunna confirmed his rela- team and his job title came As regards Russell Erickdue to him prior to the out by the nice pay cheque. also roles as tionship with CreditSights as a surprise to Drexel’s son’s background, he said: company’s collapse. Government “former sales ended “incredibly nega- chief executive, Anthony “I believe once we have He said he obtained a falling far short of require- at RENNtech” and “former tively”, but said no offence Felice. established he has extensive $70m judgment on the bal- ments, and raise questions product specialist” at Merof misconduct was ever “Mark is not a managing construction experience it ance of a purchase price over other members of cedes Benz of North Palm established against him. director. He is a director will clarify any confusion owed to him for selling a the Oban Energies team. Beach. One further problem sur- here in what we call our we may have caused.” 14,000-acre tract of Florida This includes its president, The Tribune spoke to faced for Oban as a result structured project manage“We have disclosed land to the insurer, and said Satpal Dhunna; senior vice- Sharon Feyhl, manager at of The Tribune’s inquiries ment team, and they have everything to both governof the judicial manager’s president, Russell Erickson; RENNtech, which her husinto its web page. been trying to work with ments (PLP and FNM) in action: “They really have and finance chief Mark band has owned for almost Among the leadership Oban on the finance side,” order to get their approval,” no grounds to stand on. Michel. 30 years. team is listed Mark Michel Mr Felice told The Tribune. said Mr Krieger. “We have “I actually sued them Mr Erickson’s biography “I know he had some – Finance. “I am not in love with the been upfront. We have hid [BAICO]. I agreed to carry says he has “over 30 years boat business in the past Among his details are that fact that Mark is on their nothing from anyone.” some paper from them, of management experience, which fell apart,” said Mrs he is “managing director management team weband they only partially in which he brings expertise Feyhl. “He was a salesman at a leading private equity site. I don’t know why that • Additional reporting by paid for the transaction. in the areas of construc- for us we but we fired him securities firm, Drexel would be.” Richard Coulson We sued them in federal tion operations and staff for lack of performance. He court and got a $70m judg- management”. was basically doing nothment against them, and not It adds: “Mr Erickson ing – as little as humanly only that. The federal judge also brings a wealth of possible to get his nice pay admonished them and put experience designing, co- cheque. in the closing documents ordinating and managing “He didn’t come across as about how he scolded them large logistical supply chain the smartest guy around. To for perjury and making strategies. He has a proven think he’s running a billion these outrageous claims history in ensuring efficient dollar oil business, I mean, against myself and dragging cost utilisation and attain- wow. It’s ridiculous.” my wife into it.” ment of savings, revenue Prior to working at The judicial manager’s and profitability goals.” RENNtech, The Tribune claims against Mr Krieger Simply by putting Erick- confirmed Erickson was were defeated on the “time son’s name into Linkedin employed as a floor car barred” technicality, and – a tool used by business salesman at Mercedes Benz the Oban principal said he around the world – throws in North Palm Beach. had also won at the appeals up his profile and his posiFloor manager Brent court level. However, this tion at Oban Energies. Ackerman told us: “He was newspaper was unable to Beneath this, he lists his here for three or four years find the $70m judgment in employment experience as before he had a difference his favour. including the role of manag- of opinion with manage“The only person harmed ing director of R&J Marine ment and left. I thought he and owed money is me,” he Technologies from 2014 to was a pretty nice guy and added of the BAICO case. the present day. did good work for us in “I never got justice. I’m still Putting R&J Marine sales.” trying to collect on that.” into Google throws up its The Tribune’s inquiries Mr Krieger expressed website, where it proudly into Oban’s senior managehope that his past would declares Erickson has more ment team threw up several not harm the Oban Ener- than 25 years’ experience other issues not mentioned gies project, which has been in the boat manufacturing on their website. billed as creating 1,200 industry, and that in 2000 he Listed as the company’s construction jobs over the joined with naval architect president is Satpal Dhunna, build-out’s lifetime, plus Michael Peters to design whose biographical details 600 direct jobs. a boat together. The R&J are as glowing as those for Pointing to the benefits website also includes a link Mr Erickson. “this could bring to Grand for would-be investors to Among his achievements Bahama”, he added: “It’s contact Erickson. was that he was “Managing important to understand On Monday, The Tribune director – Africa, Middle I’m a non-executive chair- phoned Michael Peters to East and Asia” for the comman, so I’m not a part of ask about his involvement pany CreditSights. the executive team and with Erickson, and the story On Monday, Creditmanagement team. I’m not he told was one completely Sights told The Tribune Mr a shareholder. different from the informa- Dhunna never held the title “I’m more of an ambas- tion contained on either of managing director but sador to the company, and R&J or Oban’s websites. was simply director at their once we get through the “He came to us to design office in Dubai. Mr Dhunna
EFT COB CLERK GUILTY OF $640K TH
EX-L
Fall in
with a Honda
CULMER TELLS PLP NOT TO HOLD COUNTRY BACK FREE National Movement Chairman Carl Culmer Sr has lashed out at the Progressive Liberal Party, accusing the opposition of campaigning against the country’s progress. In a statement released yesterday, Mr Culmer said while Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has answered “the people’s calls for progress and growth” with the signing of a heads of agreement for a multibillion dollar oil refinery project for Grand Bahama, the “old and tired” PLP is clinging to the past, using “regressive, political tactics in Parliament” to hold the country back. “The prime minister’s announcement for Grand Bahama brings news of new jobs – in fact over 600 permanent jobs – as well as
over 1,000 jobs during the initial construction phase,” Mr Culmer said. “Yet the old and (tired) PLP continues with their smoke and mirror tactics they have perfected when they were running our country into the ground. “As much as things change in The Bahamas, it would seem that some things will always stay the same, as the PLP continues to turn a deaf ear to the people and their needs. The old and tired PLP is still in the troubling mindset that if it isn’t good for them – meaning if they cannot directly benefit from it – then they will see that it will be good for no one. Sadly as we saw when they controlled government they always put themselves first.” He added: “But a new day
has dawned, with true leaders that work for the people they serve, instead of serving just themselves. The prime minister and the rest of the FNM government has worked relentlessly to bring about this positive, pro-growth deal in the Grand Bahama and will look to work judiciously with all the parts involved to expedite the timetable for development.” On Monday, the government signed a heads of agreement to greenlight the $4.5bn Oban Energies project for East Grand Bahama. Dr Minnis said the project has passed the government’s due diligence assessments. The PLP has raised questions about Oban Energies, asking if the developers have their funding in place.
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PAGE 8, Wednesday, February 21, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
Justice for all - it takes work S
OCIAL justice is, at the moment, an imagined future where wealth and opportunities are justly distributed. It is a world free of oppression and barriers due to gender, race, class, sexuality, religion, nationality, or all other identity markers. Social justice recognises the equal worth of all individuals and the right to have basic needs met. It is a move toward better, more inclusive systems that leads to gender equality, poverty eradication, fair employment, environmental health, access to education and numerous other improved conditions. Social justice as a field, study and practice is sometimes divided into three parts: legal justice, commutative justice and distributive justice. This comes from the idea that we owe society, we owe each other and society owes us. A great deal of focus tends to be on the latter because we need to have systems and institutions structured in ways that protect, affirm and promote our human rights and give us equal opportunity to participate in political and social life. Social justice cannot be achieved without challenging political and societal norms, deconstructing privilege, and having uncomfortable conversations about history and its widespread effects. Maybe even more importantly, it won’t be realised until we learn to engage people who are not in our communities, schools of thought or organisations.
MORE AWARENESS, MORE CONNECTION
Social justice movements are increasing in number, inclusion, reach and impact. This is not necessarily because we are facing more issues now than we did ten, 20, or 50 years ago. For
various reasons, including the advancement of technology and its impact on ease and speed of communication, we have become more aware of national, regional and global concerns. Some would say we are hyperaware and, for some of us, sensitivity is heightened. We know we have to respond. While seemingly working on disparate issues, social justice movements are growing more interconnected and interdependent. The 2015 adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the United Nations General Assembly has played in role in bridging the gap between communities. The SDGs cover a range of social and economic issues including education, health and wellness, gender equality, climate action and economic empowerment. Each goal has specific targets. When all 169 targets are reviewed, interdependence of the goals and relevant issues is confirmed. For example, gender equality is dependent on target 4.5 to “eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable”. None of the goals — a distillation of global issues — can be met without working to meet other goals. Collaboration is key.
HOW WE DO THE WORK
There are many different approaches to social
justice work. For some, direct action is the way to go. Some use it for everything at all times while others see it as necessary in specific circumstances. One of the best known forms of activism is protest. People flood the streets with placards, demanding action from bureaucratic bodies. Sometimes they are silent, and sometimes they are not. Sometimes they are peaceful, and sometimes they are not. They are never both the beginning and end of a successful movement. The protest seemed to have died in The Bahamas until recent years. Even being revived, they only seem to draw a few dozen people for any number of reasons. The issues seem too niche, people are generally unbothered, or the action is too inconvenient. Most Bahamians seem to be interested only if the issue personally affects them, and if they can join the protest without consequence. Our protests do very little to disrupt systems and institutions. We protest politely. We give notice, get permission and pack it in after a few hours. No one is unduly bothered, but protests usually make the news. The petition is another popular action. It is easy on time, effort, and commitment. We can easily create and share petitions, collect signatures, and notify appropriate offices of our demands and the number of people in agreement with us. A petition, however, doesn’t do much to inconvenience the people we need to take action. They can block our emails and ignore the digital masses.
They know it’s much more challenging to get the same people who signed to show up and take another action. Two of the most popular, widely-used forms of direct action are fairly easy and ineffective. This is not to discount the usefulness of these methods, but to highlight the need to take more than one action, and more than one type of action. More than raging against the machine, social justice work requires that we raise awareness, build community, centre the people most affected, open dialogue with relevant bodies, learn, understand and use the law and international commitments to frame and support demands. No one action can get the job done and it’s time to be more creative about what we do, how we do it, and who we invite to join us.
SOLIDARITY
A frequently overlooked component of effective social justice work is solidarity-building. Few communities are large enough to affect change for themselves on their own. Support from unaffected people is critical to building mass, spreading the workload, and resourcing movements. In most cases,
for the plight of a group of people to be seen, people outside of that group have to be seen to care. When students were being sent home for having natural hair, non-students and people with chemically processed hair had to stand with them. Numbers are important, and so is empathy in action. Publicity depends on people, and word of mouth and media are both powerful. International attention to national issues is known to impact the way they are addressed. In banding together, however, we need to be careful. It’s important to be mindful others’ intentions and the ways we all influence outcomes, especially when we are on the outside. For example, when monitoring events in other countries — especially if the cause is close to us — it can be tempting to jump into action. Even with the best intentions, this can be a careless, dangerous response. There is usually someone on the ground, already working and strategising, and outside voices or initiatives can steal their thunder, confuse community members, and potentially sabotage the developing action plan. It is not only courteous, but responsible and
professional to do research and reach out to people who are already doing the work. If you don’t see anyone doing it, you’re probably not very good at research. Get some help.
THE ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY
Civil society is critical to a fully functioning democracy. We have to constantly remind ourselves that we are more powerful than the people we elect. We need to collaborate, and create opportunities for knowledge-building and skill-sharing. Social media has made it easier for us to raise our voices, but also to preach to the choir, and facilitate laziness. We need to reach people who disagree, and people who are undecided. We need more conversations than sermons. We need to find new, accessible ways to engage. If we fail to engage and onboard new people — those who do not look or think like we do — we won’t get to that world we imagine. Empathy and creativity need to be in the social justice toolkit. They are critical to building a community prepared to help drive us into a better future.
‘We are destroying a beautiful paradise’
THE TRIBUNE
L
IFE is leaner outside the circle of Imperial Pacific’s patronage. At the centre of the island, the CNMI legislature meets in a one-storey building that could pass for an elementary school. I found Representative Ed Propst’s office deep inside, cramped and windowless, with a beat-up plaid couch and a narrow desk piled high with binders. “Minority,” he shrugged by way of apology. An independent, Propst is one of the most outspoken opposition members of a Republican-dominated legislature and a vociferous critic of the casino. “I believe that Imperial Pacific runs this government,” he said. “Any legislation they’ve ever wanted goes their way 100 percent of the time. Not 99 percent of the time. One hundred.” Propst has tried repeatedly to impose greater scrutiny on the casino and raise its taxes, to no avail. “Where are the feds in all this?” he asked, his voice rising with exasperation. So far, only labour conditions have attracted the attention of Washington. Following the fatal fall of Hu, federal prosecutors acting on FBI investigations charged several employees of the contracting companies building the casino with immigration violations; some pleaded guilty. Separately, a US Department of Labour inspector said in a court declaration that the rate of injuries on the site “greatly exceeds the national average”. The inspector described one worker arriving at the ER with a broken back and a doctor advising immediate hospitalisation. But someone intervened. “The injured person was not allowed to be admitted, and was promptly transported” to China. Imperial Pacific has said that it had no knowledge of safety violations or workers being employed illegally and that both were the responsibility of its contractors. But these claims don’t withstand much scrutiny. The contractors’ office was rented by Imperial Pacific and, according to a former employee who worked there, shared with its staff. Additionally, a safety expert who worked on the construction site told me that Imperial Pacific was deeply involved with selecting and supervising contractors. The expert described the job
high-elevation villas that are maintained for guests. They were luxurious, in a South Beach mode: white leather sofas, contemporary chandelier, lounge chairs overlooking the Pacific. A menu listed Chinese the session I attended, questions dishes said to have aphrodisiac that might otherwise be red- powers: duck with deer antler alert items were dispensed with and a chicken stew containing cordyceps, a coveted fungus. briefly. The Marianas are in an active Down in Saipan harbour, Yan seismic zone — 2016 saw a 7.7 took me aboard one of the magnitude earthquake — and yachts the casino makes availone commissioner asked Impe- able to elites — the 144-foot rial Pacific’s representatives if Grand Mariana, whose bedthey’d installed seismic brac- rooms wouldn’t be out of ing on the still-not-functioning place in a recently renovated sprinkler system. The answer: Ritz-Carlton. Dig deeper, and even the Only in the basement; the other yachts take on an alarming floors were getting worked on. The discussion moved on after sheen. In June, acting through a less than two minutes. Outside company called Pride Keen Ltd, the door, a red flag with Impe- Imperial Pacific hired Michael rial Pacific’s logo was hanging Netto, a 40-year-old Singaporean maritime consultant, to from the ceiling. Later, I went to the CCC’s move another of its yachts from offices, inside a strip mall, to Saipan to Hong Kong. At a cafe in Singapore’s meet its execufinancial district, tive director, ‘Generators Netto told me Edward Deleon weren’t properly how the trip went Guerrero—the horribly wrong. grounded, workers governor’s uncle As the 121-foot and the father were missing basic Grand Mariana of his chief of III entered Philstaff. In a bare equipment such as ippine waters, room kept at safety glasses and it experienced a chilly 62F by correct footwear, mechanical troua wheezing air and welders lacked ble, and Netto conditioner, slowed down Deleon Guer- anything like the to seek help. rero disputed the necessary training According to idea that a reguPhilippine coast lator with only to handle torches.’ guard reports, one company to Imperial Pacific regulate faces an inherent conflict of interest. reported the vessel stolen. “If you shut down this particu- “They must have thought I lar operator, it doesn’t mean we was trying to take it,” he told stop,” he said. “We can proba- me. Soon, Philippine authoribly look for another operator. … ties arrived and detained him I don’t think we would lose our aboard the ship. After a couple of days’ conjobs.” Virtually none of the CCC’s finement, Netto said, three employees have significant white men claiming to work experience in casino oversight, for Pride Keen boarded the and Deleon Guerrero noted Grand Mariana III. Netto was that they were making peri- in a room that allowed him to odic trips to Las Vegas to bone observe their movements via up at seminars. “We’re build- the ship’s surveillance cameras. ing up our own intelligence,” He watched the men fill a brown he said. “We’re tracking who duffel bag with bricks of US dolthese VIP players are ... we’re lars that, unbeknownst to him, on the lookout.” His staff also had been hidden around the monitors Imperial Pacific’s “key vessel. He reviewed the footage employees,” he added. Their a few times to be sure. I asked knowledge is still incomplete. Netto in a subsequent conversaWhen I made a reference to tion if he was absolutely certain Yan’s arrest, an aide jotted on the bag was being loaded with his legal pad: “gun charge? find cash. “I am very, very certain,” he replied. “I know it may be out.” The last time I saw Yan, he hard for you to believe, but it was eager to emphasise that is what I saw.” (Imperial Pacific Imperial Pacific had bona fide said the vessel was not being amenities to offer beyond a used to store cash and that it US address. We drove to two had been “hijacked by pirates”.)
In the final part of our serialisation of Bloomberg Businessweek’s mega-casino report, author Matthew Campbell examines how much influence the casino has and the effect it has on its workers and the island of Saipan. as one of the most challenging of his career, with widespread dangers. Generators weren’t properly grounded, workers were missing basic equipment such as safety glasses and correct footwear, and welders lacked anything like the necessary training to handle torches. Once, he said, he was forced to compress a three-hour safety briefing into one hour. His job included ensuring compliance with US regulations, and he said Imperial Pacific ignored three written pleas to stop work. (The company disputed this.) Eventually, he quit. Imperial Pacific has said it’s now confident that construction workers are legally employed and that its site is complying with safety rules. Yet gruesome injuries continued after the FBI action. In late September, a worker received a severe electric shock, almost losing a limb. A video of the aftermath shows him writhing on the ground next to the casino, screaming. Although most of the undocumented workers were flown home after the FBI arrests, a group of about 35 initially refused to leave, saying they hadn’t been paid as promised. I visited some of them in a dilapidated four-storey apartment block where Imperial Pacific was providing housing until a deal could be reached. Zhang Chunfeng, a slim 41-year-old who wore a blue golf shirt over grey sweatpants and plastic clogs, showed me where they were sleeping: on filthy mattresses in small, bare rooms whose walls and ceilings were streaked with brown and black stains. “If the casino didn’t want illegal workers,” Zhang asked, “how can so many of us be here?” As he spoke, another worker jostled toward me, pulling up his T-shirt to reveal a baseball-size welt on his shoulder—the result, he said, of an on-site accident. “Why,” Zhang continued, “did so many of us become victims?” Imperial Pacific’s activities in Saipan are overseen by the Commonwealth Casino Commission — a body funded by a $3m annual payment from the company. It holds meetings in a backroom at the public library, just past a rack of atlases. At
Wednesday, February 21, 2018, PAGE 11
Saipan’s citizens share a weary understanding that their home is a soft target for hucksters of all kinds — out-of-town charismatics have peddled cure-all economic schemes for decades. In a case of life imitating The Simpsons, someone recently tried to sell the island a monorail. All around, the relics of failed promises are being slowly reclaimed by the land. Dozens of garment factories sit abandoned, with caved-in roofs and vines climbing the walls. By the airport, the gray concrete husk of a grand, aborted hotel perches on a hillside. It’s easy to picture Imperial Pacific’s casino meeting a similar end. For now, though, work on the resort continues, albeit at a far slower pace than before the FBI sent its undocumented workforce home. In September, the company reached a deal with US Customs and Border Protection to pay for private inspections of passengers it brings in on corporate jets, bypassing airport queues. Meanwhile, it’s becoming more and more difficult to see daylight between Imperial Pacific’s agenda and that of Torres’s administration. Both company and government in 2017 used the same lobbying firm: Avenue Strategies, the DC influence shop co-founded by former Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski. And in October a man named Changwei Xu was detained at Saipan airport because of a Nevada arrest warrant, with bail there set at $7m. But Imperial Pacific didn’t want him locked up. The Torres Brothers law firm quickly informed the CNMI Department of Corrections that Xu was its client and, remarkably, requested that he be released on medical grounds to house arrest, under Imperial Pacific’s supervision. The government agreed. Toward the end of my time in Saipan, I went to see Juan Babauta, the governor of the CNMI from 2002 to 2006, for a coffee near the casino. He spoke at first with diplomatic reserve, pausing to check who might be in earshot; Saipan is a small place, and Governor Torres is his brother-in-law, married to his wife’s sister. But as our discussion went on, he grew animated and angry. “People need to realise this place is as corrupt as it could have ever been,” Babauta said. “It’s pathetic. I’m pissed,” he continued, almost spitting out his words. “Because we are destroying a beautiful
PAGE 12, Wednesday, February 21, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
NIB staff anger over payments By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net IRATE employees of the National Insurance Board gathered in anger outside the entity’s Baillou Hill Road headquarters yesterday after learning they would not receive increments owed to them since January. While President of the Union of Public Officers at NIB Marvin Oneal Duncombe was firm this was a “meeting” and “not a demonstration,” tensions were high. Mr Duncombe told The Tribune: “It appears that management has made a decision that they will not pay (increments) that was supposed to be paid to all line staff…in January. “Now it wasn’t paid in January because we understand that the appraisals were outstanding and therefore we said, ‘that’s ok, we will extend the grace to them.’ “It is now February, and we are expecting our increments to be paid. Management initially had said they would pay the increments on the old agreement, which was not legal, because we are now in a new agreement.” In March 2017, NIB and the Public Managers Union (PMU) signed an industrial agreement that calls for a performance management
ANGRY employees of the National Insurance Board outside the Baillou Hill Road headquarters yesterday. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff system (PMS) with meritbased compensation. The pilot phase of this pact was launched in January 2017. Mr Duncombe continued: “So now they have said today they are not going to pay any increments at all. Because they are seeking for a committee to be established so that they can sit and discuss every single application, so that they can decide whether or not they’re going to pay the increment. “We are saying that the
management had from 2017 of January to put the committee in place. The union is not responsible for establishing or putting the committee in place, and they are now seeking to use what’s in the agreement to disenfranchise our people. “This is unfair, this is not right, and we are asking for management to fix this and make sure we get what is due to us. “They are saying that they are not going to pay us the increment for this
month because the committee is not in place. If you read the agreement, you will see that the committee was supposed to be put in place from January of last year.” He said: “That committee was not in place. The (performance management system) was not in place. The PMS system did not work. We paid the people their bonuses on the PMS system. And therefore we’re asking them to keep the same
precedent going forward. “This is disenfranchising people who have made commitment to their families. So we’re asking for management to do the right thing and to pay the increment to the people that are deserving of it, that are waiting for it, and we are tired of having to be treated like this.” Larverne Pople, first vice-president of the UPO added: “We have delayed it. It was due in January, and we have delayed the bonus on management agreeing that the people would be paid in February. You come to us today— payday is on Friday. How do they tell our members that they are not going to be paid their increments after waiting two months? “I think that is unfair, and it is ungodly. The minister needs to intervene. This director (Patricia Hermanns) is making no sense. She is not a people’s person. And something has to be done.” NIB staff told The Tribune that a “majority” of employees were present at the meeting. Mr Duncombe said “management and staff” were present, adding: “We joined forces because managers are also impacted.” When asked if those who attended returned to work, Mr Duncombe said: “We don’t know exactly what’s going to happen, but they
have gone back to work today.” “And we wanted to call a meeting, this was not a demonstration, we wanted to call a meeting with our people to inform them as to what management has said to us. And we are not pleased with this decision because we believe that is unfair to our people.” Cassandra Lewis, president of the Public Managers Union also spoke with The Tribune. She said: “We are here today to represent our members of the (PMU).” “We have been put in a situation where we need (executive) management to be more considerate with regard to their position and our industrial agreement.” Stephen Fountain, second vice-president of the PMU, added: “We are really angry and a little upset with the position that (executive) management has taken right now. “We had a meeting yesterday where we were told that certain things would have been done. When we met again today that was withdrawn from the table. And they have taken a position where they are not even considering compensating the managers. “So we are just out here in solidarity with UPO to show management that we are united as a front, and we will do whatever it takes to ensure that our members are justifiably dealt with.”
PROJECTS TO BRING JOBS BOOM FOR GB, SAYS MINISTER By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Staff Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
MINISTER of Labour Dion Foulkes believes three major projects in the pipeline for Grand Bahama will significantly boost employment on the island that could see a return of over 400 workers who have relocated to find work at a
resort in Bimini. While in Grand Bahama over the weekend, the minister said Grand Bahama natives who are working in Bimini had expressed a desire to come back home when the Grand Lucayan Resort reopens. “We are confident that we very soon will sign off on a deal for Our Lucaya, and I think Grand Bahama
will have a very good year coming,” he told reporters on Saturday at a government organised jobs fair in Freeport. “Other than Biminites, of the 600 persons working there at least 70 to 80 per cent are from Freeport and Eight Mile Rock. I have spoken to a lot of them - a lot of them want to come back home. When Our
Lucaya opens back up, they will come back.” Grand Lucayan Resort closed its doors in October 2016 following damage from Hurricane Matthew. The government has signed a letter of intent with the Wynn Group for the sale of the 1,200-room property. Mr Foulkes said the government is working on two other significant projects for
the island – a $4.5 billion oil refinery by Oban Energies in the east and the Ginn Development project in the west. Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis signed a heads of agreement with Oban on Monday. Mr Foulkes described Oban as a” significant investment” for the island. He also noted that a new group is taking over the Ginn
Development in West End. “They are serious and are advanced in the planning, and the PM has approved everything for them,” he stated. When asked about the employment of foreigners at the Grand Bahama Shipyard, Mr Foulkes admitted that there is a shortage of Bahamians who are skilled industrial welders and riggers at the facility.