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The Tribune L AT E S T
Volume: 123 No. 82, Friday, March 20, 2026
N E W S
KirkendalL ry & Grego Yontalay
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POLICE PROBE 98 CASES OF PASSPORT FRAUD Chief Officer says possible staff involvement in some matters referred to RBPF By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net THE chief passport officer revealed yesterday that 98 suspected passport fraud cases have been referred to police, emphasising the office’s efforts to detect and weed
out fraud. Nicholas Symonette said internal reviews also identified possible staff involvement in some matters, which were referred for further action where evidence supported it. He said the police identified four people in connection with other fraudulent matters
not included on the list. His comments came after Free National Movement leader Michael Pintard told the House of Assembly that more than 250 fraudulent document cases were being probed, tabling what he described as a partial list
STOCK image of desk with Bahamian passports.
FRAUD - SEE PAGE THREE
Suicide admissions up by 20% at Sandilands By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
Photo: Heather Carey
PACKED PINEAPPLE AIR PLANE MAKES BELLY LANDING AT GOVERNORʼS HARBOUR, TEMPORARILY CLOSING THE AIRPORTʼS RUNWAY SEE PAGE TWO
SUICIDE related admissions to the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre rose by 20 percent last year, hospital administrator Leotha Coleby said yesterday. The centre has also seen an increase in mental health admissions between January and March 2026, particularly among men dealing with substance abuse that lead to wider issues, including family and relationship problems.
A sharp rise in suicide and suicide attempts alarmed officials last year. Police recorded 16 suicides in 2025, a 60 percent increase over the ten recorded the previous year. Ms Coleby said stigma continues to prevent people from seeking help. “Sandilands is the number one in the region for mental health and our institution, so the resources are there, but the shame, sometimes that's what happened for the most part,” SUICIDE - SEE PAGE FOUR
Cuban ambassador says US policies are ‘starving’ Cuba By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net UNITED States policies have plunged Cuba into severe fuel shortages, prolonged blackouts and widespread disruption to daily life, the country’s ambassador to The Bahamas told The Tribune yesterday, arguing that the impact is being felt across every sector of society. The country’s healthcare system
has been particularly strained, said Juan Carlos Marcof Sánchez, with tens of thousands of patients waiting for surgeries that cannot be performed due to electricity shortages, including a significant number of children. He said a January 29 executive order signed by US President Donald Trump has intensified a decades-long blockade and further SUFFERING- SEE PAGE THREE
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
CUBAN AMBASSADOR TO THE BAHAMAS JUAN CARLOS MARCOF SÁNCHEZ