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ELECTION MAY 12

Parliament dissolves on April 8 as the nation prepares for a high-stakes, five-week sprint to the polls

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip Davis yesterday announced that May 12 is the date for the next general election, a high-stakes contest that will test whether the Progressive Liberal Party can secure a rare second consecutive term and whether the Free National Movement can rebound from its 2021 defeat.

The vote will be the third and most significant electoral test of the Davis administration since it swept to power in September 2021, when the PLP won a decisive victory over the FNM, which was reduced to a small opposition presence after a single term in office.

The PLP is seeking to become the first party since 1997 to win re-election as an incumbent. Mr Davis, in his

In a statement, Mr Davis said he will advise the Governor General to dissolve Parliament on April 8, with writs of election to be issued the following day, formally launching the campaign period. The timeline sets up a roughly five-week sprint to election day, in keeping with Bahamian practice.

Felipe MacLean Yntegra CEO

A MULTI-MILLION dollar business venture by Yntegra Group, the company at the centre of the controversial $200 million Rosewood Hotels & Resorts development at Sampson Cay, dramatically collapsed and was forced to liquidate after three years of missed deadlines as shareholders lost confidence and fled, Tribune Business can reveal.

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) document reveals thatYntegraCEO Felipe MacLean, a Bolivian with US citizenship living in Miami, previously served as chairman and CEO of Clover Leaf Capital Corp, a publicly-traded special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), that eventually filed for insolvency after 83 per cent of panicked shareholders redeemed their stakes in the company. Today, The Tribune also reveals that:

• A fellow Board Member of Clover Leaf, a Colombian former US Ambassador to Bolivia, also living in Miami with US citizenship, was forced to resign after it was revealed he had been spying on the United States for 40 years for the Cuban government. He was later jailed for 15 years and fined $500,000.

• Yntegra is now only a ‘minority, passive investor’ with ‘no decision-making role’ in Cave Cay, one of two massive resort projects in The Exumas for which it was granted a lucrative Heads of Agreement by the government.

Full Stories see 4 and 5

Election set for May 12 as Parliament dissolves April 8

statement, urged Bahamians to ensure they are properly registered ahead of the legal cutoff and reminded them that those already on the register do not need to reapply.

“I also wish to remind the public that if you currently hold a valid purple voter’s card, your registration remains valid and there is no need to register again,”

he said. “The law provides that if you are on the current register of voters, you are entitled to vote.”

Under the Parliamentary Elections Act, voter registration and transfers close at the end of April 8, the same day Parliament is to be dissolved.

Mr Davis urged those who have not registered, or who need to transfer constituencies, to act immediately.

“If you are registering for

the first time, if you have moved and need to transfer, or if you need to verify your information, I encourage you to do so without delay,” he said.

The announcement comes amid heightened activity at voter registration centres, where long lines have formed in recent days as Bahamians rush to meet the deadline.

Mr Davis called for a respectful campaign, stressing national unity beyond

political divisions.

“As we move through this election season, I ask every Bahamian to remember one simple truth: wherever we may fall politically, we all love this country,” he said. “Long after the campaign is over, we will still be one people, sharing one home, with one future to build together. I encourage every eligible Bahamian to take part in this process with seriousness, respect, and faith in our democracy.”

Sands says FNM erected signs to force the GBPA into action

By EARYELBOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

THE Grand Bahama Port Authority only began remov-

ing unauthorised campaign signs after the Free National Movement erected its own billboards in response to what chairman Dr Duane Sands said was the authority’s failure to address complaints about the Progressive Liberal Party’s signage.

Dr Sands said the opposition moved to install its own signage after the governing

party put up billboards in apparent breach of GBPA rules, warning the FNM would “match the PLP whatever they do”.

“Freeport,” Dr Sands said, “has various ordinances, right? They have a fairly structured approach to a city, and it has resulted in Freeport having pretty high standards. The Grand Bahama Port Authority, the rules say that political paraphernalia should go up after a writ of election is called. They should be in particular places, be particular sizes and

go down at a particular time.”

“The Progressive Liberal Party decided, ‘well, hey, we in charge, we can do whatever we want.’ As you know, they are a lawless organisation. They don't care anything about the law, whether it has to do with procurement or whatever it doesn't matter, they're gonna do what they're gonna do, so they put up their paraphernalia.”

Dr Sands said the FNM complained that the signage breached the rules, but no action was taken.

“We then complained that

Shoppers see ‘little to no change’ in their grocery bill

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

MANY shoppers reported seeing little to no savings at the checkout as the government’s VAT removal on unprepared grocery items took effect yesterday.

The policy, which reduces VAT from five percent to zero, is part of the Davis administration’s effort to ease the cost of living.

Early reactions from customers across several food stores in New Providence suggest the impact may be uneven, with concerns about pricing, transparency and how quickly the change is reflected on shelves.

At Fresh Market in Harbour Bay, Ortland Bodie Jr said that while the VAT cut was welcomed in principle, he did not see any meaningful price changes.

“VAT has gone down, but it seem like the prices ain't going down,” he said. “Now, you save me a couple cents on the VAT, which is appreciated. But the basic things?”

He also questioned whether the policy was

being applied consistently across all retailers, particularly smaller stores.

“The smaller mom and pops, they ain't sophisticated like that,” he said.

Similar concerns were raised at Xtra Value in Oakes Field, where executive chef Noel Claude said his total remained largely unchanged despite the policy shift.

“I honestly feel like certain things are overpriced,” he said, expressing scepticism about whether all retailers would pass on the benefit.

“I believe sometimes people do inflate it so they could get something at the end of the day too,” he said.

“Because the more they make, the better life is for them, and the sad thing is, it's the consumer that suffers.”

At the same location, Lisa Williams said she saw no noticeable difference at the register.

“I see no change in nothing,” she said. “I remember when I could have gone in the food store with $50 and come out with bags and have change. I'm talking about

40 years ago. Even though under the FNM things were little tight,you could still see a difference.”

She said she believes some stores may be raising prices to offset the VAT removal and pointed to broader strains from rising costs, including gas and rent.

While some shoppers were critical, others reported modest savings.

At Super Value on Nassau Street, Diane Jones said she saved about $25 on her grocery bill, noting that even small reductions can help as households manage rising costs.

Not all customers at that location shared the same experience. Tashantae Gibson said she encountered higher-than-expected prices, particularly on ground beef, and was unaware of the VAT change before arriving.

“When I went inside just now, I was looking for ground beef,” she said. “Ground beef usually range in price from $7 to $9. All the ground beef was like $10-$15.”

VAT - SEE PAGE 11

this was in contravention of the rules,” he said. “They refused to take it down. So we said, if y’all don't make them take it down, we're gonna do likewise, so we put ours up. At that point, they then decided that they would act, and so they started taking the PLP paraphernalia down. We took ours down.”

Under the Freeport (Control of Advertisements) bylaws, signage in the Port Area requires prior approval, with limited exceptions for election-related advertisements only after a writ of

election is issued.

Last Friday, signs from Progressive Liberal Party candidates were placed along East Sunrise Highway and Pioneer’s Way, where both PLP and FNM signage had appeared.

The GBPA said it had engaged political parties and independent candidates ahead of the election period to outline the requirements and encourage compliance.

The authority said it removed signs it deemed unauthorised from locations across Freeport,

arguing the displays violated its bylaws. The signs are being held at its Cedar Street compound for collection, it said, defending the move as lawful enforcement after some complaints that the removals amounted to theft.

Prime Minister Philip

“Brave” Davis said on Tuesday that he would address the issue, arguing that political campaign posters should not be removed, as they constitute free speech that should not be interfered with.

Yntegra chief now has ‘no say’ at Cave Cay

CAVE CAY Exuma

New developer says Yntegra ‘not involved in any way’ despite continued claims

BOLIVIAN business-

man Felipe MacLean and his Miami-based Yntegra Group are no longer actively involved in the lucrative Cave Cay resort development planned for The Exumas after losing control of the company awarded a Heads of Agreement by the government.

The developer and investor who now has ‘100 per cent control’ of the 220-acre island, California-based Emile Haddad, has revealed to Tribune Business that neither Yntegra or MacLean are involved with any aspect of the planned development.

Yntegra is now only a ‘passive, minority investor,’ with MacLean having ‘absolutely no say’ in plans to turn the island into a luxury resort, says Haddad, who has partnered with the ultra-high-end Italian designer brand Bvlgari, and put together a 40-strong development team across London, Miami and Istanbul to work on the project.

“When we started looking into it, I think a lot of people thought Felipe (MacLean) personally owned all this project,” said Haddad. “He’s a very, very, very small percentage on the ownership of the initial investment. They are not involved in the project in any form or shape. I haven’t spoken to Felipe for months.” Despite that, Yntegra continues to give the impression on its glossy website that the Cave Cay project remains part of its Exumas portfolio. ‘Yntegra Group:Creating lasting destinations. A hospitality firm specializing in the development of ultra-luxury resorts and branded residences in The Exumas,’ is the claim, with an additional statement claiming‘365 acres of land in development.’

The problem is, as Yntegra is no longer involved in developing Cave Cay, 220 of those 365 acres ‘in development’ are no longer under itscontrol. Yntegra has no completed developments in The Exumas. For that matter, there are no Yntegra developments anywhere in the world. There is nothing whatsoever to back up the company’s claim of being ‘specialist’ developers in The Exumas. The claim appears aspirational at best, questionable at worst.

An Yntegra Group spokesman said: “Yntegra is focused on the development of Rosewood Exuma and was part of the acquisition of Cave Cay. An Yntegra-related entity is part of the general partner of Cave Cay.”

Another contentious website claim states: ‘Felipe’s ability to identify emerging trends has made him a trusted and influential figure in Exuma’s hospitality development...with a dynamic portfolio of private islands, strong financial backing, a skilled management team, and over 365 acres of development, Felipe is poised to meet the global ultra-luxury market’s demands. He combines his expertise in Exumas’ landscape with visionary design and precise execution, ensuring the selection of the best ultra-luxury operators.’ His Linked In

The Bahamas is the contentious Rosewood Exuma Resort at Sampson Cay, in the central Exumas: a 145acre project that for the last three years has been mired in controversy, legal threats, intimidation and law suits.

Reiterating Yntegra’s position with Cave Cay, Haddad added: “I think it would be very accurate to say that Yntegra are not involved at all in any management of this project. They’re simply a passive investor, just because they had already made an investment in the project. They don’t have any control over the project. Decision making is with the general partner, and that general partner is controlled 100 percent by us. I’m the chairman of the board, and that’s where all the decisions for this project are made.”

“When we started looking into it, I think a lot of people thought Felipe (MacLean) personally owned all this project. He’s a very, very, very small percentage on the ownership... They are not involved in the project in any form or shape. I haven’t spoken to Felipe for months.”

— Emile

Haddad, Developer and Investor

profile states: “At the forefront of Yntegra’s current initiatives, Felipe is leading the firm’s transformative hospitality developments (NB plural) in Exuma, including a dynamic portfolio of private islands (plural) and more than 367 acres of prime land. It adds: “Under his leadership, Yntegra has grown into a multifaceted platform spanning real estate lending and development, hospitality, agriculture, and consumer good manufacturing.’ No further details are given. Yntegra replied: “Yntegra-related entities have ownership in both Sampson Cay and Cave Cay.” As recently as last September, MacLean commented on the progress of Cave Cay approvals process and referred to Yntegra as part of the development. In fact, the one proposed development left in Yntegra’s control in

Now firmly at the helm of the proposed development, Haddad is also making drastic changes to the plans initially proposed by Yntegra - and signed off by the government. Most notably, he is scaling back the density of the project by a massive two thirds. “We are trying to understand how things work over there, so we come in and do it with respect”, he said. “It was too dense...too dense.”Density has also been a key focal point in a dispute over Yntegra’s remaining Rosewood Exuma project. As new owners of the island, Haddad and his team are preparing an amendment to the original HOA. “And the good news,” adds Haddad, a man with a 40-year track record in real estate development and winner of a Business JournalExcellence in Entrepreneurship Award, “is that typically, governments

are used to people coming and asking for more in an amendment. We’re going to be asking for less. The density of this project is cut down tremendously. With Bvlgari, they care a lot about the density of the project. It’s been a great experience working with them. They are very much aligned in their views with us in terms of being shepherds of the land, and that’s how we view ourselves. The project is going to be a third of the density that was existing before. We are going to be spending a lot of time on preserving areas and keeping areas of open space.”

Yntegra Group’s interest in developing in The Bahamas became public in March 2023, when, on behalf its affiliated company, Cave Cay Limited, MacLean signed a HOA with the government to develop and transform the cay. It is believed that nine months earlier, the company was given the go ahead for what would become known as the Rosewood Exuma Resort at Sampson Cay after a filing with the Town Planning Committee.

At Cave Cay, MacLean promised ‘jobs, environmental sensitivity and revitalisation’ of a longdormant island. Plans included 70 bedrooms, comprising a 45-room boutique hotel - 17 over-the-water units, 23 ocean view units, and five four-bedroom villas. A huge residential component would be made up of 214 residences, consisting of 38 estate homes, 92 villas, and 84 cottages.

At the heart of the development would be an existing marina, expanded with berthing for up to 98 boats. He claimed the island had been purchased for $60 million and $550 would be spent developing the resort.

“The buyers of this development will be the world’s most prominent celebrities, artists, athletes, and business people. The Exumas are a paradise, and Cave Cay is the island with the

ideal topography for developing a project of this magnitude.”

Construction of the first phase of what was billed as an eight-year project was scheduled to conclude by March 2025 – just over a year ago. But matters, as we can see, have not gone exactly to plan for MacLean. Little to nothing has changed on the island. There has been no building work, no development, although Haddad’s Bvlgari resort is coming.

Exactly what happened behind the scenes with Yntegra is not known, but it is clear that the company and MacLean lost control of Cave Cay Limited and are no longer involved with the development, other than being passive, minority investors.

Problems for Yntegra began before the HOA with the government had even been signed. Two months earlier, in January 2023, it was revealed a Saudi prince and member of the royal family - said to be worth $105 billion - had started legal action against Yntegra over $5 million in his purchase stake in the island. Prince Salman Bin Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud claimed that officials of the Yntegra-controlled Cave Cay LP violated an agreement under which both sides were to pay $5 million to the partnership. The prince alleged the partnership was demanding the sum of him but not of Yntegra. In his lawsuit, the prince claimed Cave Cay ‘misrepresented Yntegra’s ability to raise outside capital,’ and asked the court to bar the partnership from declaring him to be in default over the $5 million ‘discriminatory capital call.’ That is the last public filing on the lawsuit. Cave Cay LP insisted the prince’s claims were unfounded. The case went away. As far as anyone knows, the lawsuit was settled out of court. Yntegra insisted that the court case did not affect the development. From what transpired, that seems questionable.

The same month as the HOA was signed with Yntegra, it was announced that Bvlgari, having been brought into the project by Haddad, had signed a deal to develop Cave Cay as its latest project.

“Yntegra was looking for investors and we came into the entity, the project, as investors, as limited partners,” explained Haddad.

“So we came in, and felt we needed to... have a say about it. Yes, there were issues, but there’s no reason to get back into them, and they have all now been resolved. But there were issues that came up at the beginning of this investment for us that required us

to restructure the relationship, and that’s when I took over. And today, I’m the one who actually controls that project. I’m the one who makes decisions. This is a project that is now 100 per cent run and controlled by me and my son Alaa.” Haddad, 67, has a long and successful track record in real estate. He is the former chief investment officer of Lennar Corporation, today the second largest publicly traded home builder company in the US. After that, he founded FivePoint Holdings, a large-scale property developer specialising in designing and developing huge multi-purpose communities, including decommissioned naval bases, often described as ‘mini cities.’ “We bring to the table 40 years of development of the most complicated projects in the United States, he said. The planned resort will be known as The Bvlgari Resort & Mansions at Cave Cay. Rome-based Bvlgari moved into branded hotels in 2002 and now has a string of luxury resorts around the world. According to Haddad, ‘well over $1billion’ will be invested in the project.Haddad is the leading investor in what has become the Cave Cay Limited Partnership, the owner and developer of the Cave Cay project, and is chairman of the board for Cave Cay General Partner Ltd. As new owners of the island, Haddad and his team are preparing an amendment to the original HOA. “And the good news,” adds Haddad, a winner of a Business Journal Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award, “is that typically, governments are used to people coming and asking for more in an amendment. We’re going to be asking for less. The density of this project is cut down tremendously. With Bvlgari, they care a lot about the density of the project. It’s been a great experience working with them. They’re very much aligned in their views with us in terms of being shepherds of the land, and that’s how we view ourselves. The project is going to be a third of the density that was existing before. We are going to be spending a lot of time on preserving areas and keeping areas of open space.”

No longer in the picture at Cave Cay, Yntegra’s focus is now on another development on a neighbouring island. For the company was not just awarded one HOA. The government granted Yntegra a second HOA, plus a crown grant of 22 acres and a conditional purchase lease of 124 acres of crown land for another development, this time at Sampson Cay. Yntegra has

MacLean’s acquisition company forced into liquidation after shareholders lost confidence and fled

A PUBLICLY-TRADED

special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) set up by Yntegra CEO Felipe MacLean was forced to liquidate after three years of missed deadlines as shareholders lost confidence and fled.

The Tribune can reveal that an IPO (Initial Public Offering) that raised $138 million in Clover Leaf Capital Corp, where MacLean was listed as President and CEO, was shelved after three key extensions to raise extra funds were missed.

A United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing reveals that after the second missed extension, in October 2022, panicked investors withdrew $125.6 million, equating to 12.2 million shares in Clover Leaf. At the third missed deadline, in July 2023, a further 376,002 shares were redeemed – another $4.2 million withdrawn.

Miami-based Yntegra, at the centre of the controversial $200 million Rosewood Hotels & Resorts development at Sampson Cay, Exuma, had to inject over $3.4 million in emergency loans to keep Clover Leaf alive – only repayable upon consumption of a ‘business combination’ (acquisition), which never happened.

According to the US SEC, Yntegra was trying to merge with Kustom Entertainment, Inc, a Nevada corporation owned by Digital Ally, Inc, the publicly

traded manufacturers of surveillance equipment such as police body cameras and dashboard cameras.

In November 2025, ten months after a fourth extension was requested, a planned merger agreement was terminated and Clover Leaf was forced to dissolve after burning through investor capital and missing multiple emergency extensions.

An Yntegra Group spokesman said: “The SPAC’s responsibility was to identify an attractive opportunity for investors. Given significant market shifts and regulatory changes during that period, many transactions were no longer in the best interest of investors. Over 80% of SPACs from that vintage ultimately returned capital. Choosing not to proceed

and returning funds reflects disciplined decision-making and responsible stewardship of investor capital, which strengthens, rather than diminishes, our reputation.

“Clover Leaf IPO investors received 100% of their capital upon redemption, plus accrued returns. The IPO investors suffered no losses. More broadly, recognising market shifts and

M aclean’s former Colombian business partner spied on the US for Cuban govt for 40 years

YNTEGRA principal

Felipe MacLean’s acquisition company Clover Leaf was already on the verge of liquidation when in December 2023, it was forced to make an announcement that one of its Board of Directors had resigned – having been caught spying on the United States for Cuba.

Victor Manuel Rocha, a Colombian and former US Ambassador to Bolivia living in Miami, had been arrested by US federal authorities and charged with multiple crimes, including conspiracy to act as a foreign agent to defraud the United States, use of a passport obtained by false statement and acting as an illegal agent for a foreign government (spying). There is no suggestion MacLean and Rocha were anything other that business associates. A spokesman for Yntegra said there was ‘no relationship, adding: “Mr Rocha was introduced as a recognised former public official and invited to join the board. We were not aware, just like the U.S. authorities, of the alleged matters.”

In a complaint filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida, US Attorney Markenzy Lapointe stated: “Victor Manuel Rocha secretly acted for decades as an agent for a hostile foreign power.” One of the intriguing things is that the Bolivian was accused of spying on the US for Cuba. Rocha was arrested in Miami after making recorded

admissions to an undercover FBI special agent posing as a Cuban intelligence operative, referring to the US as ‘enemy’ and praising Cuba’s ‘Comandante.’ Four months after his arrest, US District Court Judge Beth Bloom sentenced 73-year-old Rocha to the statutory maximum penalty on his counts of conviction: 15 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a special assessment. Prosecutors described it as one of the longest-lasting infiltrations of the US government, with spying activity dating back to at least 1981. He also served in Italy, Honduras, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. In pleading guilty, Rocha admitted that, beginning in 1973, and continuing to the time of his arrest, he secretly supported the Republic of Cuba and its clandestine

CAVE CAY - From PAGE FOUR

outlined plans to build 33 suites and 40 residences with a range of luxury amenities – including a floating padel board court.

Asked if the project was fully funded, Yntegra Group responded: “Yes, it is fully funded. We do not comment on our investors.

“As required under Bahamian law, Yntegra Group has satisfied all due diligence requirements, including demonstrating the financial capacity to undertake the development, in order to obtain the necessary

approvals.”

Asked what prior experience Yntegra had in development and hospitality projects on a comparable scale and complexity to Rosewood Exuma, a spokeman responded: “The Yntegra team has significant experience across residential, commercial, and industrial projects of scale. In addition, we have world-recognized firms across project management, general contracting, environmental, and engineering disciplines involved

intelligence-gathering mission against the United States by serving as a covert agent of Cuba’s General Directorate of Intelligence. By his own admission, to further that role, he obtained employment at the US Department of State, where he worked between 1981 and 2002, in positions that provided him access to non-public information, including classified information, and the ability to affect US foreign policy. Aside from serving as the US Ambassador to Bolivia and on the White House National Security Council, Rocha’s career included a stint as Deputy Principal Secretary of the State Department’s US Interests Section in Havana, Cuba from 1995-97. After his State Department employment ended, Rocha engaged in other acts intended to support Cuba’s intelligence

in this project.” The project has for the last three years has been mired in controversy, legal threats, intimidation and law suits. Primary objections to the $200 million project, in which Yntegra partnered with Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, focus on the impact of the project’s scale and density on both the environment, local businesses, the culture of the Central Exumas, and the potential environmental devastation from dredging in the North Bay of Sampson Cay for a service dock and more than 200-ft long seawall. A coalition of

services. According to the US Attorney’s Office: “Rocha kept his status as a Cuban agent secret to protect himself and others and to allow himself the opportunity to engage in additional clandestine activity. Rocha provided false and misleading information to the United States to maintain his secret mission and traveled outside the United States to meet with Cuban intelligence operatives.”

In sentencing him, the court also imposed significant restrictions. Under the terms of the parties’ plea agreement, he agreed to cooperate with the United States, including assisting with any damage assessment related to his work on behalf of the Republic of Cuba. He had to relinquish all future retirement benefits, including pension payments owed to him by the United States. Rocha had to assign to the US any profits that he may be entitled to receive in connection with any publication relating to his criminal conduct or his US Government service.

“Today’s plea and sentencing brings to an end more than four decades of betrayal and deceit by the defendant,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Rocha admitted to acting as an agent of the Cuban government at the same time he held numerous positions of trust in the US government,

community leaders, local business owners and residents to form the Save Exuma Alliance (SEA) in opposition to the plans.

SEA claims Yntegra’s plans would transform Sampson Cay from a pristine island into a dense, overdeveloped luxury destination that would trade-off what makes The Exumas special for profit. “To do this, they plan to dredge areas with coral reef and sea grass meadows, construct a massive concrete seawall, destroy natural wetlands, and cause irreversible damage to our environment,” claims SEA. Yntegra has defended

liquidated, Yntegra replied: “We do not comment on private investments.”

The SEC filing reveals thatYntegra CEO MacLean filed for insolvency for Clover Leaf, where he was chairman and CEO, after 83 per cent of panicked shareholders redeemed their stakes in the company. Clover Leaf’s website describes the company as ‘an ‘insider’ of the Cannabis Industry.’ In a press release confirming its intention to liquidate, issued on November 8, 2024, Clover Leaf stated: “As a result of the termination of the Merger Agreement, the Company’s Board of Directors has determined to liquidate the Company and expects that it will redeem all of its outstanding shares of Class A common stock sold as part of the units in the Company’s initial public offering. The Company expects to announce additional information on such redemption in the coming days.”

returning capital, rather than forcing a suboptimal transaction, reflects strong governance and enhances investor trust.”

Asked much money did Yntegra Capital Investments lose when the SPAC

Clover Leaf’s website states MacLean is the ‘founder of Solace Holdings, a vertically integrated THC & CBD cannabis company, focusing on the cultivation and manufacturing of leading consumer branded goods.’ Yntegra say the company has been operating since 2016.

Who is Yntegra’s MaClean?

FELIPE MacLean, CEO of Yntegra Group, was born in Bolivia, where his father, Ronald MacLean Abaroa, is a former mayor of the capital La Paz, and a government finance minister, internationally recognised for his anti-corruption work as a local governor. He now lectures at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

After moving to Miami with his family, MacClean, who is in his 40s, competed in superbike racing for MacLean Racing, working with his father. His love for bikes started when he was eight-year-old riding BMX bikes on a track his father built. He would also ride quad bikes in the sand dunes while at the family’s beach house in Chile.

After moving to Florida, MacLean studied at the

a staggering betrayal of the American people and an acknowledgement that every oath he took to the United States was a lie.”

Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI’s National Security Branch, added: “Despite swearing an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States, Rocha betrayed the US by secretly working as a Cuban agent for decades. After years of lying and endangering national security and US citizens, he finally accepted responsibility for his actions and received the maximum prison sentence. This should serve as a notice to our adversaries that the FBI will work tirelessly to stop foreign intelligence services and any who work with them against the interests of the United States and prosecute them to the fullest

the project, stating it has reduced dredging by 20% and moved the service dock further from neighbouring propertiesand reduced the size of its seawall. It also claims to be setting ‘a new sustainability standard,’ to be among the ‘least dense’ projects in The Bahamas, and to have ‘one of the smallest dredging footprints’ – claims that are being challenged by their opponents. Asked to provide examples of marine infrastructure projects Yntegra had successfully completed, its spokesman responded: “We have engaged leading engineering,

extent of the law.”

According to the US Attorney’s Office, Rocha thought the story of his covert mission for Cuba would never be told because he had the intelligence, knowledge, and discipline to never to be detected. “Rocha underestimated those same skills in the prosecutors and law enforcement agents who worked tirelessly to bring him to justice for betraying his oath to this country,” said US Attorney Lapointe. “Rocha’s 15-year prison sentence, the maximum punishment for his crimes of conviction, sends a powerful message to those who are acting or seek to act unlawfully in the United States for a foreign government: we will seek you out anywhere, at any time, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”

environmental, coastal, and marine infrastructure consultants who have delivered numerous projects of greater scale in the Bahamas and internationally.”

Asked about suggestions MacLean made the bulk of his wealth dealing with the Venezuelan government, the Yntegra Group spokesman replied: “Your statement is factually incorrect. Mr MacLean operated a commodities trading business across Latin America, but he never conducted business with, nor had any relationship with, any Venezuelan government official.”

The Tribune Limited

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Election date set - vote wisely

The phony war is on. The election date has been named. May 12 is the day – circle it in your calendar with the colour of your choice.

There will be many things written between now and election day by people trying to convince you to vote for this party, or that party, or another party. There will be many claims about this candidate or another, some of which may be true, and some of which will be anything but true.

What is important in this moment is that you recognise that the power is yours. You owe your vote to no one. Everyone on the election trail must earn your vote, rather than expect it to be given.

Over the next five weeks – or thereabouts – use that vote wisely.

The date of the election itself is not so much of a surprise, we heralded as much in this very column.

The timing of the announcement is a little bit of a surprise.

It was widely expected that the House would be dissolved next Wednesday, but to announce it before the Easter break seems to roll out some political thunder at the peak of the pastoral season.

Prime Minister Philip Davis, at the launch of the PLP’s election campaign, pledged to suspend political public activities during Lent.

Announcing the election date just before Easter itself seems to put politics before spirituality at this most holy time.

For some in the church, the thought of a clash between political campaigns and the holy season was an uncomfortable one.

Right now, Mr Davis is giving the best advice. He is urging people to make sure they are properly registered. If you don’t have a say, you don’t have any sway when the vote arrives.

He also was right in another respect.

He said: “Long after the campaign is over, we will still be one people, sharing one home, with one future to build together. I encourage every available Bahamian to take part in this process with seriousness, respect, and faith in our democracy.”

Whoever wins the election, whoever our next leader is, we should all want for our nation to be better off by the end of the next administration than it is right now.

We often talk about the nation builders in The Bahamas, those who got our country to where it is now. Right now, we are the nation builders. It is our turn.

The goal should always be to advance, to be marching onward, and pledging to excel.

At the end of the next administration, we should all want there to be economic success. We should all want there to be more jobs, better results in education, improved healthcare, a

reduced need for a social safety net because the economy is providing the opportunities people need. We should all want better governance, both in terms of efficiency and responsiveness to the people of the country. We should all hope for crime to be down, for there to be fewer murders leaving behind shattered families missing a vital piece. We should all hope for progress on environment issues, a signature feature of Mr Davis’ speeches at international events, though open to question on how that has been delivered here at home.

There is a familiar line to describe our nation, saying it is better in The Bahamas. Well, this election needs to be better for The Bahamas.

Every election is important, but this election has the opportunity to set a direction.

We will all remember that the last election came about with lockdowns still affecting the country as COVID19 continued to affect the world.

The current administration had to deal with the recovery from that pandemic. The previous administration had to deal with the immediate impact of the plague that swept the globe – as well as the tragedy of Hurricane Dorian.

The next administration can hopefully pick up and run from a position where the economy has bounced back – which it has, though some will argue over whether that was inevitable or how much the government played its part. It is a chance for The Bahamas to set its own agenda rather than react to world events. We will not be immune to the fluctuations and ructions of the globe – the rising gas prices because of the war in Iran tell us that as we speak – but we can perhaps set our own course more this time.

Who will be at the helm for that course? That is up to you. Your vote. Your decision. Your choice.

For all the things we agree on, there will be differences too. Issues such as transparency, accountability, equality – all of these are still on the table despite being on the current administration’s to-do list before the last election.

Who you can trust to deliver on promises, that is up to you.

Listen carefully. Study each party’s promises. Take a moment to ask yourself each time you see an allegation being circulated online whether it is true, and who might benefit from such a claim.

It is harder than ever, with so many artificial intelligence-generated posts and images circulating, to find your way to the truth. Know the sources you can trust, but always be wary. The vote is coming. Do not waste yours. Your very own campaign starts now.

Numbers and the PLP party

EDITOR, The Tribune.

WE are fairly amused that some pundits as well as some members of the public appear to be bewildered by the Progressive Liberal Party’s cozy relationship with the number boys. Those unfamiliar with the party’s history are overdue for a crash course, which could also help them understand why there has been such reluctance to introduce a National Lottery.

First of all, Bahamians are free to deify whomever they wish, but we subscribe to the admonition that sinners must first confess their sins before they can be forgiven. We have yet to hear any of those engaged in the selling of numbers or gaming if you wish, who have acknowledged that they have indeed sinned. And, we will argue that, insisting that the criminal rum runners from East Bay Street and the damage they caused with the unleashing of alcohol on as many street corners as possible over the hill, as reason to justify legalising numbers is a non starter (see the Knaur Report).

For context it should be stipulated that before the 2013 gaming Referendum when Prime Minister Christie ignored the expressed will of the people, while gambling was not illegal in The Bahamas, the sale of numbers was. It followed then, that anyone who bought numbers was engaging in criminal activity. It undoubtedly means that those who sold those numbers were also engaging in a criminal enterprise, which made them all criminals! No one has, as far as we are aware, expressed any remorse for breaking the law, or the devastation inflicted on Bahamian families by the sale of numbers. Lost paychecks, lost homes and worst of all, lost families!

In days of yore when the embryonic PLP was considered by many as a bunch of rag-tag, rabble rousing, ne’er-do-wells scrapping for money, the numbers men were a convenient and willing source of funding.

We have no evidence that Talbot “Stokes” Thompson and Eugene “The Baron” Toote helped to fund the PLP, but it is unquestioned that Vendal Percival Munnings, one of if not the largest purveyor

Being middle class is oppressively expensive

EDITOR, The Tribune. THE Middle Class has suffered from the misguide policies of their national governments. Governments that allow the private sector to basically milk them of their savings throwing them into crisis mode every time they need to pay their bills. Grocery, vehicle and home maintenance, insurance, home heating, energy demands, education for their kids, hopeful retirement savings. These are a few things the average working class and middle class must deal with. Insurance premiums

have skyrocketed as to every essential item and service imaginable. Why? Our governments allow the so-called free markets to set prices much like the stock exchange, changing at corporate whims hourly. The working and middle class are basically one, united in a struggle to make ends meet financially. To send your child to college or university is much like establishing a new mortgage so they can go, borrowing money or depleting your future retirement savings. To be a member of the middle class was once a preferred status, but not

anymore. Working and middle classes co-joined in a struggle they cannot win. As long as the government allows the private sector to set prices, fluctuating them much like a rising tide, this class will remain tied to a modern-day feudal system were borrowing to survive is much like selling your soul to the corporate store. Do we live to make others wealthy and preserve a financial system that preys upon us all?

STEVEN KASZAB Bradford, Ontario March 27, 2026.

of numbers in The Bahamas of the 1960’s and 1970’s was a major source of funding for the Party.

So cozy was that relationship that Mr Munnings served for many years as the treasurer of the PLP, funded much of their early travel as well as the party’s newspaper, The Bahamian Times, and the building in which it was founded. Sir Lynden confirmed much of what was not already public knowledge at Mr Munnings’ funeral in 1995.

We remember token arrests made by the police that served only as irritants to Mr Munnings who continued his illegal business unabated until his death in 1995. Of course, those who bore the brunt of arrests were the numbers runners, who used paper and pencil to execute their job. Some of them, knowing this could be their fate if caught with the paraphernalia became so proficient that they didn’t need paper or pencil to book the numbers!

To bring that relationship into modern times, we reached back to a Bahamas Uncensored post in 2019 for this gem:

“They say that in the old days when the late Percy Munnings was the numbers man and the Treasurer of the PLP, whenever the PLP had a problem, they would be able to turn to Percy Munnings for rescue. He always had a bag and he carried around a wad of cash and had the ability to solve problems.

These days the equivalent of that seems the Eyewitness News station owned by another numbers man, rebranded web shops Sebas Bastian. Isn’t it interesting that the PLP has to in part to depend on electronic news coverage from the Eyewitness News Team, owned by a numbers man…a man the FNM wants to destroy? If it weren’t for that station and its professionalism and that of Mr Jones, you might not hear a word that the PLP says.”

Sebas (sic) Bastian is the PLP’s newest blueeyed boy and its ratified candidate for Ft Charlotte in the 2026 General Elections. He is also one of the leaders of the

numbers business, now richer than Croesus, who convinced prime minister Perry Christie to ignore the wishes of the Bahamian people and legalise the numbers business. Are you still wondering why the now “gaming” men can call so many shots and there appears to be no appetite to introduce a National Lottery?

The PLP were quite happy to allow casino gambling for tourists, even sacrificing one of their brightest minds, the late finance minister, educator and Baptist minister, Rev Carlton Francis who died in penury after his exile from the party. However, gambling for Bahamians was limited to over the hill, after all it would make no sense to kill the goose that laid and continues to lay the golden egg of funding for the party, whether regular operations or for a general election!

Casino gambling for tourists would be allowed, but the PLP government was not prepared to take the chance that what happened to the nightclubs after the bridge was built to paradise island in 1967 would happen to the number’s men. Suddenly, Bahamians could travel across the bridge and party with the tourists, so partying on New Providence became too “local.” Within 10 years, most of the nightclubs on Bay Street, Wulff Road and the many streets in between had disappeared. The Hobby Horse Race Course, the other source of gambling for Bahamians soon followed.

The same way that the PLP ignored the voice of the people with respect to legalising the numbers is the same fate for those calling for a National Lottery.

Additional funding for Education, Health, Sports and the Arts must be found elsewhere, because what is clear to us is that the PLP is not prepared to give up that sure source of funding, especially for elections without a fight! We also understand how and why Sebas Bastian has so much influence over the PLP and the government! Given the recorded history of the PLP with numbers, The National Lottery will have to wait! ED MURROW II Nassau, March 28, 2026.

Why are Exuma people being kept in dark

EDITOR, The Tribune. I WRITE today because I want to know why the people of Exuma are being kept in the dark.

As I write, word is being shared around that the Yntegra Rosewood project for Sampson Cay, Exuma, has been given approval – but the people directly affected by this don’t seem to have been told.

We’ve seen equipment and workers arriving at the site on Big Sampson Cay even before the approval was apparently given – so how come they know to be prepared to start work in advance of the approval?

Editor, I have given my opinion on the project, and so have others. The Town Planning Committee held two meetings to discuss the proposals, at George Town and Black Point, and the George Town meeting ended with people chanting ‘No dredging, no dredging’. So

how is it we end up with approval for dredging?

When people spoke up because they didn’t think the process was being followed, Yntegra brushed it off. Talk to your MP, they said.

Well, now I will. Mr Deputy Prime Minister, Chester Cooper, I’m talking to you now. Whats happening? We showed up, we said what we felt, we didn’t get the answers we asked for. How does a project with so much opposition get approved?

We still don’t know for certain how much area is going to be dredged – but I guess once they start dredging, they’ll just have to keep going to make their project a success no matter what. We still don’t have an answer to how boats are supposed to navigate the currents and with such a small amount of depth to do it in if Yntegra sticks to the plans. For years, we have been swimming in the North

Bay – but now someone comes in from Miami and tells us no, this is for ships, not for swimming. How can that be, Mr Cooper?

What about the garbage that will need to be shipped out? What about the barges full of fuel? What about the tour companies that will be forced out because with the seagrass ripped up and the coral destroyed, the marine life will disappear?

I don’t think it’s right. I don’t think people should be ignored after taking the time to speak up about their home, about the place we all love. It’s not too late to make it right, Mr Cooper. This can all still be changed so the damage isn’t done but the project still gets to go ahead. They say talk to our MP? I’m doing that. Can you talk to us?

KEARJE SMITH Exuma, March 30, 2026

Bahamian captain given deadline to strike plea in $4m drug case

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A BAHAMIAN boat captain accused of smuggling an estimated $4 million worth of cocaine into the United States has until next month to enter a guilty plea or face trial.

US District Judge Melissa Damian set May

4 as the deadline for Malcolm Goodman to change his plea after granting his request to delay the trial to allow more time for plea negotiations with prosecutors.

Goodman, a business partner of former National Security Minister Marvin Dames, pleaded not guilty last month to charges of

possession with intent and importation of a controlled substance following his arrest in Florida on February 11.

However, his US attorney, Jay White, recently filed a motion notifying the court of his intention to change his plea, but said he needed more time for plea negotiations.

Man remanded over near-fatal bar stabbing on Baillou Hill Rd

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN accused of a near-fatal stabbing on Baillou Hill Road last November was remanded to prison yesterday. Prosecutors allege Charles Brown, 29, stabbed and attempted to kill Daton Roker, 43, outside a bar after the two had argued on the night of

November 23, 2025. The suspect fled the scene on foot. Brown was not required to enter a plea to the charge of attempted murder before acting Chief Magistrate Ancella Evans. He was told the matter would proceed to the Supreme Court by way of a voluntary bill of indictment. Brown was also

She ruled that the interests of justice served by the continuance outweigh any public interest in a speedy trial.

Goodman, an experienced boat captain

Judge Damian had originally scheduled the two-week trial to begin on April 15, but it has now been moved to May 18 unless otherwise instructed.

informed of his right to apply for bail in the higher court. He was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until service of the voluntary bill of indictment on July 30. Inspector Deon Barr prosecuted the case, and Joel Seymour represented the accused.

based in Eleuthera, was allegedly found with roughly 200 kilograms of cocaine on board the 45-foot vessel named M/V Reel Xperience. US authorities, in a filed affidavit, said the drugs were “in plain view” and that Goodman admitted to knowing about them.

After his arrest, Mr Dames confirmed that he and his wife entered into a business arrangement with Goodman in 2024 but said neither he nor his wife had any knowledge of, involvement in, or benefit from any alleged unlawful activity connected to the case, and that they did not authorise, participate in, or sanction any criminal conduct.

Man ordered to pay $500 after biting another man’s face

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN who bit another man on the face at Margaritaville last month was ordered yesterday to compensate the victim and attend anger management classes.

David Turnquest, 44, bit Jeremy Johnson on the left side of the face during an

altercation at “Pier One” Margaritaville around 7.40pm on March 7. Turnquest pleaded guilty to causing harm (minor) before Senior Magistrate Anishka Isaacs. He expressed remorse and said he let his temper get the best of him. After reprimanding him for the attack, Magistrate Isaacs granted a conditional discharge.

Turnquest must complete three months of anger management classes or risk two months in prison. He was also ordered to pay $500 in compensation and complete 50 hours of community service or face a three-month prison term. Turnquest returns to court for a report on July 2. Inspector Timothy Bain prosecuted the case.

DPP Frazier insists long-running corruption cases haven’t stalled

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

DIRECTOR of Public

Prosecutions Cordell Frazier said long-running corruption cases involving former minister Lanisha Rolle and former Urban Renewal director Michelle Reckley have not stalled, despite trials being set years after the matters were first reported.

Ms Frazier also noted that Christopher Symonette, who was charged with Reckley, has a constitutional application that she understands has already been heard.

Court timelines, however, show significant gaps between when the matters were first reported and when trials are expected to begin.

Rolle, who was charged in 2023, faces three counts of bribery and 13 counts

of conspiracy to commit fraud by false pretences. She and her husband, Vontenken Rolle, are also charged with conspiracy to commit fraud by false pretences in connection with a $168,000 contract for work at the Kendal GL Isaacs Gym. She is further accused of receiving a $48,303.74 bribe to award a contract for work at the Grand Bahama Sporting Complex to G&C Landscaping. Wilfred Rolle and Godfrey Burrows are accused of conspiracy to commit fraud by false pretences in relation to a $34,600 contract for work at the South Beach pools. Burrows is additionally accused of obtaining that sum by false pretences.

Reckley and five others, meanwhile, were arraigned in 2019 over allegations of defrauding the government of $1.2m through

the Urban Renewal Small Homes Repair Programme on Grand Bahama.

The case has faced repeated setbacks, including reassignment of magistrates and disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was initially assigned to Magistrate Ambrose Armbrister, but proceedings stalled during the pandemic. After his resignation in 2020, the matter was reassigned multiple times before then-Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt took carriage of the case.

On May 16, 2022, when the trial was set to begin, the prosecution sought Ferguson-Pratt’s recusal over allegations she had visited Reckley in the cell block and prayed with her. The magistrate denied the claims, and the application was withdrawn two days later with an apology.

Jarol Investments, Ltd. T/A Chances Games

Our company has been around gaming for over 30 years and pride ourselves on quality service and customer relationships. We are moving forward in the market and such are looking for qualified, dedicated, people friendly customer services representatives.

Jarol Investments Limited is seeking to fill the following position: Island Manager (Abaco)

Duties include, but not limited to:

· Overseeing adherence to company policies and procedures by employees.

· Auditing cashiers work to ensure efficiency.

· Maintain a safe and secure working environment for customers and staff

· Maintaining confidentiality of sensitive data.

· Evaluating, assessing and managing the performance of each employee.

· Ensuring that the opening and closing of shops in a timely manner.

· Ensure safe keeping of company funds.

· Overseeing the selection and recruitment of new employees

Education & Experience Requirements:

· Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, or a related field. Equivalent relevant work experience will be considered in lieu of formal education.

· Proficiency and Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook) is essential.

Interested persons should email their resume to careers@chancesgames. com. Subject: Island Manager (Abaco) – Your Name or visit our Head Office on #13 Ruthaven Plaza, Logwood Road (across from The $2 Dollar Store) between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

was adjourned after Senior Magistrate Shaka

Voter verification suspended as long lines overwhelm manual system

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Parliamentary Registration Department has suspended voter verification services ahead of the general election, as a surge in activity following Parliament’s prorogation exposed long waits and pressure on the country’s manual registration system.

Parliamentary Commissioner Harrison Thompson said verification — required only for those seeking a biometric voter’s card — will be paused until after the election, with resources redirected to processing new registrations and transfers.

The shift comes days after voters reported hours-long waits at registration sites, with some leaving without being processed as demand spiked following Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis’ call for Bahamians to get registered.

At multiple locations on Saturday, people waited for hours to transfer or update their information.

At the Elizabeth Estates

Post Office, one voter who arrived at 11.45am was still waiting after 4pm, describing a slow, paper-based system struggling to keep pace with demand.

Others reported similar delays. Some said they waited more than four hours, while others left before being processed as lines stalled and moved unevenly throughout the day.

The system requires voters to sign in, indicate whether they are registering, transferring or verifying, and wait to be called — a process that slows further as crowds grow.

Officials are now prioritising first-time registrations and transfers to ensure eligible voters are properly entered on the register and assigned to the correct constituencies before the election.

Under the law, being on the register — not possession of a voter’s card — determines eligibility to vote. Voters who have lost their cards can still cast ballots using valid government-issued identification.

Verification is tied to the issuance of new biometric

voter’s cards, which are being rolled out in phases.

While more than 20,000 people have requested the cards, only about 2,500 are expected in the initial phase.

Replacement cards will be processed after voter registration closes, with the temporary suspension aimed at reducing delays and easing pressure on registration sites.

The move comes as the country edges closer to a general election. Parliament has been prorogued until April 8, and an election is expected within weeks.

Once Parliament is dissolved, election writs will be issued, triggering a timeline that typically leads to polling within three to four weeks.

In a national address last week, Mr Davis urged Bahamians to act quickly.

“I want every Bahamian to know – by the time you hear that bell ring, if you are not registered, you will not be eligible to vote,” he said.

“Do not wait for the bell. Go now — to your nearest Parliamentary Registration location – and get registered.”

Jarol Investments, Ltd. T/A Chances Games

Our company has been around gaming for over 30 years and pride ourselves on quality service and customer relationships. We are moving forward in the market and such are looking for qualified, dedicated, people friendly customer services representatives.

Jarol Investments Limited is seeking to fill the following position: Island Manager (Exuma)

Duties include, but not limited to:

· Overseeing adherence to company policies and procedures by employees.

Auditing cashiers work to ensure efficiency.

Maintain a safe and secure working environment for customers and staff

· Maintaining confidentiality of sensitive data.

Evaluating, assessing and managing the performance of each employee.

Ensuring that the opening and closing of shops in a timely manner.

Ensure safe keeping of company funds.

Overseeing the selection and recruitment of new employees

Education & Experience Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree Business Administration, or a related field. Equivalent relevant work experience will be considered in lieu of formal education.

· Proficiency and Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook) is essential.

Interested persons should email their resume to careers@chancesgames. com. Subject: Island Manager (Exuma) – Your Name or visit our Head Office on #13 Ruthaven Plaza, Logwood Road (across from The $2 Dollar Store) between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Easter: conversion and transformation

CONVERSION is at the heartof theEaster miracle.In the revelation ofJesus Christ, human existence--including death--is transformed.At Easter, we celebrate the power ofdivineloveandlighttopenetratethe darknessthatseeks toobstructanddestroythegift and plenitude of life.

Prideis oneof thedeadliest barriersto conversion,resurrection,and newlife.The deadliest of sins, to which we areallheir, comesinmany colourful andingenious costumesand surprises,sometimes with brilliant plumage and studied conceit. Unlikelustandotherdeadly sins or dispositions,which are typicallymore obviousand less subtle, pride is sometimes disguised asvirtuous, high achieving, upstanding,an adornment tobrandish with fanfare like a great honour. Some degreesof false pride--such asself-sufficiency, independence,and resistance to acceptor inability toaskforneededhelp--cripple our growth.

Oneofa seriesofcommercials ontelevision featureda man ina gym,who cannotlift the weightsoff hischest. Whenofferedhelp,herefuses, stating, “you don’t know my family! Translation: We don’tgo totherapy. Wehave to pretend to be strong!”

The deadliest sin: pride!

None of us are wise, strong, or insightful enough to carry life’s burdensalone. Pride often rendersus afraidto be openenough todiscloseour deepest sins and failures, our dailystruggles, andchronic spiritual and psychological wounds andpain, whichoften worsen as we age. Our interior lives can becomelike undrainedseptic tanks, growing more toxic and filledwith stench,whichwe transmit to others.

Imagine a septictank never drained, or teeth never brushed,or awoundnever cauterized, boundand healed, or a body never washed. Our spiritual and inner lives can become as calcified, as sick,

and as dysfunctional. It s essentialto human growth andrecovery tohave genuine witnessesto our lives--whoknow thefullerrealityof whowe are--andwho may helpus to healand restore our better selves, loving us mercifully to new life. Especially as we age and grow closer todeath, we may still summonthe courageto bear more ofour souls and wounds with others. These may help to unburden habits of the heart andmind that remain unhealedand thatparalyzeand painus still,no matter our age or state of life. The moral lifeusually requiressecond, third,and fourthattempts, andmore. Pope John Paul I, Albino Luciani, wasa devotedreader of hisfellow Italian,CarlosCollodi’s 1883novel Pinocchio Acopyofthis taleoffalland redemption reportedly accompanied the late pontiff throughout his adult life. Justas theworld ofVictor Hugo’s Les Misérables is mostly grimy and severe, the worldof Collodi’s Pinocchio is more desperate than Disney’s version. The original story has dark undercurrents.” Pinocchioand his

woodcarver creator-father Geppetto, “live in abject povertyand arefrequently placed inlife-threatening situations.

Pinocchio--feverishly fabricating lies to cover his tracks and perfume hisnoxious behaviour--skipsschool,runsoff to Pleasure Island,and is turned into adonkey because ofhis sloth.As ahuman jackass, he indulges a carnival of deadlysins andbad habits, as do many of us.

Pinocchio is amoral tale,a storyof conversion,of aconscienceshakenandchallenged throughpersonal struggleand themercyof others.It’sa story ofa soulin moralflux, tending betweena desirefor goodness andthe seductions of self-indulgence and selfishness.

Thewooden puppetis slowly, painstakinglytransformed into fleshand blood, bornagainand again.Earlyin the tale,the BlueFairy turns Pinocchio from an inanimate puppet intoa living,yet still wooden,puppet.Sheindicates thatfor himbecoming a real, live boy” willrequire conversion.

Pinocchiotakes theformof wood,animal, andfinally,

human flesh and blood, representing his deepening conversiontonew habits,morefundamentaldesires, richerrelationships,andgreaterpersonal integrity.

self incapable ofreceiving or accepting forgiveness because of his betrayal.

Pride is often the deadliest ofthe classicseven,because we are bewilderingly unaware of its chameleon wiles.

darkest momentsin his,as well as in human history, Jesussupplanted fearwith hope. He brought salvation to a criminal strippedof everything. The lightand liberating powerof Christredeemed Dismas.

Easter reminds us that this same lightand loveis manifest and has power over the darkness in whichwe might dwell. The abilityto see, touch, andsense thislight oftenrequires conversionand openness tolight inthe midst of a blindness that enfeebles our spiritsand shuttersour hearts and eyes. We need othersto see ourselves. We can all be defensive andinsecure whenothers point outour mistakesor errors. However,we shouldbe grateful when thosewho love usseekto helpusgrowand see truer selves,helping us to eschewthe prideandarrogance that serve as blinders.

Weare allPinocchio,struggling tolive livesof deeper purpose. If we are fortunate, like him, we have companions on the journey whose forgiveness andlove makeus more fully human and whose mercy helpstomakepossibleourongoingconversion fromdeadly sins into life-giving habits. Pinocchiois blessedwith Geppetto,who sacrificesto protect his son;blessed with the compassionof theBlue Fairy;and blessedwiththe companionshipof thetalking cricket named Jiminy Cricket in Disney’s Pinocchio Pinocchio experiencesthe forgiveness thatflows from love. It sthe giftofkinlike Geppetto and kithlike Jiminy Cricket, reminding us that nothing canseparate usfrom their love andthe possibility of reconciliation.

Mercyis aninvitation,and doorway, to conversion.

Easter is the joy of mercy, commemorating God’s entrance intoand redemptionof thechaos ofhuman beingand existence. ThePassion of Christ is the summit revelationofDivineMercyinChristianity.

Jesus soothes the feet of apostlecompanions whomhe knowswill deny,betray,and abandon himduring his darkest nights ofa soul tempted to hopelessness, to despair, and to self-pity.

Peterdenieshim, yetisreconciledthroughthegiftofforgiveness. Judas supposes him-

IntheGospelofLuke,Jesus responds to the cry of forgiveness from one of the criminals crucified alongsidehim. Jesus, rememberme when youcome intoyour kingdom. In the midst of his personal suffering, Jesus responds, Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

The man next to Jesus at his crucifixion isDismas, given thisname inChristiantradition. He wasa condemned manat theedgeof hisexistence and tempted by despair.

Even during one of the

It’s difficult and,at times, impossible to see, to imagine, to wonder,in bothsenses, when surroundedby darkness. The darknessthat engulfs, depresses, andparalyzes the human souloften provokesa profoundblindnessthatmakes us incapable of seeing what is directly beforeour blinkered eyes, whethershuttered or partially opened.

The invitation of Easter is thatof profoundconversion,a giftinthe resurrectionofthe Christ whoselove andmercy remains the Light of the World. Blessed Easter.

Our company has been around gaming for over 30 years and pride ourselves on quality service and customer relationships. We are moving forward in the market and such are looking for qualified, dedicated, people friendly customer services representatives.

Jarol Investments Limited is seeking to fill the following position: Accounts Clerk (Freeport)

Key Responsibilities:

· Maintain accurate accounting records by organizing and filing financial documents.

· Count cash and reconcile daily totals with reports.

· Enter financial data into the general ledger system.

· Prepare and verify daily bank deposits.

· Support inventory tracking and control efforts.

· Compile and review financial and theoretical reports as needed.

· Prepare the daily cash collection report.

· Ensure confidentiality of financial information and company data.

· Participate in relevant training or professional development opportunities.

· Contribute to departmental goals and organizational mission through timely and accurate work.

· Perform additional duties as assigned by the CFO.

Education & Experience Requirements:

· Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field. Equivalent relevant work experience will be considered in lieu of formal education.

· Proficiency in QuickBooks and Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook) is essential.

· Must be a dependable and collaborative team player.

Interested persons should email their resume to careers@chancesgames.com.

Subject: Accounts Clerk – Your Name or visit our Head Office on #13 Ruthaven Plaza, Logwood Road (across from The $2 Dollar Store) between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

‘VAT has gone down, but it seem like the prices ain’t going down’

from page three

Another shopper, who declined to be named, also said some items appeared to have increased in price.

Even among those who supported the policy, there were concerns that external factors could limit its impact. One shopper said rising fuel costs and other global pressures could continue to push prices higher, reducing any benefit from the VAT cut.

The VAT elimination took effect on April 1 as part of the government’s

effort to reduce the cost of living.

Economic Affairs Minister Michael Halkitis has said the measure will remain in place as long as the Progressive Liberal Party is in office, adding that the government can absorb the estimated $15m revenue loss due to economic growth.

Concerns about implementation had surfaced before the rollout. Retailers warned that updating prices across tens of thousands of items would take time, even if checkout systems reflected VAT-free pricing immediately.