OBITUARIES THURSDAY
HIGH 82ºF LOW 73ºF
CARS! CARS!
The Tribune L AT E S T
Volume: 123 No. 99, Thursday, April 16, 2026
N E W S
CLASSIFIEDS TRADER
O N
T R I B U N E 2 4 2 . C O M
Biggest And Best!
THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: PRICE–$1
GAMING BOSS - NO ISSUE WITH LOTTERY Views clash with PM who dismissed FNM proposal as ‘gimmick’ By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net GAMING boss Sebas Bastian, the PLP’s Fort Charlotte candidate, said he does not oppose the Free National Movement’s proposal to introduce a national lottery – days after Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis firmly rejected it. Mr Bastian argued that a national lottery would
essentially be an “eighth number” house run by the government, describing it as a compilation of numbers games. He said he supports the Free National Movement’s plan to divert gaming proceeds into education, sports, culture, and other sectors, but insisted those areas should already be prioritised. “I am in 100 percent of support of the FNM’s plan FORT CHARLOTTE candidate for the PLP Sebas Bastian.
LOTTERY - SEE PAGE THREE
Veteran RBDF officer charged Parliamentary Registry worker with assaulting female trainees accused of issuing fake voter cards By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net A VETERAN defence force officer was released from duty yesterday after being charged with assaulting a group of female marine trainees while drunk and on duty at the
force’s Coral Harbour base last Wednesday. Chief Petty Officer Eric Rolle appeared before the RBDF’s court, charged with five counts of assault and one count of drunkenness. Rolle pleaded not guilty to the offences and is due to return to court at a later date.
RBDF Commodore Floyd Moxey described Rolle as a 21-year veteran of the force and a trainee instructor. He said Rolle would be interdicted but noted that he has the option to appeal the decision to the minister. ASSAULT - SEE PAGE TWO
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A PARLIAMENTARY Registration Department employee was accused yesterday of helping a Haitian woman obtain a voter’s ID and possessing five blank voter’s cards last week. Prosecutors allege that
Randy Powell Jr, 31, aided and abetted Tashania Valsaint, 33, in obtaining a fraudulent voter’s card in her name on February 11. The pair allegedly conspired to commit fraud against the PRD on April 9. At about 11.30am that day, Valsaint allegedly FAKE - SEE PAGE THREE
FILE photo of a voter’s card.
MUNROE REBUKES COI LEADER; WARNS AGAINST POLL INTERFERENCE By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe yesterday warned against interfering with voters exercising their right to cast their ballot at the polls, days after Coalition of Independents leader Lincoln Bain urged Bahamians who meet non-English NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe. speakers at polling stations to report
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
them to COI agents. Mr Bain said people who cannot speak the Queen’s English should not have a passport and urged Bahamians who encounter such people to notify the COI. He said the party would keep a proper record if it needs to go to an election court, where, he said, “the battle begins.” “When you get in that election INTERFERE - SEE PAGE THREE