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VOLUME:116 No.126, JUNE 26TH, 2019
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ALICIA WALLACE: TURN THE LIGHTS ON IN BPL THINKING
Rasta pipedream? Lawsuit seeks drug convictions wiped out and damages By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net A GROUP of Rastas is seeking to have all criminal convictions that relate to Rastafari possession, cultivation and supply of Indian hemp since 1963 wiped out. In a writ filed in the Supreme Court yesterday, lawyers for the Rastas also cite significant persecution for which they demand redress, from unconstitutional searches of persons and homes on suspicion of hemp possession to unconstitutional cutting of Rastas’ locks in prison. The plaintiffs, represented by Wayne Munroe, QC, and lawyers of his firm, want compensatory and vindicatory damages for breaches of their rights under Articles 15, 21, 22 and 26 of the constitution and are suing
By NATARIO MCKENZIE Tribune Business Reporter nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net
A MAJOR Bimini resort yesterday said it had lost a three-day block booking of all its rooms and marina as Bahamas Power & Light’s energy crisis extended beyond New Providence. Worried resorts and homeowners told Tribune Business that vacation rental guests were “cancelling left, right and centre” over the frequent outages. Beth Watson, of Bimini Big Game Club, told this newspaper via a third party
SEE PAGE THREE
BANK REPORT PINPOINTS FINANCIAL CRIME RISKS
SEE PAGE FIVE
that the resort has “just lost a yearly group that does a buyout of hotel rooms and [marina] slips for three nights, [and] also a tour operator that I hosted to show why she should look at Bimini”. That equates to 62 lost room nights. One Bimini homeowner said that the outages and blackouts were creating “havoc” because they “are coming out of left field” due to the absence of any schedule from BPL identifying which areas - and when would be subject to load shedding. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net
“A GENUINE accident” is how Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar described the tour bus crash in Eleuthera that occurred on Monday, leaving more than a dozen people injured – but with no fatalities. Speaking to reporters yesterday outside Cabinet, Mr D’Aguilar said the driver lost control of the vehicle, but authorities do not yet know what caused the accident. He added he does not expect this incident to “blemish” Eleuthera as a destination. Both Mr D’Aguilar and Health Minister Dr Duane Sands praised the
the Attorney General for the actions of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and officers of the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. They claim the practice of their livity - their “enlightened” lifestyle - has been hindered by decades of oppressive acts. Attorney General Carl Bethel has said the lawsuit has poor prospects of success. The writ says: “The hindrance relates to the persecution of Rastafari for the acts in practising their livity in the cultivation, possession and supply of Indian hemp which is one of the sacraments of Rastafari. “The plaintiffs claim that they have had their right to the protection of the privacy of their persons and homes breached by
BOOKINGS SCRAPPED IN BIMINI BLACKOUTS
ELEUTHERA BUS CRASH: ‘GOD WAS WITH US’
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
POTTER’S PLEA
SENATOR CLAY SWEETING, right, on a PLP tour of Potter’s Cay yesterday. Full story - Page 6 Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
TURIN TWO: WE’VE DONE ALL WE CAN By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
FOREIGN Affairs Minister Darren Henfield said yesterday the government has done everything “humanly possible” to determine what led to the deaths of Blair John and Alrae Ramsey in Turin, Italy earlier this month. He was responding to recent criticism made by Progressive Liberal Party chairman Fred Mitchell
ALRAE RAMSEY, left, and Blair John who said the Minnis administration should take a stronger stance when it comes to the investigation. The bodies of Ramsey,
29, and John, 28, are expected to arrive in the country sometime this week, Mr Henfield told reporters. They were found in the Po river in Turin on June 4 and 5 respectively. “As I reiterate, my focus has been with the families. I am a father of three. My sons are about the ages of the young men who were lost - two young men with tremendous promise for this country and of course
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
SEE PAGE THREE
THE Central Bank yesterday pronounced that domestic banking presents a “low risk” for financial crime, with the main vulnerabilities stemming from three industries - gaming, real estate and money transmission. The regulator, unveiling findings based on a study of 2018 deposit cash flows in the Bahamian commercial banking industry, said the real estate sector’s size - together with the cashbased nature of web shop gaming and money transmission services - made them the greatest domestic anti-money laundering/ counter terror financing (AML/CFT) risks. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
TECHNOLOGY
SPACEX AND ITS BIGGEST ROCKET YET
SEE PAGE NINE
PAGE 2, Wednesday, June 26, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
ONLINE PASSPORTS SET TO COME IN THIS YEAR By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
BY the end of this year, applications for electronic passports will be processed online, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield yesterday. This is in a bid to decentralise the operations of the cramped Thompson Boulevard Passport Office, which becomes chaotic particularly in the summer months
as people apply for these documents. Asked by The Tribune how his ministry planned to deal with issues at the office during peak season, Mr Henfield revealed that the system was being tested now for a roll out “soon”. The concept will feature passport application kiosks at post offices and/or libraries to cut back on the need for people to physically go to the Passport Office. He made the
announcement a week after the ministry released a new policy for e-passport renewals. It requires a completed application form, existing electronic passport, a standard passport photo and National Insurance Board smart card to ensure a more efficient process. “The Passport Office as we all know is not built fit for the purpose and so we’re looking at decentralising the operations of the Passport Office in areas of New Providence that are
highly populated where people can walk in, go on a computer and apply for their passports online to make the process a bit more amenable for Bahamians,” the minister said outside of Cabinet. “I visited the Passport Office myself on Friday, sat on a bench and spoke with some of our clients, some Bahamian citizens that were there. We are looking at tweaking the way we do (things), trying to do things better and make it more
amenable for Bahamians as they come to get their passport. “It’s a work in progress and I think we are making tremendous strides. When we get the online systems up and running, which we are testing now currently. . .you’d be able to make your applications online. I think that’s going to alleviate a lot of the burdens on the Passport Office itself and on Bahamians,” Mr Henfield continued.
He was apprehensive about giving a timeline, but gave an idea of a roll out when asked if it would be within the year. “Absolutely I think within the year. I can say that safely within the year Bahamians should be able to walk into a kiosk in a post office or somewhere centrally located in New Providence or library and apply for their passports online and be able to complete the process.”
URBAN RENEWAL COMMISSION TO HOLD FREE SUMMER CAMP By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net
Sherrylee says goodbye after 47 years MINISTER of Social Services and Urban Development, Frankie Campbell toasted retiring permanent secretary Sherrylee Smith, as a “mentor and friend” during a lunch held in her honour in the Public Hearing Room, Aventura Plaza after her 47-year career. Mr Campbell said: “There are some persons in the workforce who will only do as much as they are asked
to do; there are some others who will go above and beyond the call of duty but are strictly professional, and then you have the odd individuals who will not only be concerned about the professional side of the relationship, but about the individual, and that is what I have found in PS Smith. That is a quality that is not easily replaceable.”
THE Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development will hold a free one-month summer camp under the leadership of the Urban Renewal Commission. Urban Renewal Commission Acting Director Kellen Russell said the camp will run from July 1 to 26, 9am to 2pm for children ages five to 15. “While there are camps all over the city, here at Urban Commission we are doing our part by conducting camps at 11 locations here in the city, six between Grand Bahama and Bimini and eight of our Family Islands inclusive of Acklins, Crooked Island, Exuma, Long Island, Abaco, Eleuthera, Andros and Cat Island,” Mr Russell said yesterday. He said camp participants can expect free field trips, breakfast, lunch and educational sessions. He said: “(This camp will include) performing arts which include dance, the band section, at risk
sessions as well as anger management empowerment sessions. We are totally aware that there are some of our young people within the inner city who do not have the ability to travel. “And as a result of that we want to create an atmosphere where our young students from the urban areas are able to go back to school and brag on the summer experience, they would have had at Urban Renewal. And of course, we are looking for them to have an encounter that they will never forget.” He advised parents that their children would be safe in the programme and once enrolled, will enjoy the camp. The camp will be hosted at Urban Renewal Centres in Bain and Grants Town, Centreville, Englerston, Flamingo Gardens, Fort Charlotte, Fox Hill, Free Town, Nassau Village, Pinewood and St Barnabas. Parents are encouraged to register their children before July 1. Interested parents should ring 502-4450 for additional information.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, June 26, 2019, PAGE 3
DAMES SETS TARGET OF FEWER THAN 85 MURDERS IN 2019 By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames has his sights set on a murder count that is below 85 by the end of this year. The minister’s goal, outlined yesterday outside of Cabinet, is more ambitious than the one in the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit report that said the Minnis administration wants a murder reduction to 85 by 2021. “This is a measurement as in any and all countries you set
standards. I think it is that we would like to see the murder count at 85,” Mr Dames said. “I contend that while we have that as a measurement and this is what any developed country will do, set measurements and standards for their agencies which is a good thing, I applaud the prime minister who actually was the one with the vision to bring about and to introduce the delivery unit to The Bahamas. It was first started I believe in the UK some years ago which is absolutely important.” He continued: “Our objective is to get those numbers as low as we
can every year and I would like to see it below 85 by the end of this year. That is what I would like to see and that’s what the police would like to see.” Asked if this was a realistic goal, Mr Dames said “of course” it was as he was confident in the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s strategies, programmes and policies. “When we see double digit decreases in many areas as it relates to crime whether it’s crime against the property or crime against the person, people get in the comfort zone and feel that’s
something that is very easy to achieve. What you see taking place now in terms of the double digit decreases in many of these significant categories, it’s an amazing feat when you compare what’s happening to other countries. “If you get single digit decreases, many countries are celebrating so while we do have a tremendous amount of work ahead of us I’m encouraged by some of these decreases. “Will it fluctuate from time to time yes but the thing is we feel confident that we are in fact on the right track and we will continue to
work with our law enforcement agencies continue to work with the Bahamian community and other important stakeholders to ensure that collectively that we’re continuing to move our crime numbers in the right direction.” The country closed out 2018 with 91 reported murders. This was the first time since 2010, when 94 people were murdered, that fewer than 100 murders were recorded in a single year. Eighty seven people were murdered in 2009. So far this year, there have been 42 murders, according to this newspaper’s records.
God was with us
TURIN TWO: WE’VE DONE ALL WE CAN from page one
from page one “phenomenal response” from officials in Eleuthera, the United States, and New Providence in responding to the incident, which left 16 persons injured and six with serious injuries. Chief Superintendent Craig Stubbs told The Tribune yesterday the investigation is continuing. “There (is) no additional information,” CSP Stubbs said. “We will wait the reconstruction report of the crash to determine causation and any other factors in concluding the investigations.” CSP Stubbs declined to confirm when the report will be completed, saying, “Once we have all the information to conclude our investigations, we will inform the media.” According to reports, the accident occurred around 11am in Rock Sound. The Tribune understands the tour bus involved belongs to Eleuthera Adventure Tours Limited, which was giving guests from the Princess Cays cruise ship a tour of the southern part of the island when the incident occurred. “Naturally I was extremely concerned yesterday when we heard about the accident,” Mr D’Aguilar said. “God was definitely on our
side, in the sense that we had no causalities. And I am so delighted that the situation wasn’t worse than it was. “I think this was just a genuine accident,” he continued. “I think that a vehicle for whatever reason, the driver lost control of the vehicle, we don’t know why yet. And it was just an accident. That’s just what it is was. Accidents happen. And obviously we try to take as many steps to mitigate these accidents, but you know I don’t think that this will put a blemish or a black mark on the destination. “I just think it’s an accident that can happen anywhere at any time to anybody. And thankfully there were no fatalities and hopefully everybody is getting first class medical care to try and rectify any injuries that they incurred.” Photos of the accident circulating on social media show skid marks and broken branches strewn across the road, with the tour bus overturned in bushes, laying on top of broken trees and uprooted plants. The injured were taken to the Rock Sound Community Clinic by EMS personnel for treatment; however those who sustained more serious injuries were airlifted from the island for further care. Dr Sands spoke of the accident yesterday outside Cabinet. “We
have two patients that would have come into New Providence,” he said. “Four would have been airlifted into Ft Lauderdale. Of those patients that were admitted to hospital, one at (Princess Margaret Hospital), one at Doctors (Hospital), I’m advised that both patients are stable and we expect that the remaining American patients should be returned home today.” Dr Sands said a total of 32 people were on the bus. “We had just a phenomenal response from the team on the ground - EMS in Eleuthera, from doctors and nurses on the ground in Eleuthera, from all over the Southern and Central Eleuthera. Air ambulance, the US Coast Guard,” he said. “We also had phenomenal response from (PMH), Doctors Hospital, EMS on the ground here. “It demonstrated an absolute, fine example of what teamwork in the setting of the last casualty event. We don’t want to see this type of thing, but we do know that certainly our teams are capable of handling it.” Mr D’Aguilar expressed similar appreciation for those who assisted, adding the response time was “very impressive”. “It was a horrible situation, but I think we emerged relatively unscathed,” he added. When asked if his ministry will
push for improvements to health care facilities on Family Islands, Mr D’Aguilar replied: “You know it’s very, very difficult. Obviously you’re going to have these calamities that involve a lot of people. And the Family Islands…it’s always difficult for them to process and deal with that many all at once. So, you know I think we got the air assets in place very, very quickly and people were very expeditiously moved onto a destination where they could receive first-class healthcare.” Florida’s WSVN reported yesterday that of the four people airlifted to Florida, three sustained serious injuries. “(Broward Sheriff’s Fire Rescue) officials said three of the four patients suffered serious injuries that included limb fractures, internal injuries and possible paralysis,” according to the WSVN article. “The fourth patient suffered minor injuries.” Later, it was reported the patient with a “severe paralysis” is “actually now demonstrating signs of improvement”, according to Broward Health Medical Centre Dr Jose Lozada. “I’m pretty optimistic that everyone will do quite well,” he said. WSVN added as of Tuesday afternoon, the remaining patients at the hospital are said to be in fair condition and another victim was released from the hospital.
26-YEAR-OLD REMANDED OVER ROBBERY CHARGES By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
A 26-YEAR-OLD man was remanded to prison yesterday over allegations he robbed four people at gunpoint of over $1,000 worth of money and merchandise on the same day. McKenzie Pierre, of Boyd Road, stood before Magistrate Samuel McKinney charged with four counts of armed robbery stemming from incidents which allegedly occurred on June 15. It is alleged that on the date in question, he used a handgun to rob Myril Storr
of a black Grand Prime cell phone worth $275 and $350 cash; Chadwick Storr of $87; Delano Johnson of $105; and Craig Smith of a Samsung cell phone worth $275 and $525 cash. However, Pierre claimed at the time of the alleged incidents, he was at home and was wearing an ankle monitoring device. Nonetheless, he was not required to enter a plea to the charges and the matter was adjourned to August 19 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment. Bail was denied and he was remanded into custody in the interim. He has a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.
MCKENZIE Pierre outside court.
Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff
97 HAITIANS GUILTY OF ILLEGAL LANDING NEARLY 100 Haitian migrants appeared before Magistrate Kara Turnquest-Deveaux yesterday and were convicted of illegal landing. The 97 migrants were ordered early deportation. This group included 86 men and 11 women. They were turned over to immigration officials and are
scheduled to depart from Inagua for Port-au-Prince, Haiti today at 9am. This group of migrants were apprehended by officers of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force onboard ‘Enduring Friendship’ on June 20 near Castle Island, just south of Acklins. This group consisted of 86 men, 11
women and three minors. They were transported to Inagua by HMBS L L Smith and turned over to immigration officials. Officers from the Department of Immigration’s enforcement unit were immediately deployed to Inagua to assist in processing, protection and escort of these migrants.
for their families,” Mr Henfield said. “I have been engaged with the Italian government in Rome where I speak as needs arise with the deputy foreign minister. He is at the end of my phone. I can reach out and touch him at any time. My officials have been in Turin since this incident occurred. Right now my director general is in Turin and she will accompany the bodies home. “We have done all that is humanly possible to determine what happened to keep the families engaged and to return our sons to The Bahamas so that they can be properly buried. “There will always be criticisms. Of course people will determine that they can do things one way or the other, but ours is through diplomatic channels. “I think we have been doing our best to try and get to the bottom of the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate event.” This is in addition to regularly speaking with relatives to apprise them of the information made available by Italian authorities, Mr Henfield said, adding the government had not gotten an official word on the toxicology reports of both men. According to some Italian news outlets, results of the autopsies conducted earlier this month state drowning as the cause of death. John’s father Randolph John, 56, does not believe the men died by drowning, and added that if the men indeed drowned, it meant that they were “incapacitated” before being tossed in the river. Mr John said last week Tuesday: “If I was born three times again I wouldn’t accept that (the autopsy results). If it was in fact a drowning then it means that they were incapacitated prior to being thrown in the river. That’s what it would mean.” Shortly after the men’s bodies were found, John’s mother Cathleen Rahming told The Tribune he was a strong swimmer and fit. Ramsey, a foreign service officer on study leave in Vienna, was reportedly in Turin on a break. He and his friend, John, were staying at a bed and breakfast establishment at Via la Loggia 2 in Turin. John, a Saint Mary’s University graduate student, was there to attend a psychology conference. Italian officials have reportedly ruled the deaths accidental, according to Italian media.
PAGE 4, Wednesday, June 26, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
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A bold move - but what we need is a decision THE lawsuit filed by members of the Rastafarian community over Indian Hemp is a bold move – and one that comes at a delicate time in the debate over the legalisation of marijuana. We must say the basis of the lawsuit is rather clever – claiming that laws preventing the use, possession and supply of the drug is a restraint on their religious freedom. The comparison with churches giving communion wine to underage members of the congregation is particularly sharp, drawing a comparison that if it was a bar serving alcohol to a minor, the police would act. That said, we don’t hold high expectations of its success. After all, what’s to stop any group claiming that any activity deemed unlawful is a religious belief? How does one legislate at all if different groups can simply opt out? The Rastafarian community has a significant concern over Indian Hemp, but other groups have other issues. Some religions favour polygamy, for example. And even slavery has been justified in the past on religious grounds by some. Parts of the lawsuit we would heartily applaud, however – such as the cutting of Rastas’ locks in prison, for which there surely must be room for sensitivity by the authorities. It might also prove useful in testing the principles of when searches are allowed by officers. However, the law must be the law. It must be open to change through the proper channels, open for groups to
campaign for amendments – but it is there to be followed. If the drug is illegal – as it is now – then that law must be followed. If the law is indeed an infringement on religious rights, then by all means campaign for a change, seek to have it overturned, but until it is, it can be no surprise if one is penalised for breaking it. Ultimately, the biggest effect of the lawsuit might be on the ongoing considerations over what to do about the legalisation or decriminalisation of marijuana. Those discussions have already gone on far too long – and this lawsuit might be of as much use in swaying a debate that seems to have stalled. It is true that too many young people in particular find themselves running foul of the law over the possession of a small amount of the drug. Criminal sentences and blotted records can irreparably damage their futures before they have even started – and we would hope that in the event of a change in the legal status of the drug, we might see prisoners released and some hope of a future restored. One thing is for certain – this lawsuit is a sign of a part of our community that has lost patience with all the delays in addressing the legality or otherwise of marijuana. Let’s stop kicking that particular can down the road and make a decision.
Web shops should treat staff fairly “That does hurt my heart.” Five words from Labour Director John Pinder that cut to the centre of concerns about employees being treated properly. He was referring to workers at web shops – who get to see their employers making a big show of being generous and helping the community only to end up going home with small pay packets and unfair treatment. Too many of these disputes seem to leave the worker waiting forever for a resolution too – Mr Pinder notes that the lack of a penalty on employers for not showing up to tribunals means they don’t respond to a summons. So on top of the initial unfair treatment, a worker
is left wondering when it will all get resolved. “I’m often baffled at the fact that these web shop owners are throwing millions of dollars on a party through the Christmas and hate to pay their staff a decent salary and treat them fairly,” he said. It’s an indictment indeed – and the fact Mr Pinder can point so squarely at the web shops speaks ill of the industry at large. So here’s a challenge to the industry – and especially for those with the showiest Christmas parties and community giveaways. Stand up for your staff. In the end, they are your biggest asset – if you treat them right.
No sympathy for Fusion EDITOR, The Tribune THE Fusion Super-plex complex complains about BPL and its power outages impact on their business. It’s a 42 million dollars investment with no obvious thought about reliable power in the absence of BPL’s power cuts. I cannot sympathise with their plight, as I find it totally foolish and imprudent to construct a 42 million dollars entertainment complex without reliable backup power. The IMAX centred entertainment destination should be among the last places on New Providence Island to be victims of BPL load shedding – in my opinion. I thought that a concept of the FUSION AFTER Bahamas Power and Light chairman Donovan Moxey apologised for the “unacceptable” widespread load shedding over the weekend, there was a lively response from readers on tribune242.com. Joeblow posted this comment: “Most people know when summer is coming and that summers in the Bahamas are very hot, but they could not plan a window within which the delivery of the generators could be made without inconveniencing customers? So to summarise, he is saying that they are incompetent, but they are sorry about being predictably incompetent!!” Craig said: “Lets face it, these people are incompetent, from the Chairman
enterprise was to capitalise on power outages on New Providence Island, and offer a port in the storm to residents who are in search of an environment where they could forget about lights off, the agonising heat and humidity. Instead they are simply another complaining consumer of BPL. What a shame! What will FUSION do if a major hurricane hits the island and power is off for weeks? Complain like everyone else or prepare to take advantage of the opportunity? Get it right FUSION! DENNIS DAMES Nassau June 25, 2019
and CEO all the way down. The only thing they are good at generating is excuses – it certainly isn’t electrical power. Now they are blaming the weather, please. And whats even more hilarious are the new words and phrases they have introduced to their press release lexicon: ‘anomaly’ and ‘generating assets’. Adding fancy words and phrases to press releases doesn’t change the fact that the entire management team at BPL are simply out of their depth.” There was this from
Johnmcntsh: “I will never understand why the Government is so against solar energy. It takes five months to get a permit and in the US 5 days? I just do not get it.” Tribune Business reported that the $42m Fusion Superplex complex was forced cancel all of its shows on Monday night due to a power crisis. That prompted this comment from Alfalfa: “Our PM and the Minister responsible for BPL have gone mute on this matter. Wait and see how many will be making noise in the press if the new generators are ever installed and rectify the problem. The din will be deafening. They all have generators anyway so maybe they don’t know about the power outages. ”
It’s time to regulate all of our JPs EDITOR, The Tribune RE: It’s time to regulate all Justices of the Peace, in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas I have returned by popular demand…I have been asked to write this particular piece by someone being burdened by the caption and so here is what she had to say: 1. It is time to have a system to recall and regulate all JPs – Justice of The Peace – for breaches of established code of conduct and regulations…and have them assigned certain districts, areas and/or constituencies to work from. 2. Justices of the Peace should only be allowed to perform marriage ceremonies for people known to them…and not based on spur-of-the-momentrequests 3. Those people with language barriers, ought to require more vetting, because these marriages of convenience are actually circumventing the system… shows signs of a weakened system…we pay later. 4. This sector must be regulated and gazetted in newspapers and be identified. 5. Immigration must have a role to play in accepting these documents from J.Ps and the Passport office. 6. Laws need to be tightened in this regard; J.Ps must only be of Bahamian heritage. 7. Foreigners must not be allowed (as is now) to participate in the justice of the peace designation and are able to marry other foreign individuals (what kind of slackness are we allowing to go on in this country?) 8. We are in a battle to save the very core of this country and what makes us Bahamians and a sovereign country. 9. Matters involving the internal affairs of our country are not matters up for discussions. 10. Justices of the peace when presenting documents
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net must fill in a particular mandatory form about certain questions whether the content of what was being presented meets the required standard and are not fraudulent in nature… and should it be proven that a crime occurred, then the matter ought to be handed over to the police for further investigations. 11. When these people are presenting the documentations we must demand that Haitian passports and/or birth certificates be presented also… one ought to cancel out the next…and not have both at the same time. 12. These immigration matters involving Haitians and Jamaicans or other nationalities have taken its toll on the system and have noticeably dominated the daily schedules…every day the local newspapers have been carrying stories of an immigration nature and this is taxing on the Courts, law enforcement and civil society. 13. This movement of illegal immigration to our shores are a problem and continues to be a load on our economy. 14. Do not tell me that the immigrants are /were here seeking a better way of life (that’s garbage), but they have not sought to come in via the legal and right way…and while here they try to demand right that they left in the country from whence they came…this better way of life, means that they were prepared to fight the nowcountry-judicially in order to gain a foothold here, but that cannot happen. The question of Deed poll and immigrants applying in the daily newspapers must post a photograph of themselves…the same as those applying for Citizenship
In the Deed poll, Haitians should not be allowed to assume Bahamian names when they are French Creole ought not to be ashamed of their nationality…or is it something else? Because-converting to regular Bahamian names will confused the system and we must know who is who residing among us. Only when the general public brings these things/ points of view/actual facts occurring in the country to the government’s attention are they able to have the queries addressed politically and the much needed change done. Recently there was a fire in Bimini and from what I saw on the newscast, there was only one fire truck seen in that frame…I think that every island must have at least two fire trucks… I do not believe that the authorities are aware of just how destructive fires can become…I will try to point them partially in that direction…if a fire were in progress, say in a closely knit community...numerous wooden houses/or other structures and the wind began a gust of about 15 to 20 miles per hour…and only one fire truck on the scene, now tell me what do you suppose would happen to that community and possibly the lives of those people, especially if it were to occur during the wee hours? Government must seek to protect its citizenry from electrical and technology apparatus as part of our daily lives. I would like to see every Budget year the Government of the Bahamas include in its Budget or Grants, from private partnerships, to help address some of these shortfalls in equipment, especially during the hurricane season can cause electrical fire damage and will need special-fire trucks for these types of fires. ANONYMOUS Nassau June 1, 2019
THE TRIBUNE from page one the members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force by searching for the sacrament which Rastafari can lawfully cultivate, possess and supply pursuant to the right guaranteed by Articles 15 and 21 of the Constitution. “The plaintiffs further claim that their rights guaranteed by Articles 15 and 26 to practice their religion and to be free from discriminatory treatment have been breached by members of the Bahamas Department of Corrections and its predecessor Her Majesty’s Prison in the cutting of Rastafari locks while Rastafari was serving a sentence for cultivating, possessing or supplying his sacrament. “The plaintiffs claim that all executive acts taken pursuant to the Dangerous Drugs Act or prison rules that hinder Rastafari in practicing his livity or positively infringed on it by the cutting of Rastafari locks breached the rights guaranteed and protected by Articles 15, 21, 22 and 26 of the constitution.” Rastas want a declaration that from 1963 to now they have always
Wednesday, June 26, 2019, PAGE 5
Rastafari lawsuit seeks drug convictions wiped out and damages claim had the right to practice their religion, including by consuming, cultivating, possessing and supplying their sacrament, Indian hemp. They want a declaration that section three of the Dangerous Drugs Act is unconstitutional because it does not accommodate their constitutional rights. Section three of that Act outlaws the cultivation of certain drugs unless the minister grants special authority to qualified people for medical or scientific purposes. The Rastas are seeking: a declaration that any executive action that hindered their enjoyment of their right to
WAYNE MUNROE, QC practice their religion is a breach of Articles 15 and 22 of the constitution; a declaration that the arrest, search of the person and home of Rastafari on the suspicion of Rastafari cultivation, possession or supply of his sacrament violates
their right to practice their religion and the right to privacy; a declaration that cutting of Rastafari locks while in prison violates their religion and is discriminatory. Articles 15 and 21 of the constitution concern fundamental rights and freedoms, including protection for the privacy of one’s home and property from deprivation. Article 22 of the Constitution protects one’s freedom of religion. Article 26 establishes the protection from discrimination. The articles all stipulate conditions on these rights. The lawsuit cites persecution going back to 1963 because the protections in the 1973
Constitution were initially guaranteed in the The Bahama Islands (Constitution) Order in Council 1963. The plaintiffs in the suit are priests Rithman McKinney, Elthelbert Harrison, Michael Minnis, Tafair Thompson, prophet Able Sealy, David Thompson, Damon Brown, Derick Taylor, Baltie Landor, Shamarcus Adderley and the Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress. The congress is a not for profit company representing the House of Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress in Rastafari. Mr Munroe told The Tribune yesterday the lawsuit will be a representative action
he hopes will encompass the claims of people beyond the plaintiffs. The lawsuit comes amid heightened debate about marijuana. The Minnis administration has appointed a commission to codify the views of Bahamians on the drug and make recommendations to the government on positions related to the legal, social, medicinal and religious issues relating to marijuana. Editorial View - Page 4 Illinois becomes 11th US state to allow recreational marijuana - Page 10
Three men charged over store break-in By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
THREE Grand Bahama men were charged in the Freeport Magistrate’s Court yesterday in connection with a break-in at the Solomon’s Wholesale store, where over $50,000 was stolen from a bank ATM machine. Appearing before Deputy Chief Magistrate Debbye Ferguson were Jermaine Moss, 35, of Deadman’s Reef, Grand Bahama; Renard Fulford, 33; and Kenny Patstille, 26, both of Eight Mile Rock, Grand Bahama. Moss, a father of four, pleaded guilty to all five charges against him in connection with the break-in, including shop breaking, stealing, causing damage, and two counts of possession of proceeds of criminal conduct. He was sentenced to five years and four months in prison. On Friday, June 14, at Freeport, an employee of Solomon’s at Queen’s Highway arrived to work and discovered damage to the store in the amount of $27,160. It was also discovered that someone had removed the First Caribbean International Bank ATM valued at $40,000, and had stolen $51,210 of mixed Bahamian currency from it. During the arraignment, Moss and Fulford were not represented by counsel. Patstille was represented by Simone Brown. It is alleged that Moss and others broke into Solomon’s with intent to steal. It is also alleged that he and others stole $51,210 cash, of which $36,116 still remains unaccounted for and that he alone caused material damage to the ATM. Moss was also charged with two counts of possession of proceeds of criminal conduct. It is alleged that between June 14 through 16, Moss possessed a black 2005 Chevy Cobalt, valued at $2,600, and a silver Chevy Cobalt, valued at $2,200, the proceeds of criminal conduct. He pleaded guilty to all the charges. Fulford was charged with two counts of possession of
proceeds of criminal conduct. It is alleged that on June 17, he had cash in the amount of $1,050, the proceeds of criminal conduct. It is also alleged that sometime between June 14 and June 17, he possessed goods valued at $294.57, the proceeds of criminal conduct. Fulford pleaded not guilty to both charges and elected summary trial. The matters were adjourned to October 10. He was granted $5,000 bail with two sureties. Patstille was charged with one count of possession of proceeds of criminal conduct. It is alleged that between June 14 and June 17, he had $10,000 in cash, which represented the proceeds of criminal conduct. He pleaded not guilty to the charge. Prosecutor Veron Rolle said that based on the record of interview given by Patstille, the accused stated that he received the funds from Moss. Mr Rolle asked that the $10,000 be forfeited to the Crown, and made an application requesting for the charge to be withdrawn against Patstille. Magistrate Ferguson informed Simone Brown that the charge against her client, Patstille, was dismissed. She indicated that the $10,000, the property of First Caribbean International Bank, is to be forfeited to the Crown, and it would be determined at some other date as to where the money will end up. In a separate matter, Moss was also charged with two counts of causing material damage. It is alleged that between June 13 and 14, the accused caused material damage to a white Ford F-150 truck in the amount of $1,366.10, and also to a white Dodge truck in the amount of $1,057.93, the property of Garvey’s Tool and Equipment. He pleaded guilty to the charges. Additionally, Moss was charged with stealing. It is alleged that between June 13 and 14, he stole a white 2000 GMC Sierra 1500 truck, valued at $6,000, the property of B&B Trucking. He pleaded guilty to the offence and elected summary trial.
In reference to a traffic matter, Moss was also charged with driving a motor vehicle with an obscured licence disc. It is alleged that incident occurred on February 3, 2018. He pleaded guilty. When asked to address the court on sentencing in reference to Moss, the prosecutor indicated that due to the number of charges and damage caused to various properties, he recommended seven years imprisonment for all the matters. Ms Brown presented a mitigating plea on behalf of Moss. She noted that while they are dealing with a number of matters, the court must still take into consideration the “brave step” taken by Moss in pleading guilty. “He has spared the court the time and resources by not dragging out the matter in the court,” she argued. She noted that in view of him pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity, Moss should receive some discount on every single charge. She also added that he has no previous convictions of a similar nature. Moss begged the judge to have mercy on him in passing sentence. “I have four little children, including a seven months old and a one-yearold; I want to be a part of their life when they growing up. I ask you to have mercy on me,” he said. Deputy Chief Magistrate Ferguson told Moss that she took into consideration the fact that he did not waste the court’s time by pleading guilty, and that he is the father of very young children. “I saw your criminal record, but paid no attention to it,” she said. “Based on my sentence, I looked at how egregious the offence is, and I marry that to what I think is equitable for you,” she said. She convicted him on the shop breaking charge and sentenced him to one year imprisonment. On the stealing charge, she noted that he stole $51,210, and said if he returned the balance of $36,116, which is compensation to the virtual complainant, instead of six
MAIN picture: Jermaine Moss; below left, Kenny Patstille; below right: Renard Fulford Photos: Vandyke Hepburn
consecutive months, he will only serve four months in prison. She said the balance must be paid by June 27. If it is not paid, the judge said he will serve six months on that count. On the causing damage count regarding the ATM
machine, the judge ordered Moss to compensate the FCIB the $40,000 by June 27 or service six consecutive months. If he pays he will only serve four months on that count. On the charges of causing damage to two motor
vehicles, the judge ordered Moss to pay compensation of $13,066.10 and serve five months, or in default serve six months. On causing damage in the amount of $1,057.93, Magistrate Ferguson ordered Moss to pay compensation by June 28 and five months, or in default serve six months. In reference to the vehicle theft from B&B Trucking, Moss was ordered to pay compensation for any damage and serve six months. His sentences are to run consecutively.
PAGE 6, Wednesday, June 26, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
DAVIS: STATE OF ELECTRICITY UNDER FNM IS DEPLORABLE By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
THE state of the country’s electricity product under the Free National Movement and Bahamas Power & Light is “deplorable”, Progressive Liberal Party leader Philip “Brave” Davis said yesterday. Addressing the utility provider’s recent generation shortfalls, the former minister of works, who was responsible for BPL, said he has heard the promises put forth by both the government and the company, but does not see a scenario where those claims are delivered. Mr Davis stressed that under the Minnis administration, electricity costs have risen to
oppressive levels, albeit while reliability has become an issue. However, load shedding and blackouts have been a long standing concern. They occurred frequently during the last Christie administration, of which Mr Davis was a part. “Again, this is the government that came into place, met a plan in place, a plan that was working,” he said. “I call on Bahamians just to pull out their light bill for May 2012, go back to the first three months of 2017, look at what their bill was then. “I invite them to go and look at their bills as of prior to May 2017, I’ll let them start from January, February, March 2017 and see what their bill was like then. We were trending in the right direction. The cost of electricity was
under $0.30 per kilowatt hour. It is now back up to over $0.40 per kilowatt hour. “They trampled the plans that we had, abandoned it, not trying to understand what it was all about first. They could have seen it was trending in the right direction,” Mr Davis contended. “So if it is working, let it continue to work. If it is not broken, don’t fix it. And that is what they’ve done. They’ve tried to fix something that was not broken and they find themselves where they are today with unreliable service and electricity cost jumping out of the roof.” BPL has been load shedding in New Providence since June 19. The power cuts were severe and prolonged on the weekend. BPL blamed the shortfall on the
failure of two generators, which the company said they would look to address in the coming weeks with the installation of several rental units. BPL public relations director Quincy Parker has said the rental units will cost the utility $1.37m per month and the additional 25 megawatts carry a price tag of $475,000 per month. Despite this, however, BPL has maintained that the threat of load shedding will continue all week and into the fall season when BPL’s new power plant is installed. In the interim, BPL has urged consumers to submit claims in instances where they believe frequent disruptions might have damaged appliances. Additionally, BPL has also pushed back against calls for a
load shedding schedule, citing advice from the Royal Bahamas Police Force which suggests the release of a schedule could result in high levels of crime in affected areas. Responding to both positions yesterday, Mr Davis said: “Well, I think compensation for the consumers should be considered because people are not just being inconvenienced by the blackout, but they are losing their appliances because of the surge in electricity. And so, they need to be mindful of that and be responsive to these claims.” On the need for a load shedding schedule, he added: “I don’t think that is a legitimate concern. If they give out the schedule and are concerned about criminal activity, then put police in those areas.”
Waive rent for Potter’s Cay vendors, urges PLP PLP leader Philip Davis toured Potter’s Cay Dock yesterday. Above is Dwain ‘Tall Boy’ Bastian, Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net THE government should consider waiving the rent of Potter’s Cay Dock vendors to offset falling profits vendors say they are experiencing due to new traffic and parking policy changes at the site, according to PLP leader Philip “Brave” Davis. He made the recommendation yesterday after touring the area, where he walked side by side with representatives from the Bahamas Dock Allied Venue Vendors Association (BDAVVA) and
the Potter’s Cay Dock Fish, Food and Vegetable Vendors Association (PCFFVVA). The associations have raised issue with a recent policing strategy which saw barricades placed under the Paradise Island bridge to prevent customers from parking in front of stalls. The policy was introduced following the murders of two men at the site last month. The men were gunned down as they sat at a stall. Officers are now mandating all patrons park in the open areas at the entrance and exit of Potter’s Cay Dock and walk to the stalls they wish to patronise.
Mr Davis, flanked by members of the PLP including party chairman, Senator Fred Mitchell, condemned the government’s current position on Potter’s Cay Dock. Lamenting the recent murders, Mr Davis said while the deaths represented a major tragedy, the occurrence should not doom businesses operating at the historic venue. He called on the government to amend the policy and immediately move to finalise the Potter’s Cay Dock plans left behind by his party. “(Those were) not the first murders that happened
here and business continued and vendors were able to survive,” he told reporters. “The question is, as you would note, under our watch we decided that Potter’s Cay and the vendors area were required to be upgraded. We tried to assist them to ensure that they could add value to their products and add value to their business here. “We would have redeveloped (this area)… the parking space that you would have seen on the east-end of Potter’s Cay here, and the west-end of Potter’s Cay… that’s because people came here (and) they wanted to have easy access to the vendors and stores. “Where there was an overflow, the east-end was there for the vendors of Potters Cay, it was not for the sushi restaurants and their customers over there. That was designed for vendors here, because we were concerned about upgrading their facilities, ensuring that we added value to what they were doing here. “We have to pay attention to this because this was a part of the culture attraction for Bahamians to which we would expect tourists to want to be a part of and share. And so we need to pay attention to what is going on. It is not about whether this is PLP or FNM, this is about Bahamians vendors who are crying for attention and assistance. “They have, as was as seen and I have witnessed, a number of stalls closed. The government insists on collecting their rents, but again, how would they be able to collect rents when nothing is coming in to them? But I hope that the visit that we are making would highlight the plight of the vendors and get some affirmative action from the government to see how the can curb what is going on.” He said the PLP welcomes police presence in the area. “So the presence of the police is a welcome addition to the security measures that should be in place. However, we should balance that by ensuring
that it is not enforced in such a way, or that the presence is not such that they are taking a way and not ensuring that business are not maximising their profits. And so I think the need to revisit the issue of parking on the dock,” Mr Davis contended. “I think the government should consider, having regard to what has been happening, waiving rents for the time being until businesses recover. That’s not a tall order to be asking of them,” he said. As for the vendors, Dwain “Tall Boy” Bastian, BDAVVA president, told reporters the arrangement has forced many vendors to drastically alter how they operate their stalls, in some cases sending employees home or cutting back on the days they open up for business. He said vendors have long agitated for more police presence, but never expected the answer to impact their businesses so adversely. “(This is why) we brought in this team today to help and assist us because the government isn’t actually hearing us,” he told reporters. “We met with the minister, no one is coming to our aid here on Potter’s Cay Dock. Most of the stalls now are closed. You have a lot of people, they have had to get rid of employees… it is just sad to see how Potter’s Cay Dock is right now.” He continued: “You have some vendors sell seven beers in the space of two days… a man like me, top conch salad maker in the Bahamas, I drop from 150 to 200, 300 conchs a day to 25 conch; so I know it is pretty bad. “You have the eastern side of Potter’s Cay Dock, you have sushi restaurant, you have Double Dragon, you have other areas, offices inside the area they take up more than 85 percent of the parking lot. We are facing a major challenge now, so we were asking for the government to come and assist us because people here right now on Potter’s Cay dock will have to go to Social Services, probably, in
another week because there is no money making.” Meanwhile, PCFFVVA president Ominique Bowe added: “I understand that Arawak Cay sales have been up from my wholesale guys who bring in conch, Arawak Cay has been ordering conch every other day. Today, there is no conch on Potter’s Cay because all the boats are out but we are not making the salad, Arawak Cay is now picking up in sales, so it is a problem with the parking.” Both presidents said they’ve heard of plans to have Potter’s Cay Dock privatised in the coming years — with the government considering several options to “transform” the area. When asked about the plans discussed with him, Mr Bastian said: “They already called some names of persons who wanted to invest into Potter’s Cay, and I can guarantee you that we are going to need the whole Bahamas to stand with us on this one.” He added: “This is headquarters and I don’t think it is fair to have foreigners or other people take over our country. We have to stand together on this one for Potter’s Cay Dock. We are not going to let this go easy. Trust me on that.” On the same issue, Ms Bowe suggested that plans are in the works to frustrate vendors to the degree that they would opt to leave. Referring to the proposed development of Arawak Cay, she said: “It’s a slap in the face for the big plans for Arawak Cay and nothing for Potter’s Cay. What is for Potter’s Cay? Just give us what was left for us, that is all we want, or come clean and let us know what is going on. Let us know what the plan is, let us know if you are trying to frustrate us so that we can give up and move out and you can do what you want to do. “Or let us know if something is in the making for us. No, nothing is in the making for us because this is two budgets for us now that we were not included. We would like to know what is the plans for Potter’s Cay. We need to know,” she said.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, June 26, 2019, PAGE 7
1,600 HAVE FOUND WORK THROUGH JOB FAIRS By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
ABOUT 1,600 job seekers have obtained employment through the government’s Labour on the Blocks job fairs, Labour Minister Dion Foulkes said yesterday. The unemployment rate has remained persistently high over the last decade, with a rate of 10.7 percent according to the last labour force survey. Labour on the Blocks uses community parks to register job seekers in the Department of Labour’s database. During his budget speech in the Senate, Mr Foulkes said the programme will By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net MORE than 1,000 trade disputes were filed with the Department of Labour in 2018, Labour Minister Dion Foulkes revealed yesterday during his budget contribution in the Senate. In total, 1,207 disputes were filed. Labour Director John Pinder later told The Tribune the vast majority of these disputes were resolved in favour of employees because employers often misinterpret the Employment Act. Mr Pinder highlighted the gaming industry as one of the problem areas from which a number of cases emerge. He told The Tribune: “Quite a number of the disputes come from number houses. I’m often baffled at the fact that these web shop owners are throwing millions of dollars on a party through the Christmas and hate to pay their staff a decent salary and treat them fairly. That does hurt my heart.” Of the disputes filed in 2018, 924 were from New Providence and 283 were from Family Islands. 567 of the disputes have been resolved, 55 were withdrawn, 469 are pending and 116 were referred to the Industrial Tribunal. In the first quarter of 2019, there were 330 trade disputes filed, 245 in New Providence and 85 in Family Islands. 134 have been resolved, 131 are pending, 23 have been withdrawn
be expanded and merged with the Over-the-Hill economic programme and the National Training Agency to address job vacancies in the maritime sector. Mr Foulkes said the National Training Agency has trained 1,640 people over the last two years, achieving an overall job placement rate of 55 percent. The programme completed a contract to provide training for 260 at-risk youths in soft skills, numeracy and literacy and technical skills with concentrations in the hospitality and retail sectors, he added. “The structure of the programme,” he said, “was guided by the results
of the Department of Statistics’ Wages and Productivity Survey (2012) and was intended to provide demand-driven training to increase the employability and employment levels of 260 at-risk youth between the ages of 16 to 29 through training in soft skills, technical skills, numeracy and literacy skills, and on-the-job training/internships. “To ensure that this objective was met, competency-based education and training (CBET) largely informs the NTA’s training delivery system, serving as an effective means to bridge education and training to the actual requirements of the workplace.
one of the training successfully completed the four weeks of soft skills training, obtaining certificates from the NTA’s Mandatory Workforce Preparatory Programme, indicating their successful matriculation through the programme. He said there was a similar success rate for the technical skills training: 91 percent (254 out of 278). Mr Foulkes also said: “Trainees received internationally recognised certifications in demand areas of the hospitality and retail sectors, including: food and beverage, butler services, housekeeping, customer
services, retail services, guest services, and food preparation. The true test of any youth training programme lies not only in improving the employability of trainees but also in its ability to aid them in getting employment. By that measure, the training has been a resounding success with a 46 percent (117 out of 254) employment rate for trainees who successfully completed the 12 weeks of training (as of February 2019). This compares favorably to the NTA’s average employment rates for lower risk populations and indicates, more so than any other measure, the success of the training.”
‘Web shops will have a Christmas party but hate to pay their staff a decent salary’ and 42 have been referred to the tribunal. Mr Pinder said 80 percent of disputes relate to accusations of wrongful dismissal or issues concerning severance or vacation pay. A huge 85 percent are resolved in favour of the employee, he said. “Severance pay, wrongful dismissal, people who don’t want pay their employees their vacation pay, that’s what most of the disputes are,” he said, adding that 90 percent of the disputes come from the private sector and almost all come from employees. “Most of the times the employer misinterprets the Employment Act. They believe persons have to give certain amount of years of
service or that if you terminate them you don’t have to pay them. In truth, it depends on the circumstances of the termination that determines the severance pay. Mr Pinder said the reason some disputes are pending is that employers often don’t respond to summonses. “They recognise that in the conciliation process, the director of labour doesn’t have the power to fine them for not showing up,” he said. “The (law) says I have to ask the tribunal to put a $5,000 fine on them for not showing up. Sometimes that process takes a while. We are trying now to cause the Department of Labour and the director of labour to have more teeth where he himself could fine
I’M A LONG-SHOT FROM SHAMING MYSELF IN THE FNM, SAYS MCALPINE By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net
PINERIDGE MP Frederick McAlpine yesterday accused Senate Vice President Dr Mildred HallWatson of using his name for a clout, saying it’s “sad” she had to criticise him “in order to receive some kind of traction” as many people “didn’t even remember” she is a senator. Mr McAlpine said the critiques Dr Hall-Watson levied against him in the Senate on Monday were unfounded while also underscoring that he is not against the Free National Movement. In fact, Mr McAlpine said, he is still holding to the tenets of the FNM, noting many of his controversial remarks about the current administration “are the very same things they were saying in opposition”. During her contribution in the Senate, Dr Hall-Watson criticised Mr McAlpine for attempting “to demean, disrespect and embarrass” the FNM. She said Mr McAlpine’s attempts have backfired and he has “shamed himself”. Regarding these comments, Mr McAlpine told The Tribune: “I would simply say I’m a long-shot from shaming myself in the FNM. There are many people who have embarrassed the FNM. And I don’t think I’m certainly one of them. In addition to that, many people didn’t even remember that Dr Hall was in the Senate. And it’s sad that she had to speak about me in order to receive some kind of traction.”
“The NTA made a number of adjustments to ensure that the needs of at-risk youths were met. These adjustments include changes to the recruitment process, a revamped curriculum, re-training of the entire team, re-development of curricula, lesson plans and learning materials, the implementation of new assessments and evaluations, and the use of training monitors and life coaches to ensure that the at-risk youths remained fully engaged throughout the 12 weeks of training.” He said the majority —278 out of 293 —of trainees who were registered and present on day
MP FREDERICK MCALPINE When asked if her criticism was unfounded, Mr McAlpine replied: “I think they were. But what needs to be the question is: after all these attacks on me by various ministers and senators, the question now remains: what (if what) Mr McAlpine is saying true? And if what he is saying is untrue, then they ought to be able to refute it. I’ve said many things that were factual in my contribution. I have yet to hear them refuted. “As opposed to attacking a colleague or as opposed to attacking me on the issue of the budget, perhaps they can use that time to be more productive in the place where they sit,” he added. Earlier this month, Mr McAlpine criticised the FNM during his contribution to the budget debate. At the time, he claimed he has been victimised by his party and excluded from all FNM meetings in Grand Bahama. Mr McAlpine claimed since voting against the increase in value added tax last year, the FNM has excluded him. Regarding accusations that he is “anti-FNM”, Mr
McAlpine insisted: “I’m not anti-FNM, I’m simply trying to get the government to go back to their original agenda. And they seem to have strayed away, not me. They’ve made promises that they have not kept. I’m still holding…to the tenet of the (FNM). “As a matter of fact, if you shut your eye, and play back the tapes of the prime minister – it’s just me repeating what he said in another voice. How we’ve changed since we’ve come into governance. Because the very things I am saying about the present government, which I’m a part of, are the very same things they were saying in opposition. It just seems like the more things change, the more they remain the same in this country when it comes to government.” Mr McAlpine has previously said he was not invited to the Grand Bahama parliamentary caucus meetings. He told The Tribune yesterday that “nothing has really changed” since his presentation in Parliament. He added one of his Grand Bahama parliamentary caucus colleagues has reached out to him. Expressing his appreciation for the gesture, he added the conversation was “quite intriguing and fruitful”. When asked if he has had any communication with Prime Minster Dr Hubert Minnis since his speech, Mr McAlpine said: “None whatsoever. I’m very amicable when I see him and respectful when I see him. But, there’s no communication between the prime minister and myself.”
the employer for not showing up to the conciliation process.” Mr Pinder explained that matters are referred to the Industrial Tribunal when conciliators cannot resolve disputes between employers and employees. “Most of the time the employer is refusing to take our recommendation,” he said. “The conciliators can only make a recommendation. We show them what the Employment Act says as it relates to severance pay, vacation pay and that sort of thing but we don’t have any teeth, we can’t enforce it. Even the tribunal can’t enforce it. One of the things we are working on now is for the tribunal
DION FOULKES to transferred to the civil side of the Supreme Court so that when the tribunal makes a ruling you don’t have to go back to the
Supreme Court to enforce that ruling.” Mr Pinder said there are 12 conciliators in New Providence, three in Grand Bahama and one in Eleuthera, Exuma and Andros each. People who have disputes on other islands have to come to New Providence to deal with them. As for the trade disputes, Mr Foulkes said: “A person who feels they have been negatively impacted by a decision by an employer has the right to file a trade dispute to get their matter resolved. If it is handled properly, either positively or negatively, it (affects) the person and that person’s family.” Editorial View - Page 4
PAGE 8, Wednesday, June 26, 2019
W
E KNOW it happens and with greater frequency during the summer months, but we are frustrated by the disruption and inconvenience of electricity outages. No one wants to be left in the dark, least of all to sweat and wonder when we will see the light again. When the electricity unexpectedly went off for hours on Sunday, multiple times in some places, we were not asking for much. We wanted to know what caused the outage, how long it would be and when each area could expect an outage. It was a simple ask, but seemed to be too much for Bahamas Power and Light to handle. It would not give us a schedule of the electricity outage it was obviously controlling. It used its Facebook page to share the details of what led to the outage and how the issue would eventually be resolved, but it did not answer what many clearly stated was the most important question. We want reliable electricity, but since that does not seem immediately possible, we would like to know when it will be available so we can iron, do laundry, have hot showers and charge our devices. We are not in control of the electricity provided by BPL. If it would provide a schedule, at least we would be able to plan accordingly. We do not only need electricity for what many consider to be frivolous activities such as watching television and powering other electronic devices. Electricity impacts sanitation, storage of food, entertainment, business operations and medical devices among other functions. In fact, a parent commented on the BPL Facebook page about reliance on electricity to administer medication to a child. This was a reminder of the essential nature of electricity and being able to plan around outages.
THE TRIBUNE
Can someone turn the lights on in BPL’s thinking? The
Alicia Wallace
column
There is no discernible reason for the failure of BPL to provide a schedule. We should be able to visit its social media pages and website to see when our areas will be off. We should be able to call and find out - whether through an automated system or agent - what we can expect for the next 24 hours at the very least. We have good reason to complain about the failure of BPL to do its one job and its refusal to properly devise and share a schedule when it fails at that one task. Some have attempted to shame the people making valid complaints, directing them to buy generators, as though they can be picked up from the side of the road. Generators are expensive, not only to purchase, but to maintain and fuel. The assumption that everyone can afford a generator demonstrates a lack of understanding of issues of class. The suggestion that
it is an individual’s or household’s responsibility to provide its own electricity when paying for the provision of service and facing barriers to alternatives reeks of privilege and a lack of understanding of the provision and and maintenance of infrastructure. For many, purchase of a generator is out of reach. For others, it is an unattractive option because it signals resignation to dealing with a system that does not work and becoming part of the growing number of people who are willing to buy their way out of discomfort while leaving others to suffer and complain on their own. Buying a generator may feel necessary, but it can also be a political decision. Either way, loud generators and burning more fuel is not the answer to the energy crisis we are experiencing in a supposed paradise of sun and sea, both of which are waiting to be part of the solution.
BPL’s apology on its Facebook page earlier this week.
LET’S WAKE UP AND TEACH YOUNGSTERS ABOUT SEX - THEY’RE DOING IT ANYWAY DEPUTY Leader of the Progressive Liberal Party Chester Cooper, in an address to the Women’s Branch, spoke of initiatives related to family planning and equality that his party
is considering. Among them is an increase in the age of consent from 16 to 18. Similarly, an increase from 18 to 21 was suggested by someone else last week. There are numerous issues with these
suggestions and those issues are connected to the intent and the most likely outcome. An increase in the age of consent is often suggested to deter young people from having sex and to make the
age of consent the same as the “age of maturity” at which we can access health care — and, by extension, contraceptives — on our own. It is an undeniable
challenge that young people can legally give consent for sexual activity for two years before they can access sexual and reproductive health care. The answer to this problem is not to increase the age of consent. That will not discourage young people from having sex. They will continue to have the same desires. We desperately need to ensure — through comprehensive sexual education and access to sexual and reproductive health services — that young people are prepared to appropriately respond to those desires. To effectively do this, we have to first recognize that abstinence is not the only way, nor is it realistic for everyone. It is possible to promote abstinence while providing information on the other options. Comprehensive sexual education is needed in schools and it would be helpful for parents to play a role in providing accurate information, answering questions, quelling anxiety and providing resources for young people in sex-positive ways, whether or not they are sexually active. Understand there is no harm in providing information. The danger is in lack of information, resources and access to the same. Comprehensive sexual education does not encourage people to have sex, but ensures they are equipped with the information and tools that enable them to make the best possible decisions for themselves and their sexual partner(s). If the PLP is interested in initiatives that contribute to gender equality and improve family planning, it should engage with organizations working in these areas. Organizations including Equality Bahamas would encourage the party to push for the marital rape bill to see the light of day and work on its positive response (through action) to the recommendations made by the CEDAW Committee on numerous issues including women’s conferral of citizenship, sexbased discrimination, access to abortion, and elimination of discrimination against
CHESTER COOPER vulnerable people including migrant women and LGBT+ people. The PLP could pledge to institute a living wage, support domestic workers and create systems that enable women to safely report genderbased violence and easily gain access to the range of services they need. Raising the age of consent does nothing for women, girls, or family planning. It is not a good idea, will not reduce the number of young people having sex and will not change their sexual practices. We need to change the way we talk about sex and include both consent and pleasure in our conversations. We need to ensure young people are able to access the resources we mention and know how to properly use them. Have you ever opened a condom with your teeth? Started to put it on the wrong way, then turned it around and used it anyway? Put two on for extra protection? Stored it in your wallet? Have you engaged in sexual activities without protection because you thought they were safe? How old were you when you did those things, and when did you learn you were wrong? People of all ages are making these mistakes every day and this does not have to be the case. We need to change the way we respond to challenges. No electricity? Get a generator. Young people are having unprotected sex, experiencing teen pregnancy, being preyed upon by older men? Raise the age of consent. If only we were ready to face reality and implement solutions that address the problem. If only.
PAGE 10, Wednesday, June 26, 2019
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IRAN SAYS ‘IDIOTIC’ NEW US SANCTIONS SHUT DOORS OF DIPLOMACY TEHRAN Associated Press
IRAN warned yesterday that new US sanctions targeting its supreme leader and other top officials meant “closing the doors of diplomacy” between Tehran and Washington amid heightened tensions, even as President Hassan Rouhani derided the White House as being “afflicted by mental retardation”. President Donald Trump called that a “very ignorant and insulting statement,” tweeting that an Iranian attack on any US interest will be met with “great and overwhelming force ... overwhelming
will mean obliteration.” His secretary of state said the Iranian statement was “immature”. The sharp remarks from Tehran shows the pressure that the nation’s Shiite theocracy and its 80 million people feel over the maximalist campaign of sanctions by the Trump administration. From Israel, US National Security Adviser John Bolton said Iran could walk through an “open door” to talks with America but also warned that “all options remain on the table” if Tehran makes good on its promise to begin breaking one limit from its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. The verbal volleys recalled
North Korea’s statements about Trump before the dramatic change in course and the start of negotiations with Washington. In 2017, state media quoted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un calling Trump “the mentally deranged US dotard.” However, there are no signs the Iranian leadership would welcome talks. “The useless sanctioning of Islamic Revolution Supreme Leader (Khamenei) and the commander of Iranian diplomacy means closing the doors of diplomacy by the US’ desperate administration,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi tweeted. “Trump’s
government is annihilating all the established international mechanisms for keeping peace and security in the world.” Trump enacted the new sanctions against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his associates on Monday. US officials also said they plan sanctions against Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, something that drew Rouhani’s anger during his televised address. “You sanction the foreign minister simultaneously with a request for talks,” an exasperated Rouhani said. He called the sanctions against Khamenei “outrageous and idiotic,” especially
since the 80-year-old Shiite cleric has no plans to travel to the United States. “The White House is afflicted by mental retardation and does not know what to do,” he added in Farsi, using a term similarly as offensive in English. While US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hadn’t heard Rouhani’s reaction to the new sanctions, he said that if true, “that’s a bit immature and childlike.” “But know that the United States will remain steadfast in undertaking the actions that the president laid out in this strategy to create stability throughout the Middle East, ” Pompeo added.
BREAKDANCING TAKES STEP CLOSER TO OLYMPIC DEBUT
10 YEARS ON, FANS RECALL THEIR HERO LOS ANGELES Associated Press HUNDREDS of Michael Jackson fans bowed their heads in silence yesterday outside the Southern California mausoleum that is his final resting place as they marked the exact minute the King of Pop died 10 years earlier. They joined hands in a giant circle for the moment at 2:26 p.m., when Jackson was declared dead on June 25, 2009, then pointed at the sky and yelled “Michael!” in unison. “There are people dying, if you care enough for the living, make it a better place, for you and me,” the crowd sang together in an emotional group rendition of Jackson’s anthem “Heal the World.”
LAUSANNE Associated Press
A FAN dances in front of Michael Jackson’s mausoleum in California yesterday on the 10th anniversary of Jackson’s death.
Illinois 11th state to allow recreational marijuana SPRINGFIELD, Illinois Associated Press ILLINOIS’ new governor delivered on a top campaign promise Tuesday by signing legislation making the state the 11th to approve marijuana for recreational use in a program offering legal remedies and economic benefits to minorities whose lives critics say were damaged by a wayward war on drugs. Legalisation in Illinois also means that nearly 800,000 people with criminal records for purchasing or possessing 30 grams of marijuana or less may have those records expunged, a provision minority lawmakers and interest groups demanded. It also gives cannabis-vendor preference to minority owners and promises 25% of tax revenue from marijuana sales to redevelop impoverished communities. Gov. J.B. Pritzker, whose election last year gave Democrats complete control over state government
GOV. J. B. Pritzker signs a bill that legalises adult-use cannabis yesterday. again after four years under GOP predecessor Bruce Rauner, signed the bill in Chicago amid a bevy of pot proponents, including the plan’s lead sponsors, Rep. Kelly Cassidy and Sen. Heather Steans, both Chicago Democrats. “Today, we’re hitting the ‘reset’ button on the war on drugs,” Cassidy said. Residents may purchase and possess up to 30 grams of marijuana at
a time. Non-residents may have 15 grams. The law provides for cannabis purchases by adults 21 and older at approved dispensaries, which, after they’re licensed and established, may start selling Jan. 1, 2020. Possession remains a crime until Jan. 1, a spokesman for Senate Democrats said. “The war on cannabis has destroyed families, filled prisons with nonviolent offenders, and disproportionately disrupted black and brown communities,” Pritzker said. “Law enforcement across the nation has spent billions of dollars to enforce the criminalisation of cannabis, yet its consumption remains widespread.” On the campaign trail, Pritzker claimed that, once established, taxation of marijuana could generate $800m to $1bn a year. He said dispensary licensing would bring in $170 million in the coming year alone. But Cassidy and Steans have dampened that prediction, lowering estimates to $58 million in the first year and $500 million annually within five
years. Carrying the psychoactive ingredient THC, marijuana was effectively outlawed in the U.S. in 1937 and in the 1970s was declared a drug with no medicinal purpose and high potential for abuse. Blacks have been most susceptible since then to “Just say ‘No’’’-era crackdowns. Pritzker quoted a 2010 statistic from the American Civil Liberties Union that while blacks comprise 15% of Illinois’ population, they account for 60% of cannabis-possession arrests. Peoria Democratic Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth summarised marijuana’s recent history as one where “white men would get rich and black men would get arrested.” The plan addresses those concerns with the criminal-record scrubbing by giving preference to would-be marijuana vendors in areas of high poverty and records of large numbers of convictions. And 25% of tax proceeds must be reinvested in impoverished communities, while 20% is dedicated to substanceabuse treatment programs.
BREAKDANCING moved a step closer to the 2024 Olympics yesterday, and now organisers can look to book a street venue in Paris. Called breaking in Olympic circles, its medal debut was last October at the Buenos Aires Youth Summer Games. The street dance competitions will have 16 athletes in each of the men’s and women’s medal events in Paris. IOC members formally endorsed requests from Paris officials in February and their own executive board in March to provisionally add breakdancing to the program, pending a final decision in December 2020. Paris wants to add four sports to its program, though the other three — skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing — will make Summer Games debuts in Tokyo next year. “It’s important for us in our concept to put sports out of the stadiums and in the heart of the city,” said Tony Estanguet, the Paris 2024 president. Estanguet said the search for a venue will only start now International Olympic Committee members have added their approval. Breaking will likely also be attractive to 2028 Los Angeles Olympics organisers. The sports program for L.A. should be agreed in 2021, IOC sports director Kit McConnell said. Surfing will spread the Paris Olympics out of the capital, potentially in the south-west French city of Biarritz, with sailing races already set for Marseille. “Paris 2024 will choose a venue offering natural waves, as France boasts a number of well-known surfing spots on its Atlantic coast and in its overseas territories,” the organising committee said in a statement. French Polynesia, the Caribbean and Indian Ocean could all be proposed, International Surfing Association President Fernando Aguerre noted.
UNITED NATIONS VOTES TO CREATE BORDER OFFICIAL RESIGNS AMID NEW POLITICAL MISSION IN HAITI UPROAR OVER MIGRANT CHILDREN UNITED NATIONS Associated Press
HOUSTON Associated Press
The UN Security Council approved a resolution yesterday establishing a political mission in Haiti starting on October 16 that will officially replace all UN peacekeeping activities in the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country. The vote on the USdrafted resolution was 13-0, with Haiti’s neighbour, the Dominican Republic, and China abstaining. The council’s action followed its unanimous vote April 12 to end Haitian peacekeeping operations on October 15. UN military peacekeepers left the country in 2017, after 13 years. But a stabilisation mission has stayed behind to train national police, help the government strengthen judicial and legal institutions, and monitor human rights. The resolution authorizes the political mission to advise Haiti’s government “in promoting and strengthening political stability and good
THE acting head of US Customs and Border Protection resigned yesterday amid an uproar over the discovery of migrant children being held in filthy conditions at one of the agency’s stations in Texas. Commissioner John Sanders’ departure deepened the sense of crisis and added to the rapid turnover inside the agencies responsible for enforcing President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration priorities as the US deals with record numbers of migrant families coming across the border. In a message to employees, Sanders said he would step down on July 5. He did not give a reason for leaving. “Although I will leave it to you to determine whether I was successful, I can unequivocally say that helping support the amazing men and women of CBP has been the most fulfilling and satisfying opportunity of my career,” he said.
ANTI-government protesters set up a barricade of burning tires n Port-au-Prince, Haiti earlier this month. governance,” including promoting the rule of law, supporting an inclusive national dialogue and protecting and promoting human rights. Acting US Ambassador Jonathan Cohen called adoption of the resolution “a historic moment,” saying the transition from a peacekeeping to a political mission demonstrates “that as conditions on the ground evolve the U.N.’s presence can — and should — change to reflect these new realities.”
A successful transition, he said, will depend in large part on the Haitian government’s assumption of responsibilities for a range of issues including professionalising the national police, reducing community and gang violence, protecting human rights, improving prison facilities and reforming the justice system. This month, thousands of protesters denouncing corruption have been demanding the removal of Haitian President Jovenel Moise.
A BORDER Patrol station in Clint, Texas. In an interview last week, Sanders blamed the problems in detention on a lack of money. He called on Congress to pass a $4.5 billion emergency funding bill to address the crisis — legislation the House was planning to take up yesterday. At the White House, Trump said that he did not ask for Sanders’ resignation — adding that he doesn’t think he has ever spoken to the man — but that he is “moving some people around into different locations” amid the crisis.
He defended US border authorities, saying: “The laws are so bad and the asylum rules and laws are so bad that our Border Patrol people, who are so incredible, aren’t allowed to do their jobs.” The unprecedented surge of migrant families has left US immigration detention centres severely overcrowded and taxed the government’s ability to provide medical care and other attention. Six children have died since September after being detained by border agents.
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Wednesday, June 26, 2019, PAGE 11
US Embassy Independence Party at Albany. Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
PM HIGHLIGHTS CLOSE TIES AT US INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATION By LINDSAY THOMPSON Bahamas Information Services THE Bahamas joined the United States of America in celebrating the US’ 243rd anniversary of independence of the United States on Monday at Albany. The official US independence anniversary is July 4. Leading the list of dignitaries at the festivities were Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, who delivered remarks on the occasion. Dr Minnis said: “Today, we once again celebrate the friendship and the enduring
bond between our two sovereign independent nations. Our nations are linked by geography and a history that predates the independence of the American colonies.” The nation’s leader observed that, like Mexico and Canada, The Bahamas shares close geographical proximity to the US. And that this proximity has resulted in the exchange of people, ideas and commerce over many generations and centuries. He also noted that the majority of Bahamians trace ancestral ties to America. These include Bahamians of African descent who came from
the US as the slaves of American Loyalists, who themselves populated a number of Bahamian islands. “But in addition to our physical proximity and the bonds of kinship, we share a proximity of values as democratic states. These values include an enduring commitment to self-determination and freedom, and the preservation of a treasury of democratic rights. These rights include: freedom of expression, freedom of association, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion, which is under threat throughout the world,” he said.