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Disclosures left ‘in the air’
Process uncertain as commission chairman’s appointment expires By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net DESPITE his critical role in an ongoing process to have delinquent parliamentarians and senators file their outstanding disclosures or face prosecution, Public Disclosure Commission Chairman Myles Laroda said yesterday that his appointment has expired, leaving aspects of the process “up in the air”. Today was supposed to mark the turnover of Mr Laroda’s finalised list of delinquent officials to Attorney General Carl Bethel, however, with this surprising announcement, there is no clarification on how the
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CCA MAY MISS BAHA MAR DEADLINE BAHA Mar’s main contractor is raising hte alarm that it will again miss the $4.2bn project’s completion deadline, after a legal dispute with a supplier. China Construction America’s (CCA) Bahamian subsidiary, in legal filings, warns that it and Baha Mar will “suffer incalculable damage” if a Floridabased supplier continues to withhold 50 per cent of the project’s lounge chairs. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
MAN ON BAIL FOR MURDER IS SHOT DEAD
process will continue in the coming days. Asked of the status of his operation prior to the expiration of his appointment, Mr Laroda said he and members of his team convened their final meeting Thursday, June 29, and concluded with several disclosures still outstanding and a report not finalised. In an interview with The Tribune on Thursday, Mr Laroda said in his discussions with some persons who are required to make the disclosures, they expressed certain challenges, which he suggested delayed the submission of documents. SEE PAGE SIX
‘CHRISTIE TRYING TO DISTRACT’ FROM POOR RECORD OF PLP By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
DEPUTY Prime Minister K Peter Turnquest has dismissed former Prime Minister Perry Christie’s recent defence of the former government, saying the former Centreville MP was attempting to distract the country from his party’s “many unfortunate acts of lack of judgment”. The East Grand Bahama MP added that despite Mr
Christie’s calls for a “dispassionate examination of the record,” the Bahamian people will act as the final judge on the inadequacies and failures of the former government. Last Thursday, during a lengthy interview at his Cable Beach home, Mr Christie defended his administration from accusations of irresponsible spending, misfeasance and cronyism. SEE PAGE SIX
POLICE are investigating a murder that occurred on Friday night where a man on bail was shot and killed in front of a Superwash on Nassau Street. Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net A 33-YEAR-OLD man on bail for murder, who was being electronically monitored, was shot multiple times and killed late Friday night. The killing took place shortly after 10pm off Nassau Street and brought the country’s murder count to
70 for the year, according to The Tribune’s records. Assistant Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander said police received information that shots were heard near Meadow Street. “On arrival, they found the lifeless body of a male that appeared to be in his mid-20s with apparent gunshot wounds to the body,” ACP Fernander said.
“He was lying in the road just behind me and Emergency Services personnel came and confirmed he was dead. We do not have a motive for the murder at this time and no suspects in custody, but this is a busy intersection and we are appealing to members of the public who have heard or seen anything to come forward. What we do know thus far about the victim is
that he is being monitored and is presently on bail for a serious matter.” Police have not identified the victim, but The Tribune understands he is Valentino Ferguson. Last Thursday, National Security Minister Marvin Dames said the government is not “totally satisfied” with the crime situation. SEE PAGE FIVE
PASSENGERS MAY FACE EXTRA BPL PUTS THREE MANAGERS ON SCREENING TIME ON US FLIGHTS LEAVE DURING THEFT PROBE By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
ENHANCED security screening measures announced by the United States for international flights heading to that country may increase screening time for passengers, Tourism and Aviation Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar said yesterday. He told The Tribune that local travel and airport offiLIMITED TIME!
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cials are already working to update industry procedures that could be affected by the new US aviation security measures announced last week. The new security measures call for greater scrutiny of passengers entering the US, enhanced screening of electronic devices, and better deployment of canines that detect explosives. SEE PAGE THREE
By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net
SEVERAL managers attached to a department at Bahamas Power and Light have been placed on leave while a forensic audit is being carried out on the utility provider’s finances, Works Minister Desmond Bannister confirmed yesterday. In an interview with The
Tribune, Mr Bannister stressed the action was not an “indictment” on the employees, but said the auditors needed “full access” to all BPL files without interference by the staff. Mr Bannister would not say how many persons were sent home, but The Tribune understands the three senior officers were suspended Friday afternoon. SEE PAGE SIX
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By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
TWO men were charged with incest in separate cases in the Freeport Magistrate’s Court on Friday. The first man, 55, appeared in court three before Magistrate Rengin Johnson on the charge of incest.
The accused was not required to enter a plea to the charge, which is an indictable offence. The matter is expected to proceed by voluntary bill of indictment (VBI) on October 31. In the second matter, another man also appeared before Magistrate Rengin Johnson in court three also on the charge of incest.
The accused, 34, was not required to enter a plea to the charge. That case is also expected to proceed by way of VBI of October 31. Both men, neither of whom was named for legal reasons, were remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services in New Providence until their trials.
TEENAGE BOY STABBED
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A TEENAGE boy is in hospital in Grand Bahama after he was stabbed during an attack by a group of men. Police said the incident occurred shortly after 11pm on Saturday when the 15-year-old was attacked by a group of men while in
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the area of Wild Cat Avenue and stabbed about the body, police said. He was taken to the Rand Memorial Hospital where he is listed in serious condition. Police later arrested two suspects in this matter who are assisting police with their investigation.
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, July 3, 2017, PAGE 3
‘Inexcusable’ 10-week break without tabling a single bill
By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Chairman Bradley Roberts has said it is “inexcusable” for the Free National Movement to “take a 10-week vacation” without tabling “one single bill in Parliament.” At the PLP’s Eastern Region Service of Thanksgiving on Friday evening, Mr Roberts said instead of creating more jobs and addressing the crime situation, the Minnis-led government has done nothing but “raise the unemployment rate” by letting contract workers go and “engage in witch hunts to satisfy their rabid political base.” Last week, parliamentarians took a break for the summer and will return to the House of Assembly on September 13. “It has been 40 days since the FNM assumed office and for a group who was so critical of the PLP’s governance, it is inexcusable that the Minnis crew could not table one single bill in Parliament in 40 days and took a 10-week vacation break,” Mr Roberts said. “No new crime fighting strategies; no new immigration policies; no energy reform policies; no strategy for growing the economy and creating jobs. As a matter of fact, the FNM has distinguished themselves for lining the pockets of their fat cat friends and donors while conducting mass firing on contract workers in the civil service for purely political reasons... “No VAT money was stolen; no 500 citizenships were offered in exchange for Baha Mar investment; no 10,000 acres of land in Andros were given to the Chinese; the Baha Mar Heads of Agreement was not corrupt as Minnis claimed,” he added. Mr Roberts said it also
PLP chairman Bradley Roberts. appears that Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has “double crossed” original Baha Mar developer Sarkis Izmirlian and now “refuses to discuss Baha Mar with the press.” Last month, despite the FNM’s suggestions on the campaign trail that the now unsealed Baha Mar documents may have been troubling, Attorney General Carl Bethel admitted that the documents contain nothing “unusual” that would prompt the government to renegotiate its
terms. Dr Minnis announced in Parliament in June that the heads of terms relating to Baha Mar’s sale was approved for release by the Supreme Court, which he tabled in the House of Assembly. However, he added that other “sensitive” documents relating to the sale remain under a court seal. “Carl Bethel, Dr Minnis, (Dionisio) D’Aguilar and the entire FNM government now publicly, though grudgingly admit that the
commercial agreement between CTFE and the China EXIM Bank must remain sealed due to ‘market sensitivity’ issues, a fact former Prime Minister Christie told the FNM and the nation over and repeatedly,” Mr Roberts said. “Carl Bethel, Dr Hubert Minnis and Dionisio D’Aguilar now publicly, though grudgingly, admit that it was the Bahamas Supreme Court that sealed the Baha Mar deal and not Perry G Christie.” Last Wednesday, The
Nassau Guardian reported that Dr Minnis told that newspaper he would not interfere in the Baha Mar matter. When pressed about this later that same day, Dr Minnis appeared to get defensive. “Listen I told you over and over,” Dr Minnis told a reporter. “I don’t know what about the English language you don’t understand. The government, just like the Bahamian people, we want to see Baha Mar functioning to provide jobs
and opportunities for Bahamians and we’ll work towards that goal.” Pressed further for his position on former Baha Mar developer Sarkis Izmirlian’s plea for a moratorium on the sale process, Dr Minnis said: “I have answered you. I told you our position. We would like to see Baha Mar opened and provide job opportunities for Bahamians.” He did not respond to a question on whether he was going to review the hotel’s file.
PASSENGERS MAY FACE EXTRA SCREENING TIME ON US FLIGHTS from page one Mr D’Aguilar said on Sunday: “The Caribbean has long been a safe place to travel and the greatest case of that is here in The Bahamas.” He continued: “The US government has made its intentions known and the way these changes are shaping up, we expect enhanced procedures where persons
travelling from The Bahamas are requested to pack and or present their electronic devices and laptops a certain way. “Of course, this will increase the amount of time it takes someone to be screened, and as such, we may need persons travelling to come to the airport a little earlier than they are now required. “We are now at two hours, that may go up to
three or even a little more. We are not 100 per cent sure at this time and we know that it is going to be a little rocky in the beginning but we are going to have to put procedures in place that ensures security and ensures a smooth and stress-free process,” he said. When he introduced the updated measures last week, US Secretary of Homeland Security John
Kelly indicated that they were the first step in raising “the global baseline of aviation security” making “it harder for terrorists to succeed”. It has been reported that this is a way for the Trump administration to address threats that intelligence suggests are looming without having to do an all-out laptop ban. Yesterday, Mr D’Aguilar said local officials are now
looking at how the announced changes will directly affect Bahamian airports, adding that they will look to establish whatever changes are needed to maintain the country’s preclearance status. These new measures aren’t designed to target or limit pre-clearance facilities like Lynden Pindling International Airport, but rather to expand the level of screenings and searches
done to carry-on items. Secretary Kelly last Wednesday said the major components of the new policies are designed to encourage more airports around the world to become preclearance locations. It is not clear when the new measures will be put into place, but DHS officials said travellers might start to see changes as early as this summer, the Washington Post reported.
PM MINNIS TO ATTEND 38TH CARICOM MEETING IN GRENADA
By MATT MAURA Bahamas Information Services
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis is scheduled to attend the 38th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in St George’s, Grenada. The meeting takes place July 4-6. It will be Dr Minnis’ inaugural CARICOM meeting as prime minister of the Bahamas. CARICOM will be chaired by Dr Keith Mitchell, prime minister of Grenada. Accompanying the prime minister are his wife, Patricia Minnis; Darren Henfield, minister of foreign affairs; Jeffrey Lloyd, minister of education; Joshua Sears, senior policy advisor to Dr Minnis; Reuben Rahming, Bahamas ambassador-designate to CARICOM and Sharon Brennen-Haylock, director-general at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The opening ceremony begins July 4 at the Grenada Trade Centre, with heads of government business sessions from July 5-6 at the Radisson Grenada Beach Resort. The conference will welcome its two newest members – Prime Minister Minnis and Jovenel Moise, who
was sworn in as president of Haiti in February 2017. This meeting is expected to include a presentation for approval by the heads of a “Human Resource Development 2030 Strategy and Implementation Plan” to address the development of skills for the 21st Century Caribbean economy and society. The heads of government are also expected to deliberate on outstanding matters related to the implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) following the comprehensive review of the CSME’s performance presented to them at February’s Inter-Sessional Meeting. They will also discuss progress made regarding implementation of the specified actions, agreed to ten years ago under the 2007 Port-ofSpain Declaration, to stop the epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NDCs); tourism in the region; and future trade relations with the United Kingdom. Regional security issues are also expected to receive attention. The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is a grouping of 20 countries — 15 member states and five associate members —and is home to approximately 16 million citizens, 60 per cent of whom are under the age of 30 years.
PAGE 4, Monday, July 3, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
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If crime is to be reduced, stiffer penalties are needed HOW many more bodies wearing ankle bracelets are to be picked up from the highways and byways of this island before our courts get the message? On Friday night, the body of a man in his early twenties was found off Nassau Street. He had been shot. It is believed to be the body of one Valentino Ferguson. According to police he was wearing an ankle bracelet. All the police would say was that he was out on “bail for a serious matter.” We understand that that “serious matter” was murder. A week ago, Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade repeated a message that he has been preaching ever since he has been Commissioner. Police, he said, have been recycling prolific offenders because of a lack of firm punishment in the courts. He repeated his oft expressed refrain when he reminded the authorities that “no amount of arrests and aggressive police tactics” can limit crime if “the people who are coming into the system, that is the bad people who are committing crimes, very serious crimes in this country, are not dealt with in a very firm way.” In September 2015 — two years ago —during a walk about in the Kemp Road area an exasperated Commissioner told the press that police officers will continue “to pick dead bodies up off the streets if those in authority do nothing to keep criminals behind bars.” We know that a person is innocent until proven guilty, but the consequence for those who freely choose to add a string of offences behind their name should know that they — of their own free will — have chosen to jeopardise the presumption of innocence. For the offender’s own sake and the sake of society a prison cell is his best protection until he gets his day in court. Of course, what is happening today is “justice” being executed on the streets, thus shortening the court calendar as crimes are struck from the lists as having been settled by the bullet. In other words justice today has been taken to the back alleys. It also saves the already overcrowded prison from having to make room for new inmates. “We are working like crazy to keep a lid on this terrible thing but as long as our young sons walk around with guns in their hands with the propensity to kill — they have done it before they will do it again - and we do nothing to keep them behind bars we will continue to pick up dead bodies,” said the Commissioner. “This is going to offend a lot of people but something must be done to get those people out of communities and where they belong until they have their day in court,” Mr Greenslade said. “It can’t be right for a man to walk around with an illegal firearm to be arrested, and a few days later he is waving at the same officers that arrested him as if nothing has happened. There is something wrong with the equation. I do not want to get caught up in numbers or whether the murder count is going to be high or low, the reality is one dead body in the Bahamas is one dead body too many. I am begging for support and help. “If we arrest people that have committed the most egregious crimes in this country and they have re-offended more
than once but are still walking around, something is wrong with that. Something needs to be done because arresting them is not solving the problem. We cannot arrest ourselves out of this situation.” At the same time – September 2015 – former National Security Minister, the late Dr Bernard Nottage, blamed the judiciary for the country’s crime problem. He was critical of judges for not imposing stiffer penalties and not properly enforcing the laws that are on the books. Speaking in the House at the time he claimed that some magistrates give lighter sentences to criminals because the accused is someone in society’s “good son.” He found it hard to believe that some judges live in the same country and still only give criminals “a slap on the wrist” when they appear before them. In the House of Assembly last month Health Minister Dr Duane Sands said that The Bahamas had the highest homicide rate in the world — triple the rate that the World Health Organisation considers an epidemic. He also said the rate would be even higher if skilled Bahamian doctors did not save the lives of the many who have been shot or stabbed. When we first started our career reporting the courts — a lifetime ago— no one charged with murder could get bail. Consideration should be given to going back to those days. Also it is so unsafe on the streets today for anyone wearing an ankle bracelet for a serious crime that they should be the ones to want the security of the prison walls for their own survival. We recall our first meeting with Commissioner Greenslade many years ago when a young man needed the protection of the police. One day sitting at our desk in the newsroom, we looked up to see a very frightened young man standing before us. “I want you to turn me in to the police,” he said simply. He was in a gang, which he desperately wanted to leave, but was afraid to do so because he would be killed. The police were also looking for him. He was afraid that if they saw him first he would be shot. No matter which way he turned he was looking down the barrel of a gun. However, he believed he would be more secure with the police if we would hand him over to them. We had never seen him before. We were satisfied that he was a sincere young man who had gone astray and genuinely wanted to change his life style and be accepted back into society. We telephoned then Commissioner of Police Reginald Ferguson, who promised to send an officer to The Tribune to collect the young man. Ellison Greenslade arrived and even to this day we are still impressed at how well he handled this frightened youngster. They left our office with the police officer’s arms around the shoulders of the young offender. Police Officer Greenslade had completely won this young offender’s confidence and was about to help him start a new life. This young man knew that he was safer in the hands of the law rather than out on the streets, a target of what once was his own gang.
Thank you to Nottage EDITOR, The Tribune. THE Bahamas participated in its first Carifta Games in Trinidad in May of 1973, two months prior to independence. Our eight athletes marched under a Crown Colony flag, the same one that star athletes Sir Durward Knowles, Tommy Robinson and B J Nottage had competed under in the past. We won a single bronze medal that year. That seminal event lit a fire in Nottage. A sportsman to his core he was impressed not only with the idea of the Games but with his meeting with the father of Carifta, the legendary Barbadian, Sir Austin Sealy. The next year in Jamaica, with BJ’s agitation, the Bahamas Amateur Athletics Association sent 17 athletes to Carifta and the medal count quadrupled to four – a gold and three silvers. BJ was ecstatic. Carifta almost died the next year in Bermuda when only 76 athletes from just six countries attended, including six Bahamians. Still the medal count rose to eight – three gold, three silvers and two bronzes. BJ was beside himself when the team returned home. He had persuaded Austin Sealy to bring the games to Nassau. Doyle Burrows brought him down to earth with one question: where? The Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre was a third-
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net rate stadium that needed everything from landscaping to lighting to structural repair. BJ had given his word to Austin and was determined to see it through. Transportation was the key problem in those days and again just 76 athletes attended from eight countries. Led by a total unknown from Freeport named Ricky Moxey, the Bahamas came in second place with 27 medals - nine gold, 11 silvers and seven bronzes in front of an adoring hometown crowd. Thus began the BJ Nottage/Austin Sealy bromance that lasted until last week when we lost this great sporting hero. Sealy called the 1976 Games the best to that point. The Golden Girls, the dream team, Shaunae Miller-Uibo and countless others will probably never know the debt of gratitude they owe to BJ Nottage for his dogged pursuit of athletics and his failure to take no for an answer when it came to promoting the sport. We all know him as a medical professional. But his legacy is in the sporting hall of fame both in The Bahamas and in the Caribbean. When he brought Carifta here there was no Ministry of Youth and Sports, only a desk in the Ministry of Education.
BJ had a hand in bringing sports to the Cabinet table. For his unshakeable belief in Bahamian athletes and for laying the foundation of a powerhouse athletics industry not just in Nassau but around the Family Islands, all sportsmen should drop their caps and pay a moment of tribute to BJ. Sports fans around the country should stand in reflection but then erupt in cheers for BJ. A tribute was paid to uber-hero Jesse Owens years ago that fits BJ to a T: “In history, men existed who with their way of life have inspired many others to act for something better. Some used words, others actions. But all simply did not quit even when facing enormous obstacles in their way”. Next year will mark the 47th Carifta Games and fittingly it will take place here in Nassau. Perhaps the organizers might be moved to host those games in BJ’s honour. I don’t think Sir Austin Sealy would object. BJ was too much of a self-deprecating person to support such an idea that he would have dismissed as “foolishness”. But as BJ told Doyle Burrows in 1974, “I know it’s hard, but let’s do it anyway”. Farewell BJ. And thank you. THE GRADUATE Nassau, July 2, 2017.
Cultural development and The Bahamas EDITOR, The Tribune. I HAVE read the 58-page report on Bahamas Cultural Development by the talented young Ian Poitier that is being attacked from many quarters including the present Minister of Tourism, on grounds of excessive cost – either $400,000, or “over $1m” , depending on what you read. It contains a great many good ideas, some previously stated, and others brand-new. Some are for specific projects, others for organisational structures,
both private and public. Its implementation is bound to be expensive, time consuming, and demanding of good-will and ingenuity. It may well be considered too all-inclusive and too superficial to be an effective programme. Whether it represents “value for money” cannot be answered in the abstract but only in reference to realistic plans and intentions. The problem is that it was contracted by the previous Government, apparently at the direct urging of Prime Minis-
ter Christie, who was well known for making grandiose announcements of public projects and then doing nothing to follow up or refine the details. It is not even clear whether Mr Poitier was to be paid a one-off sum to write a report, or whether he was being hired at a salary of $400,000 per annum to lead a cultural department, or being given a departmental budget, or something in-between, or whether there was any assurance that other Government agencies would
cooperate with his recommendations. Mr Poitier was naïve in being surprised that the dollar amounts raised startled eyebrows. It is now up to the new Ministry of Tourism and Cabinet to clarify these matters. If they simply plan to read his Report and then file it away, with no retention of his services, and no Governmentwide cooperation – then, yes, it is so much wastepaper that must simply be written off as an unwise, pointless expense, and
Mr Poitier would be well advised to plan his return to England. I hope that Minister D’Aguilar, and the new Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, (and the Cabinet as a whole) will take a wider view. They will have to meet whatever contractual terms the previous Government signed, but I hope they will then negotiate a sensible long-term arrangement to enable Mr Poitier’s undoubted talents and experience to be used for the benefit of this country. Rational decisions can be
made about implementing the plan in stages, perhaps putting as first priority the thorough up-grading of Ft Charlotte, Ft Fincastle, the Queen’s Staircase and the Water Tower, so that they can be prominent icons of both our history and our culture. Criticism should not be directed at Mr Poitier, but at our previous Government’s feckless way of contracting for services. RICHARD COULSON Nassau, July 3, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, July 3, 2017, PAGE 5
Organiser of Fyre Festival arrested and is charged with wire fraud By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net BILLY McFarland, one of the organisers of the failed Fyre Festival, was released on bail on Saturday after being arrested Friday on a fraud charge, according to international reports. The 25-year-old tech entrepreneur was charged with wire fraud in connection with his digital company, Fyre Media, as well as for the botched luxury music festival that made headlines in April, ABC News reported. Mr McFarland faces up to 20 years in prison but has been released on $300,000 bail. Investigators allege that Mr McFarland misrep-
resented his company’s financial status and provided false documents to two individuals in an effort to secure a $1.2 million investment in Fyre Media, according to international reports. According to the Manhattan US Attorney’s office, Mr McFarland also misled investors, claiming he made millions in revenue from 2016 to 2017, but as ABC News reported, he had earned under $60,000 from approximately 60 artist bookings. The Fyre Festival had been hyped as a luxury music event set in Exuma over two weekends in late April, but it was abruptly cancelled and branded a disaster after the promised infrastructure and accommodations never
materialised. Ticket packages ranging from $1,200 to over $100,000 promised five-star dining and luxury accommodations with headline performers including Blink-182, Migos and Major Lazer. Mr McFarland, who founded Fyre Festival in partnership with American rapper Ja Rule, reportedly spent millions on models, private jets and yachts to promote the event, leading to a suspected funding crisis. Organisers have been slammed with multiple lawsuits in the wake of the debacle. “As alleged, William McFarland promised a ‘life changing’ music festival, but in actuality delivered a disaster,” Joon Kim, the acting Manhattan US attorney,
said in a statement. “McFarland allegedly presented false documents to induce investors to put over a million dollars into his company and the fiasco called the Fyre Festival. Thanks to the investigative efforts of the FBI, McFarland will now have to answer for his (alleged) crimes.” Ja Rule, whose birth name is Jeffrey Atkins, was not arrested with Mr McFarland. Earlier this year, after the Fyre Festival unraveled, the Ministry of Tourism said that local officials were “extremely disappointed,” about how the events unfolded “with the Fyre Festival,” and added that visitors “were met with total disorganisation and chaos.” The ministry also sought
to distance itself from the chaos, emphasising that it was not a sponsor of the event and therefore had no financial involvement. Fyre Festival promised a “cultural moment created from a blend of music, art and food” over two weekends in Great Exuma. Festival organisers claimed they set out “to provide a once-in-a-lifetime musical experience on the islands of the Exumas” and had billed it along the lines of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in southern California. Tickets had included a flight from Miami, a stay in a “geodesic dome” and activities including yoga and kayaking. Pre-publicity suggested festival-goers could pay up to $100,000 to
mingle with models and be ferried around by private yachts and planes. But visitors described the event as a “complete disaster” and it attracted unflattering international media coverage. William Finley, of North Carolina, posted on social media that he and his friends had arrived to find “disaster tent city” when searching for their accommodation. One British visitor said the festival site “was worse than a refugee camp.” There were also complaints of missing luggage, unsatisfactory catered food, fears for people’s safety, piles of garbage, stray dogs and looting of alcohol. The organisers have since been hit with a $100m class action lawsuit.
MAN ON BAIL FOR MURDER IS SHOT DEAD from page one He insisted that Bahamians should have already started to see some elements of the Minnis administration’s crime plan manifested in various communities. Mr Dames said increased visibility and a more strategic approach to inner-city crime hotspots are a part of the government’s shortterm approach. Of the killings that have happened this year, 17 of these have occurred since May 10, under the Free National Movement government’s watch. Last Monday, Commissioner of Police Ellison
Greenslade said the country was “recycling” prolific offenders due to less than firm punishments. Commissioner Greenslade argued that no amount of arrests and aggressive police tactics could limit crime if “the people who are coming into the system, that is the bad people who are committing crimes, very serious crimes in this country, are not dealt with in a very firm way.” Anyone with information on any of these homicides is asked to contact police at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS. Investigations continue.
ASSISTANT Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander speaking to the media on Friday.
Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff
CORRECTIONAL OFFICER JAILED FOR TRYING TO DELIVER MARIJUANA TO INMATE By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net A 45-YEAR-OLD correctional officer was sentenced to a year in prison and made to pay a $1,000 fine on Friday after a magistrate scolded him for his “stupid” decision to try to deliver marijuana to an inmate at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. Magistrate Jeanine Weech-Gomez reprimanded Logan Zacchaeus Smith for compromising his 24year tenure at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS) for the $300 he made for attempting to deliver six ounces of marijuana, calling it a “mis-
take” he “ought not to have ever made.” Though she said Smith “manned up” and pleaded guilty to the charge, possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply, Magistrate Weech-Gomez said she could not “overlook” the “position” Smith was in as a corrections officers, which she said is a “position of trust.” Smith was arraigned in connection with an incident that occurred on June 28. According to initial reports, shortly after 1pm, acting on information, BDCS officials conducted a search of Smith when he arrived for duty and found six ounces in two clear vacuumed packages both containing a quantity
of marijuana. Smith was then taken to his home, where a search by officials revealed $1,285, suspected to be the proceeds of drug related activities. It was later revealed that just $300 was connected to the incident in question, with Smith having been paid $50 for each ounce of marijuana, while the rest came from his Asue draw. As such, Magistrate Weech-Gomez ordered that just the $300 be forfeited to the Crown, while the remaining $985 be returned to Smith. The Hampton Street resident has until the end of his sentence to pay the $1,000 fine. Failing to do so would result in an additional six months in prison.
SUSPECT HAS BAIL DENIED IN MURDER ABETMENT CASE By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net A SUPREME court judge Friday denied bail to a man charged with aiding and abetting murder and aiding and abetting attempted murder. Justice Bernard Turner rejected Jamean Johnson’s application due to his concerns over Johnson’s proximity to some of the witnesses should he be released before his trial, The
Tribune understands. Johnson is represented by Ian Cargill. Johnson was one of two men initially accused of murdering John Pinder Jr in 2016, the other being Dylan Brown. The two men initially were alleged to have intentionally caused the death of the 27-year-old Pinder and attempting to kill Kerrigan McCoy. However, Johnson’s charges of murder and attempted murder have been reduced to aiding and abet-
ting murder and aiding and abetting attempted murder. According to initial reports from police, on the night in question, Pinder Jr was in his Hillside Park home off Bernard Road playing video games with several male friends when unknown persons shot through a window of the home. Pinder Jr was shot several times and pronounced dead at the scene. Mr McCoy was also shot. He was rushed to hospital by ambulance and treated for his injuries.
POLICE HUNTING FOR ARMED ROBBERS POLICE are asking the public to come forth with any information they may have in solving three separate armed robberies that occurred on Friday and Saturday. In the first incident, around 4pm Friday, a woman was sitting in her black 2007 Toyota Passo — vehicle licence plate number AD7279 — on Dennis Court off Sea Breeze Lane, when three men ap-
proached armed with handguns and robbed her of her cellphone and purse. The assailants then sped off in the woman’s vehicle. In the second incident, around 11.30pm, a man along with a woman friend were sitting in his dark coloured Honda vehicle on Yamacraw Beach, when two men armed with handguns approached in a Silver Honda Accord and robbed him of his vehicle before
speeding off. Then shortly after 7.30pm on Saturday, police said a woman had just pulled up at her home located on Beatrice Avenue in her 2007 Honda Edix vehicle, when two men armed with handguns approached and robbed her of her car before speeding off. Police later located the vehicle abandoned in Pinewood Gardens. Investigations into these incidents continue.
PUBLIC NOTICE THE CLEARING BANKS ASSOCIATION FINANCIAL SERVICES - FRAUD AWARENESS PART I Recently there has been a surge of activity related to email spoofing, phishing and spam, involving the commercial bank customers within The Bahamas. The Clearing Banks Association would like to provide useful information on the subject and guidance on how incidences involving spoofing, phishing or spam should be handled. Below are definitions for spoofing, phishing and spam:
• Spoofing
Email spoofing is the forgery of an email header so that the message appears to have originated from someone or somewhere other than the actual source. Distributors of spam often use spoofing in an attempt to get recipients to open, and possibly even respond to, their solicitations. Look at the sender’s email address not the “From” address displayed in the inbox. You can often identify malicious emails when the two are not consistent.
• Phishing
The practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers, online.
• Spam
Irrelevant or unsolicited messages sent over the Internet, typically to large numbers of users, for the purposes of advertising, phishing, spreading malware, etc..
Don’t unsubscribe from emails you didn’t sign up for; it just reveals your email address is good.
PAGE 6, Monday, July 3, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
Disclosures left ‘in the air’ from page one He also said on Thursday that there were some challenges with obtaining financial records from spouses, particularly in situations where they may have operated bank accounts prior to marriage. He also said there was some unwillingness and apprehension from these spouses to have their private information in the public domain. Speaking on the matter on Sunday, Mr Laroda maintained that no resolution was achieved as of Friday, and due to the end of his appointment as chairman, he was unaware how those matters were concluded. “Limbo,” he told The Tribune when asked for an update. “These disclosures will be in limbo until a new commission is appointed, whether that is me or someone else. “A unit can be in place for up to five years, with ap-
A DOCUMENT supplied by Rodney Moncur showing the receipt of declaration forms. pointments being renewed said he was unaware of the file disclosures or face the annually. June 30 marked end of Mr Laroda’s appoint- court for breaking the law. the end of my appointment ment, and needed to “review The deadline was imand those assigned along their file” to determine how posed by Prime Minister Dr with me. to proceed on the matter. Hubert Minnis and affects “I can’t tell you what will On June 6, Press Secre- more than 20 MPs. It folhappen from this point go- tary Anthony Newbold said lowed a report in The Tribing forward,” he said. delinquent former and sit- une earlier this month that When contacted on the ting members of Parliament revealed a handful of parmatter yesterday, Mr Bethel were given three weeks to liamentarians did not make
‘CHRISTIE TRYING TO DISTRACT’ FROM POOR RECORD OF PLP from page one
In the interview, which has since renewed public discussions on the Christie administration’s handling of several key matters during its time in office, the former prime minister said he was “disappointed” by the allegations being tossed around by the new government. Hitting back at accusations from members of the Minnis administration concerning the controversial pay out of more than $8m to one vendor for hurricane clean up and the write off of $1.2m to an airport tenant who was in arrears, Mr Christie described recent moves made by the government as a “misstep” by a party pandering to its base. Mr Christie maintained that a review of documents on these two controversies would absolve his administration of any wrongdoing and prove that much of the FNM’s rhetoric is as nothing more than “political slogans.” However, in direct response to the claims on
FORMER Prime Minister Perry Christie. Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff Sunday, Mr Turnquest said curring over the last five the Minnis administration years. The facts will speak was not orchestrating a tar- for themselves as they degeted attack on the former velop and the Bahamian government, its leader or people will be the judge,” Mr Turnquest told The any of its members. Mr Turnquest, who is also Tribune. He added: “We will not minister of finance, maintained that the new govern- be forced into a timeline. ment is only attempting to The process will take as clarify how the country ar- long as it takes with transrived at its current financial parency and fairness to all state and rectify any ongoing concerned.” Since beating the PLP in mismanagement throughout a landslide election on May the public sector. “Clearly the former PM 10, the Minnis administrais attempting to move away tion has laid out several infrom the many unfortunate stances in which the former acts of lack of judgment oc- government made decisions
resulting in over-spending and alleged misfeasance. In the weeks following these revelations, several senior members of the PLP have attempted to defend the party’s actions, with the strongest case from former Deputy Prime Minister and current Official Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis. Mr Davis has accused Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis of seeking to portray members of the PLP as “crooks” in an attempt to cover “his inability to lead.” This led to a response from the Office of the Prime Minister, urging the PLP to seek redemption from the Bahamian people, and not attempt to explain away or justify “years of mismanaging the country.” The Minnis administration has ordered forensic audits into Urban Renewal, Bank of the Bahamas (BOB) and the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI), among other areas. Moreover, all Cabinet ministers have been asked to conduct audits within their respective ministries.
a single disclosure last term. Yesterday, former Senator Rodney Moncur said he was among the politicians who were sent letters by Dr Minnis on June 9 and provided The Tribune with a copy of this letter. However, Mr Moncur claimed that his declaration forms were current, telling this newspaper that he filed his documents on March 31 of this year and also produced a copy of a receipt from the Public Disclosure Commission. The talk show host said he feels he is being “targeted” by Dr Minnis, adding that he is contemplating court action to prove that he is not delinquent and to clear his name. “I am being targeted,” Mr Moncur said. “If you are the prime minister and under the law you are required to write me because you feel I didn’t comply, what would you send for? My file. Then with my file, you would examine the file and say I am not signing this letter. He has complied.
“He (Dr Minnis) has targeted me. Secondly when I filed, if I didn’t give sufficient information the law makes provision for the commission to write me and say ‘you didn’t give enough information.’ I have received nothing formal from the commission and I have complied with the law.” Mr Moncur also took issue with the fact that the letter was not hand delivered by a police officer but sent by post. He said his mail is delivered to his brother’s post office box, adding that he did not receive the letter until last Thursday. He added: “Minnis has targeted me, normally the prime minister does not sign letters. He chose to sign it, he is very incompetent; how many letters has Minnis sent out erroneously having not looked at the file?” Failure to file disclosures can result in a fine of $10,000, or two years in prison, or both, or confiscation of land if land is involved, Mr Newbold has said.
BPL PUTS THREE MANAGERS ON LEAVE DURING THEFT PROBE
from page one
“This does not mean they are guilty of anything, we have to wait until we see the full report,” Mr Bannister told The Tribune. “We have hired persons that are highly experienced and very thorough because we want the answers as to what happened. I told the board that this is not political and I wanted them to use their best judgment and to follow the advice of the auditors. I want them to be able to do what they feel is best so there will be no interference from me whatsoever. “There is no politics in this at all. Wherever this investigation leads us, that is what we will do.” Mr Bannister said he is unsure how long the investigation will take but he said “we have to be careful not to put time limits on their work”. In late June, the administration building at BPL’s Big Pond office was shut down to staff and customers over a weekend, while the audit was being carried out. According to a source close to the matter, the offices were closed to allow
“full access” to Ernst and Young auditors to investigate the millions of dollars that have allegedly been “stolen” from the company. The source also said that the Ernst and Young auditors were flown in from an office in the United States to conduct the investigation. Last week, a well-placed source told The Tribune that the amount allegedly missing from BPL has risen to $4m. When asked for comment on this, Mr Bannister said he had not received the updated figure. Last month, four BPL employees were suspended and one person was terminated pending the outcome of the theft investigation. Certain employees were accused of “orchestrating an elaborate scheme” that allegedly involved fake companies and forged cheques. Allegedly at least one bank employee was also involved in the plot and is being investigated, a source told The Tribune. Assistant Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander recently said that while police have not made any arrests to date, “there is no doubt that someone will be charged.”
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MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
insight@tribunemedia.net
THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS
The PLP Legacy: Crimes and Mistakes? By RICHARD COULSON T IS worse than a crime— it is a mistake!” These were the words of alarm from the statesman Talleyrand after Emperor Napoleon ordered the summary execution of a popular rival in France. I think about these words every day as I read a fresh story of our political regime over the last five years. Fortunately, the PLP never executed anyone, but they committed just about every other kind of offence imaginable, whether called malfeasance, misfeasance (criminal or civil), corruption, fraud, self-dealing, cover-up, cronyism—or simply first-degree incompetence. Beginning with the budget debate, the new Ministers have been peeling the covers off “a cascade of charges”, and the public are scandalized. The outrage is only normal. But it’s getting mixed with hysteria. Usually rational commentators are grandly accusing the new Government, of doing nothing “against those persons who milked the Bahamian public. “ Attorney-General Carl Bethel is accused of indifference, of little talk and less action. The Punch reports that FNM Ministers want him fired, for not following the party line. “The people want justice” others write, presumably meaning arrests, prosecutions, convictions, jail terms, and Mr. Bethel is not delivering To his credit, he has not been stampeded,. He knows well that Parliamentary accusations and press publicity do not automatically translate into legal action. If we do not want to be governed like Venezuela or other banana republics, every charge must be precisely investigated to determine whether it’s indictable, followed by a trial and possibly an appeal, all of which are long proceedings —that, incidentally, cost a pretty penny against the people’s treasury. Many of the charges of “milking the Bahamian public”, even if the facts are correct, cannot be considered a “crime” and would not pass the desk of any prosecutor. When the BAMSI contractor was discovered to have ignored the required
“I
building insurance, could he or the Minister or responsible civil servant be criminally charged? Probably no, despite gross negligence. Is anybody “guilty” in paying $700,000 to the young man for cultural advice to the Ministry of Tourism, or millions to KPMG for NHI consultations? At most, poor judgment. Does the granting of million-dollar repair or maintenance contracts to the Ash Group, or to Minky Isaacs, amount to a crime? Unless direct kickbacks to a government officer can be shown, again no. This is not to say these matters are insignificant and should be overlooked. But they make clear the difference between “crime” and “mistake”. A mistake can be a huge blunder in public policy, with profound consequences. Talleyrand (no great moralist) was not upset by the act of summary killing without evidence , but he was deeply worried that the death would lead other countries to declare a bitter war against France. Right now, we learn that a criminal investigation has been launched against BEC officials allegedly for theft of funds, a clear case of white collar crime. But the much greater offence has been the continuing failure of Government ministers to produce a cheap and reliable way to produce electricity, a “mistake” of enormous consequence to our economy. Perhaps worse is the landfill, or “garbage dump” debacle . People cry “some one should go to jail” for allowing toxic fumes to cover whole housing estates. The favourite choice would be former DPM Brave Davis, for selecting the incompetent Renew Bahamas to do (or not do) the job and never disclosing what they were paid. But even the smartest prosecutor in the A-G’s office would fail to prove that their failure was a crime, not just another monumental bungle. Not all our problems can be solved by the legal process. Mr. Bethel is taking the long overdue step of appointing a Director of Public Prosecutions, which will doubtless provide him more scope to dig out and punish identifiable violations of the criminal laws on our statute books. But that will not make him any sort of Public Ombudsman, charged with easing every problem that citizens can suffer.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL CARL BETHEL To correct mistakes, we must rely not on the judicial branch of government, but on the executive. Prosecuting negligent or incompetent public servants will do far less good than revising the whole structure of rules and systems by which a department operates, and if necessary ordering wholesale staff replacements. These reforms can only be imposed from ministerial level and pushed forcefully down to the rank and file, with the Prime Minister setting the tone.
PHILIP ‘BRAVE’ DAVIS
he will return Baha Mar to the handsome young man. Bahamians can argue all day and night whether it was a mistake to favour the Chinese bank and Hong Kong buyer, and unfair to the Izmirlians. I personally always thought it was, but
that’s history. Business deals in the world of mega-bucks investors and super-power nations can be tough on the players, but cannot be called criminal. Up-ending the present arrangements might be possible but would be a colossal
mistake. Unwinding legal, financial, physical and human expectations would delay opening interminably, and once again leave thousands of workers in limbo. Recently visiting the executive offices, I met several foreigners and many Bahamians cooperating in the rush to completion. Executive VP Sandy Sands and Artistic Director John Cox both were there, working for President Graeme Davis as they had for Sarkis. They had made the adjustment, and so can the nation. To maintain its hold on the public, the FNM as a party must wind down its harping on the crimes and mistakes of the PLP (blatant as they were) and focus on the creation of new policies, new measures, new projects. Some visionary thinkers worry that the new Baha Mar may pose a risk of Chinese domination of our economy. Most Bahamians are simply content to see jobs and wealth created in the here-and-now.
N
ot just honesty must be enforced but mundane matters like getting to work on time, filing papers correctly, replacing traffic lights, and getting mail delivered. Without these practices, even the most scrupulous judicial system cannot make much impact. Courts are not equipped to be on-the-spot watch dogs and efficiency experts. Many FNM enthusiasts now demand that the Baha Mar sale be reversed, as the Chinese owner is not a “fit and proper” person to hold a Bahamian casino license due to alleged crooked connections with Macao gambling lords. They expect that dirty linen of deals with PLP politicians will be revealed when all the files are opened. These charges are colourful, but only qualify as unproven tales. In demanding reversal, they are whistling in the wind. Just because Dr. Minnis entertained Sarkis Izmirlian on the podium at Government House does not mean
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PAGE 8 MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
INSIGHT
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
An Unsung Hero making his mark THE JUNE winner of the Unsung Heroes Award, Zhivago McPhee. By DANIELLE BARNES ZHIVAGO McPhee, head of the audio-visual unit at the Public Hospitals Authority, was named the May recipient of the PHA Unsung Heroes Award. Mr McPhee has been with the PHA for two and a half years and has made an indelible mark on the organisation. He told The Tribune that although he is always behind the camera, there is a humbling feeling of being brought to the forefront. He also noted that with this recognition, he is inspired to put on his “heavy duty belt” and work even harder to provide quality service to the organisation. PHA Managing Director Herbert Brown was not surprised when he heard the news of Mr McPhee’s accomplishments and commended him during Friday’s presentation for his hard work and dedication that has been displayed over his time with the company. “I have said on a number
Unsung
HER ES of occasions, that having beautiful buildings, state of the art equipment, while that is important, what is most important in the delivery of health care is the people who provide that service. “Zhivago McPhee, having joined the Public Hospitals Authority, has clearly demonstrated a commitment – every day I watched him and I am so proud that we would have engaged him because he is not only making me proud, but he has earned the respect of his colleagues in the commitment to his duties.” Mr McPhee utilises his formal training in mass communication with a television production emphasis to increase the impact
of PHA’s patient education activities. Whether it is educating the public on hurricane preparations, or alerting Bahamians on how to recognise medical emergencies, co-workers have noticed the high standards of professionalism that Mr McPhee exhibits. Mr Brown also said: “If you work hard, never mind those times you may feel that it’s coming too slow, I guarantee you at that end of the day you will get what you deserve.” The Unsung Heroes Award began this year through a partnership with the PHA, The Tribune Media Group and The Aidan Carron Children’s Foundation to recognise and reward outstanding employees in the public health care
THE PRESENTATION to the June winner of the PHA/Tribune Unsung Heroes Award, Zhivago McPhee (second from right). He is pictured with Kevin Darville, The Tribune’s special projects manager; Verna Bonaby, assistant director of communications, and Herbert Brown, managing director of the PHA. Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff system. ognition, a cash prize of the fifth monthly winner. Kevin Darville, The $1,000, a dinner voucher for Mr McPhee joins VeroniTribune Media Group’s two at the Dune restaurant ca Ferguson, Patricia Laing, special projects manager, at the One&Only Ocean Una Bain and Glynis Armpresented Mr McPhee with Club, and a pin to com- brister as recipients of the a framed certificate of rec- memorate his selection as monthly award.
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EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
INSIGHT
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017 PAGE 9
Venezuela reveals flaws
World View
By SIR RONALD SANDERS
AMID the finger-pointing and blaming over votes at the Organisation of American States (OAS) on matters related to Venezuela, the fundamental problems of the Organisation have been overlooked. Sadly, and wrongly, media commentators and armchair experts have chosen to target “Caribbean countries” as the “villains” behind blocking resolutions on the situation in Venezuela. Several of them have credited the draft declaration on which a vote was taken on 19 June to the United States or Peru. The fact is that the draft declaration was a negotiated text, based in large measure, on a draft that was produced by Caribbean Heads of Government. While misrepresentations are regrettable, of greater importance is the weakness of the Organisation itself and the paralysis that it faces as a direct result of its outmoded Charter and rules of procedure. In its present form, it cannot legitimately interfere or intervene in the internal affairs of its member states. For the Caribbean, a particular area of disquiet should be the suggestion that the time has come to create a kind of Security Council of the OAS, similar to the antiquated regime of the UN, where five countries take the big decisions and each exercises a veto power over the others and every other nation. This suggestion is directed specifically at the 14 Caribbean countries which, when they vote in harmony, affect decisions of the 34-member body. The OAS was signed into being in 1948. It was a different time, with different challenges, requiring different responses. In the 69 years that have passed, much has changed. But while those changes have occurred with dramatic effect in the world, except for three Protocols, the Charter of the OAS has remained the same. While the Inter-American Democratic Charter was given birth in 2001, it was cradled in the construct of the OAS Charter. The UN political compact on ‘the responsibility to protect’ people from largescale human rights violations did not come about for another four years and, even then, it was not made legally binding. The governments of the OAS member states are trying to operate in a new and challenging environment within an old and irrelevant framework with the result that, on the political front, the Organisation is paralysed, unable to take action because its rules, procedures and framework are not designed to address the circumstances between states and within states that now challenge the hemispheric community. Instead of seriously reviewing the Organisation to determine its purpose in a changed world; and to consider what reform is required to make it fit for purpose, and relevant to its transformed circumstances, a few states attempt to break its rules and procedures to achieve ends that they regard as desirable. But, breaking rules may work for a time; it is not sustainable. Short term objectives might be achieved by a few, but at a price of distrust, disharmony and discord that does not – and will not – serve the OAS well. There is an urgent need to review and reform the Organisation. The need has existed for some time. The time for that work is now. For instance, there is a dysfunctionality between the role of the Permanent Council and the SecretaryGeneral. That dysfunctionality exists because there are no clear rules between the authority of the Permanent Council and the Secretary-General. Until
the authority of the two instruments of the Organisation and their relationship with each other, including their limits, are made clear, the opportunity for selfserving interpretation will remain. And so too will continue the opportunity for mischief that retards – not advances – the hemispheric body. At the 47th General Assembly of the OAS in Mexico from 19 to 21 June, Antigua and Barbuda made an appeal for the assembled governments to begin to think about the importance and necessity of establishing machinery for a full review of the Organisation, leading to recommendations for reform that would make it fit for purpose, relevant to its time and its peoples, and more efficient and effective in its structures of management and decision-making. Tinkering at its edges by agreeing to “strengthen” its institutions merely delays the day of reckoning and makes reconstruction much harder. All nations now exist in a troubled world, beset by an increasing gap in global inequality where the rich are getting richer and the poor, poorer; where the weak are disadvantaged for the benefit of the strong; and where Climate Change is denied even as its effects wreak havoc in island states and states with low coastal areas. The hemisphere needs the multilateralism that the OAS could provide, particularly at a time when unilateralism has assumed a new and large dimension. There is now a brashness to unilateralism in which might is pursued falsely labelled as right. In this regard, it has been suggested that there should be some form of weighted voting in the Organisation – one that gives more strength to the votes of larger countries, and less regard to smaller states. But, if that is what is intended by “strengthening” the OAS, it is an ill-conceived notion. Small Caribbean states do not seek to impose their will on any; instead they seek cooperation and dialogue in furtherance of the interests of the home of the Americas in which all the peoples of OAS member states live. Within the organisation, they have helped to build networks in times of institutional failure; consensus in a time of divisiveness; and bridges in a time of walls. The financial contributions of small states to the OAS may be relatively modest in volume terms, but they are equivalent to the percentage of GDP paid by every other nation, and so too is the intellectual and creative capacity that they have given to the Organisation and its work. Further, since the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia, the nation state has been accepted and respected. Caribbean states have struggled through slavery and indentured labour, through colonialism and imperialism, through repression and oppression to carve a place for themselves in the world community and at the table of decision-making in the hemisphere. They earned the right to be equal members of the OAS and they pay their dues proportionately. Caribbean small states will not yield their rights, even as they use those rights to try to reform the OAS to make it relevant to the political and economic demands of a time very different from 1948. • Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.com The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the US and the OAS. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own.
ANTI-government demonstrators protest in Caracas, Venezuela, on Saturday. Demonstrators are taking the the streets after three months of continued protests that has left dozens dead and seen the country’s chief prosecutor Luisa Ortega barred from leaving the country and her bank accounts frozen, by the Supreme Court following her mounting criticisms of President Nicolas Maduro. Photo: Ariana Cubillos/AP
PAGE 10, Monday, July 3, 2017
GENERAL LORI ROBINSON, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command.
THE TRIBUNE
By the rocket’s red glare
FIREWORKS at the US Embassy celebrations for US Independence, above, and, below, the official cutting of the cake decorated as the US flag. Officially cutting the cut was Governor General Marguerite Pindling and General Lori Robinson. Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis greets US Chargé d’Affaires Lisa Johnson.
FROM left, Deidre Henfield with husband, Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield, US Chargé d’Affaires Lisa Johnson, and David Robinson with his wife, General Lori Robinson.
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis shares a laugh with Foreigh Affairs Minister Darren Henfield.
PAGE 12, Monday, July 3, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
Govt is ‘working assiduously’ to complete anti-corruption legislation By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net THE attorney general and his team are “working assiduously” to complete anti-corruption legislation to ensure that those sitting in the highest offices are held accountable, according to Minister of National Security Marvin Dames. The Mount Moriah MP added that the public has the responsibility of bringing matters to the attention of the Royal Bahamas Police Force while the Minnis administration audits government agencies. Press Secretary Anthony
Newbold has said the government hopes to table this legislation in the House of Assembly shortly after Parliament’s summer recess. Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade “is responsible for investigating those matters,” Mr Dames said on Thursday following the Royal Bahamas Defence Force’s change of command ceremony. “The public has the responsibility of bringing the matters to the attention of the police and as we see matters during our audits within our own departments and throughout government, we will certainly bring it to the attention of
the police. “Wherever there are allegations of improprieties then we have to investigate it. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it. “Bahamians are concerned with how the affairs of this country have been managed over the last five years and we will be doing a disservice if we ignore it as if nothing happened. It cannot be and so we are determined to do whatever is necessary within the framework of the law to ensure that we provide a full accounting to the people of this nation. “When we say ‘it’s the people‘s time’ we’re not just saying that for fluff, we mean it and we have to be as transparent as possible. We pledged that while on the campaign trail and we don’t intend to buckle at this time. “So, the unit that has been formed internally within the police force is addressing these matters while we work on bringing the bill to Parliament that will establish an autonomous anti-corruption agency whose responsibility will be to take on these matters and other matters in future.” He continued: “The attorney general and (his) team they are working assiduously now. They are looking at best practices because we want to make certain that when we do introduce an anti-corruption bill to Parliament (that) it is a bill that Bahamians will be pleased with (and that) it is a bill that will certainly cover all of the issues that are currently out there.” In keeping with its campaign promise to wipe out malfeasance in government and increase transparency, the Free National Movement ad-
MINISTER of National Security Marvin Dames. Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff “My government is proud upon which now Prime ministration pledged in May in the Speech from the of the capabilities of the Minister Dr Hubert Minnis Throne to create and en- team that you have en- capitalised. force anti-corruption legis- trusted with your mandate. Last week, Commissionlation for parliamentarians As has been noted publicly er Greenslade announced already, we will ensure that that the RBPF had created and public officers. “My government will en- all members of Parliament an Anti-Corruption Branch sure that its ministers are and all of the senior mem- (ACB). held to the highest stand- bers of the public service The unit is located on ards of constitutional and are familiar with all of the Nassau Street north, in the personal conduct. Conse- practices, principles and Neville Bethel Building. quently, my government tools of good governance as Assistant Commissioner will enact and enforce anti- we get to work on your be- of Police Paul Rolle is in corruption legislation for half,” the speech continued. charge of the new unit. For several months beall parliamentarians and The ACB can be reached public officers,” the speech, fore the general election, at: 356-6099 (director), 356read by Governor General stamping out acts of corrup- 6025, 356-6021 and 356tion was a common theme 6023. Dame Marguerite, noted.
SPECIAL PASSPORT COLLECTION FACILITY OPEN FOR JULY THE Passport Office has announced that a special collection centre opens today and will remain open during the month of July at the Anatol Rodgers Gymnasium at the school on Faith Avenue in Nassau. The special centre has been opened to promote and encourage the collection of thousands of epassports that have been processed and are ready to be picked up by the holders. One of the main challenges for the Passport Office is to get passport holders to collect their new e-passports, which have already been applied for, completed and are currently awaiting collection. Chief Passport Officer Superintendent Clarence Russell said: “There is right now an extensive list of passports simply waiting for their owners to come and collect them.” To be sure that your individual e-passport is among those ready for collection, the Passport Office has established a hotline for public enquiries at 323-8591. Mr Russell continued: “... Or people can simply drive by the Passport Office and examine the list of completed passports awaiting collection, which is posted on the outside window of the Passport Office on Thompson Boulevard.” The centre at Anatol Rodgers will be open each day, Monday through Friday, between 10.30am and 2.30pm solely for the collection of passports that have already been processed and that are ready for collection. The public is further advised to remember to bring along: old passports for cancellation and receipts as proof of entitlement to collect the new passport. The Passport Office has been undergoing rejuvenation recently, with increased emphasis on customer service and responsiveness. Mr Russell also said that “of the 355,468 persons in the Bahamas eligible to hold a passport, we are proud to report that a total of 339,413 do in fact have their new electronically readable or e-passports.”
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, July 3, 2017, PAGE 13
BOLIVARIAN National Police carry a demonstrator on their motorcycle after they detained him during protests in Caracas, Venezuela, on Saturday. Photo: Ariana Cubillos/AP
Venezuela’s Maduro hikes wages amid citizen protests CARACAS, VENEZUELA Associated Press VENEZUELAN President Nicolas Maduro is hiking salaries as he tries to overcome major protests and rally support for his plans to rewrite the constitution. Maduro said on his Sunday television show that the minimum wage will rise 50 percent starting this month. Workers will earn at least 250,000 bolivars per month including food subsidies, or less than $35 at the black market exchange rate. It’s the third wage increase this year as triple-
digit inflation erodes workers’ savings. At least 80 people have died during the past three months of protests seeking Maduro’s removal. The demonstrations gained intensity after Maduro called for a special election to choose delegates to rewrite the constitution in a poll that opponents say heavily favors the unpopular socialist leader. Pope Francis is calling for an end to the violence at Venezuela’s anti-government protests and is expressing solidarity with families of those killed. Francis led thousands in
prayer yesterday for Venezuela as he noted the country is to mark its independence on Wednesday. He said: “I assure this dear nation of my prayers and express my closeness to the families who have lost their children in the street protests. I appeal for an end to the violence and for a peaceful and democratic solution to the crisis.” The Vatican sponsored a dialogue last year that failed. Recently, Venezuelan bishops have travelled to the Vatican and briefed Francis on their criticism of President Nicolas Maduro’s authoritarian bent.
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THE TRIBUNE
www.ub.edu.bs
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES Suitably qualified candidates are invited to submit applications and supporting documentation for the following positions at University of The Bahamas.
ADMINISTRATION
Associate Vice President, Business Enterprise Unit responsible for providing strong oversight for multiple activities across a range of business operations and opportunities at the University including retail and facilities rental. Further duties and responsibilities include working pro-actively to develop new business opportunities; developing business proposals for existing and new customers; ensuring costs are reported and monitored to determine return on investments/objectives and improve general efficiency; working with key suppliers and networking/sourcing new suppliers in order to provide the most up-to-date and cost-effective client development solutions. The AVP Business Enterprise Unit will also develop innovative strategies for revenue growth, including undertaking interviews in order to get feedback and incorporate it into the institution’s growth plan. Applicants must have a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, with at least 5 years’ post degree experience at the management level. For more information visit: http://www.ub.edu.bs/about-us/career-opportunities/administration/ .
MIDDLE MANAGEMENT
Director, Intramural and Recreation responsible for directing, organizing, supervising and evaluating all aspects of the Intramural and Recreation programme, enforcing its policies and procedures and strengthening relationships with faculty, staff, students and alumni that build school spirit. Further duties and responsibilities include managing the Intramural and Recreation budget; authorizing intramural equipment purchases and repairs; creating and maintaining an operational procedures manual; designing, coordinating and scheduling programmes and maintaining records relative to participation and equipment inventory. Applicants with a Master’s or Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in Recreation, Sports Administration, Exercise Science, Physical Education or related field AND Certification in First Aid and CPR are eligible. For more information visit: http://www.ub.edu.bs/about-us/career-opportunities/administration/ .
Assistant Director, Alumni Affairs & Annual Fund responsible for assisting in the implementation of alumni programmes both on and off campus while facilitating the engagement of alumni and promoting the activities of the Alumni Affairs Office. Duties and responsibilities include working closely with the Alumni Association Board and facilitating a productive relationship between the Board and the academic and administrative leadership; participating in departmental planning, implementation and communication with external and internal constituencies; managing and leading the annual Phonathon Initiative; measuring the success of initiatives and alumni participation and supervising alumni coordinators, work/study employees and alumni volunteers. A Bachelor’s degree and 4 years’ experience in organizational development, event planning, alumni relations, fund raising or communications/public relations are required qualifications. For more information visit: http://www.ub.edu.bs/about-us/career-opportunities/administration/ .
Assistant Director, Payroll responsible for the day-to-day supervision of the Payroll Unit. The Assistant Director, Payroll will maintain an accurate system of salary payments and notifications of same; ensure relevant reports are prepared accurately; identify, investigate, and resolve any payroll discrepancies; prepare monthly salary expenditure reports and provide external audit information when required. Further duties and responsibilities include performing month-end reconciliation and reconciliation of payroll related GL accounts. Applicants must possess a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, Accounting or equivalent; 5 years’ experience in payroll management or eight (8) years as Payroll Assistant and at least two years’ administrative experience which involve the supervision of support staff. For more information visit: http://www.ub.edu.bs/about-us/career-opportunities/administration/
Assistant Director, Maintenance Services responsible for ensuring that all University grounds and buildings are properly maintained; planning and directing all major and minor maintenance repairs and managing all tools, parts, general equipment and supplies designated for the maintenance of University properties. Additional duties and responsibilities entail ensuring completion of periodic inventory checks; maintaining accurate records of the plant’s monthly maintenance costs and assets, recommending cost reductions where possible; developing preventative maintenance programmes and assisting with the preparation of annual budgets. Applicants must have at least a Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent professional qualification; evidence of enrolment or completion in a certified Human Resources Management or Supervisory Management programme and a minimum of 8-10 years’ experience with at least 5 years of supervisory responsibility. For more information visit: http://www.ub.edu.bs/about-us/career-opportunities/administration/ .
STAFF
Electrical Unit Supervisor/Foreman responsible for the installation, inspection, maintenance and repair of wires, conduits, apparatus, fixtures and other electrical appliances. Duties and responsibilities include maintaining records of assignments and materials received and used as well as producing work reports; attending meetings called by management; undertaking continued training as required to meet the dynamic needs of the client and industry; complying with departmental and governmental health and safety standards; reporting damage, malfunctioning of furniture or fixtures to the Help Desk and assisting in maintaining a preventative maintenance schedule. Applicants must possess certification as a Three (III) Phase Licensed Technician. For more information visit: http://www.ub.edu.bs/about-us/career-opportunities/staff/ .
Storeroom Clerk II (Culinary Arts and Tourism Studies) responsible for receiving and/or issuing food, beverages, supplies, and operating equipment in accordance with established policies and procedures and ensuring that all products and services received are consistent with hotel/hospitality quality standards and communicating errors, spoilage and waste to management in a timely manner. Further duties and responsibilities include receiving and maintaining food, beer, wine, liquor and operational supplies according to schedule; conducting inspections for proper specifications (quantity and quality); maintaining daily logs for all products and services; assisting with interim and year-end inventory and attending meetings and/or training sessions as required by management. An Office Assistant’s Certificate, OR approved equivalent as for CSS-1, AND 5 years’ relevant work experience or Associate Degree in relevant area are required. For more information visit: http://www.ub.edu.bs/about-us/career-opportunities/staff/ .
Interested applicants should forward the following to the Human Resources Department by emailing hrapply@ub.edu.bs: • A completed UB Employment Application Form (available on the website); • A cover letter of interest highlighting work experience and accomplishments relevant to the position; • Current Curriculum Vitae or Resume; • Copies of Relevant Qualifications and Certificates; • Copy of the relevant pages of a valid passport showing passport number, photo • identification and expiration date; • Copy of N.I.B. Card; • At least three (3) written, professional references. The deadline for all applications is Tuesday, 4th July, 2017.
FACULTY
Librarian (Part-Time), lending support to the overall law collection and staff, responsible for general reference and research assistance, management of law journal and reserve collections, sorting and shelving of legal resources, producing monthly statistics/reports, supervising and mentoring student workers, assisting patrons with copying/scanning functions and involvement in policy development and facilities management. A master’s degree in Library Science is preferred or an LLB and a minimum of 2 years’ experience working in an academic Library setting or a legal environment. For more information visit: http://www.ub.edu.bs/about-us/career-opportunities/faculty/ .
Interested applicants should submit the following electronically to the attention of the Office of Academic Affairs, University of The Bahamas by emailing facultyapply@ ub.edu.bs. • Completed University of The Bahamas Application for Employment Form (available on the website); • Letter of interest (highlighting work experience and accomplishments relevant to the position); • Up-to-date curriculum vitae or resume; • Unofficial transcripts (official transcripts needed for employment); and • At least three confidential, professional references. Hard copy submissions will not be accepted. Incomplete files will not be considered.
‘The Bahamas’ own street philosopher’