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Handbag hold-up Two men dressed as women stage John Bull robbery By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net TWO men disguised as women, both wearing long dark wigs, pulled off a daring morning robbery at the John Bull store in Freeport yesterday, smashing a display case and stealing a number of high-priced watches. At least one of the thieves appeared to have his chest padded to give the illusion of breasts. This is the second time in two months that men wearing women’s clothes have robbed a jewellery store after a similar theft happened at a business in Nassau earlier this year. Meanwhile, customers and employees inside the Grand Bahama store were taken by surprise
and left shocked by the daring smash and grab incident that occurred sometime around 10am yesterday. The thieves did not have guns and escaped on foot in a nearby vehicle, which was later recovered by police. Surveillance video footage of the robbers dressed in women’s clothing went viral on social media. In the footage, the two men are seen running from the Port Lucaya Marketplace store clutching large handbags. One of the thieves clutched his wig as he ran, in an effort to keep it from falling off. Assistant Superintendent of Police Terecita Pinder said officers are combing the island in search of the perpetrators and are SEE PAGE THREE
THE numbers industry as Bahamians know it is at a “standstill,” Craig Flowers told The Tribune yesterday, insisting his organisation FML Group of Companies, and others, will not be able to clearly chart a course of survival until the new stamp duty on deposits and digital online sales takes effect. This new five per cent stamp tax was initially set to come on stream on July 1. However, according to Tourism and Aviation Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar
By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
yesterday, the tax will not be applied until sometime in August. He explained there was a need to modify point of sale systems and gaming platforms. In an interview with The Tribune yesterday, Mr Flowers said the stamp tax will be the determining factor for the gaming industry. It was also the reason why he chose not to make any definitive statements concerning the employment future of hundreds of employees. SEE PAGE SIX
FORMER Member of Parliament Phenton Neymour has died, it was confirmed last night. The former South Beach MP, pictured, had recently spoken out about his health, announcing his support for medical marijuana, saying that the treatment had saved his life when battling stage three colon rectal cancer in 2014. The cause of his death was not revealed last night. Mr Neymour was Minister of State in the SEE PAGE SEVEN
‘NO PLACE FOR DPP IN SOCIAL MEDIA WAR’
GAMING INDUSTRY NOW AT ‘STANDSTILL’ By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
FORMER MP PHENTON NEYMOUR HAS DIED
ONE of the male robbers disguised as a woman seen fleeing from the scene of the John Bull store robbery in Freeport on security camera footage.
PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Chairman Fred Mitchell yesterday expressed shock over the government’s decision to refer a “simple social media, political war” to the director of public prosecutions. In a press statement, Mr Mitchell questioned the use of the state apparatus to investigate “some phantom alleged criminal behaviour”, and suggested there was an agenda to intimidate PLP supporters. He condemned the move as shameful and “nakedly political,” adding the party expected to see the specific directions given by Attorney General Carl Bethel gazetted as required by law. SEE PAGE FIVE
EMBASSY ROLE IN SHANTY TOWN EVICTIONS By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net
HAITIAN Embassy First Assistant Secretary Karl Henri Chatelier has been working with the Bahamas government, local clergy, and the Haitian community to help develop alternatives to residents being evicted from shanty towns, while bettering the conditions of those areas. In an interview with
ZNS Morning Edition, Mr Chatelier suggested the options of renovations that will bring shanty town residences up to building codes, leasing the land, and extending the eviction deadline. “They are willing to rebuild the shanty towns with their own possibilities,” Mr Chatelier told ZNS. “They will respect all the requirements, like the electricity, waters – everything
and give another face to the shanty town. And allow the government Bahamian to have the happy ending and them too to live in a better place.” Purchasing or leasing the land is another option he wants the government to consider offering residents. “They want to purchase or, if the government to allow them to, lease them, if they can have, if I can SEE PAGE TWO
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PAGE 2, Tuesday, July 24, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
A SHANTY town building being broken down off Carmichael Road and, right, a resident shows The Tribune paperwork showing a building permit for their home. Photos: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff
Embassy role in shanty town evictions from page one say, the accord, something that can allow them to stay on the land, and something legally. And they can pay every month, and they will rebuild the shanty town.” Ultimately, the Haitian government official said the August 10 eviction deadline is too soon, and that relocations will take more time. “August 10, I don’t think the shanty (towns) will be ready. Because there’s a lot of families, they were quiet since June and the beginning of July, because they know the house was safe. But since last week, the storm was begging for them.” However, Mr Chatelier admitted that the residents want to improve their standard of living. “They know their situation isn’t good,” he said. “And they know their condition is unsanitary. They
don’t want to stay in that condition.” Yesterday, The Tribune canvassed a shanty town off Carmichael Road. When asked about the eviction deadline, many residents expressed similar views as that of Mr Chatelier. A woman who gave her name as Rose, who lives with her mother, three children, and a disabled brother, said the deadline is too short. “They came here and told us…after 28 days we have to move,” she said. “That is too short. A lot of people around here, they have like more than two or three kids, and some of them they don’t work and people don’t want people with children in (their) apartment. “I feel as if 28 days is too short.” When asked how long she would recommend the deadline be extended for, Rose suggested three months. “I could understand if
they gave the people them three months… Those who ain’t working, they could find (something) to do, save up money. “Because when you look at renting an apartment, you have to pay first, last, and security. “And that’s like over $1,000, like $1,500 dollars. You should at least give the people an opportunity to try find that money, and in 28 days it’s too quick to find that money.” Rose also expressed concerns about the levels of crime in the communities where the government is suggesting shanty town residents relocate. “The areas that they sending us in is not good. Even though this a Haitian village, there’s not a lot of crime. “And if you send us in these village where (there’s) a lot of crime, in the future they’ll blame the HaitianBahamian for the crime. I don’t think they should just send us to those areas.”
SHANTY town buildings off Carmichael Road and, right, a resident speaking to The Tribune.
Referring to her disabled brother, Rose claimed no consideration has been made to persons living with disabilities. “Well, with them telling us we have 28 days, no one came to visit us and find out if there’s any persons with any disabilities,” she said. “So, I feel as if they don’t really care about us. They only care about us when election. Because when it’s time for election, you see all type of people. “No one came to find out, well, ‘is there anyone disabled? Are there any elderlies?’ No one came at all.” Rose also told The Tribune that news of the relocation has hampered her dreams of becoming a social worker. “I was planning on going back to school in September, but I feel as if like if we have to move, and me not working, I feel as if it’ll be difficult for me to go back
to school. “Instead of…the government trying to help me, I feel as if they trying to break me down and bring me down.” A man who wished to be identified as Junior said his parents have lived in the shanty town for over 15 years. He added that work for his father, a carpenter by trade, has been slow, and that his family “wasn’t ready” for an eviction. “The house done build,” he said. “They done spend all type money on that house.” On July 12, an official from the government’s Shanty Town Action Task Force said more than 200 rental units have been identified and logged as alternative housing for evicted shanty town residents. Colin Wright, chairman of the Alternative Housing Committee, a subcommittee within the task force,
said his unit has identified and documented just over 200 vacancies around New Providence that range between $400 and $800 per month in rent. Earlier this month, the government pushed its July 31 deadline for New Providence shanty town evictions to August 10. The task force assessed 1,410 residents from the 428 households, and revealed most are long-term residents aged 40 or older with an average of three persons per household and total weekly incomes of less than $400. The task force has also revealed that, of the 14 properties which provided legitimate construction permits to authorities in recent weeks, none was ever granted an occupancy certificate. As a result, task force officials yesterday said that no home identified in any of the communities meets the criteria to remain.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, July 24, 2018, PAGE 3
SMASHED glass in the watch display at John Bull in Freeport, and, below, images caught on security cameras of the fleeing robbers dressed as women.
Handbag hold-up from page one
appealing to the public for information that could assist them with their investigation. She reported that police at Port Lucaya received a report of a robbery at John Bull where two persons dressed as women entered the store. “They smashed the showcase and took some high-priced watches. After they left on foot, they entered a dark-coloured vehicle, and that vehicle was later recovered a short time later,” ASP Pinder reported. When The Tribune arrived, crime scene investigators were at the store. Several yellow numbered markers were set down on the floor inside the store, and officers were speaking with employees. Police would not disclose a description of the vehicle or where it was found, but sources told The Tribune the getaway car was a stolen vehicle. ASP Pinder said the suspects did not have guns and no shots were fired. A nearby booth vendor recalled seeing two feminine-looking men walking in the vicinity moments before the robbery. “I did not pay that much attention to them, and then (I) heard a loud noise and commotion inside the store,” the vendor said. Port Lucaya Marketplace has its own in-house security officers on foot patrol and surveillance cameras in the area as there are a number of jewellery stores in the shopping centre. According to a vendor
at Port Lucaya, a female police officer with her weapon drawn was searching the area for the suspects shortly after the robbery incident. “She had her gun out and looked around by where the water is, and then she went to the front. Then I heard later that John Bull had been robbed,” the vendor recalled. “For something like this to be happening here in the tourist area is not a good thing, and someone got killed here this year,” the vendor said. “I know they have
‘IT WASN’T ME,’ SAYS ATHLETE FROM GAMES DESPITE the rumors circulating on social media that he was one of the four men, dressed as women, connected with the armed robbery of John Bull in Port Lucaya, Grand Bahama yesterday, quarter-miler Stephen “Dirty” Newbold said via a video tape that it could not possibly be him. He noted that he was in Panama on his way to Colombia today to represent The Bahamas at the 23rd Central American and Caribbean Games where he will be a member of the men’s 4 x 400 metre team that was named by the Bahamas Olympic Committee. In his video, Newbold could be seen dressed in his Bahamian track outfit in the hallway with another
member of the Bahamas team in the background. “If you’ll people can’t see, Dirty in Panama right now,” he said. “I’m about to head to Colombia in the morning. What? What?” Both the BOC and the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations have confirmed that Newbold left yesterday for the CAC Games. In response to the allegations, the BAAA issued this press release: “Dear all, please be advised that the information being put on social media about our acclaimed athlete Stephen Newbold is fallacious and erroneous. The aforementioned athlete left today for the CAC Games in Colombia, We ask the perpetrator to cease and desist immediately.”
cameras around here, but they may need to hire some more security officers to deter persons from coming here and committing any more robberies.” Ivan Moss, managing director of Port Lucaya Marketplace, said the area is safe despite the robbery incident, and the shooting of a man earlier in the year. Mr Moss said representatives of the shopping centre are assisting the police with their investigations into the John Bull robbery. He said the marketplace is still safe.
“People do not have to be concerned because we are still safe, but some persons will try anything. We are working with the police and allowing them to have access to our surveillance footage to assist them with their investigation.” Mr Moss said that Port Lucaya security officers were on the property at the time, but were not in the area where the robbery had taken place. “Our security officers do not carry arms, and so we call the police who are just across the street from us,”
Mr Moss said. “We did call the police in this case, and they were on the scene very quickly.” Mr Moss explained that like anywhere else in the world, unfortunate incidents happen sometimes. In January, a man was shot dead outside a popular restaurant at Port Lucaya. In May, two armed men dressed as women, also wearing black wigs, robbed a watch and jewellery store in downtown Nassau. An eyewitness told The Tribune at the time that the brazen daytime robbery
happened at Quantum Duty Free on Bay Street shortly after 9am. Police said two men entered the Bay Street store and caused damage to a display case and stole a quantity of watches before running away. Meanwhile, the Royal Bahamas Police Force is appealing to the general public for information on yesterday’s robbery. They are asked to call the Central Detective Unit in Grand Bahama at 350-3107 through 12, 911, 919 or contact the nearest police station.
PAGE 4, Tuesday, July 24, 2018
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A bumbling buffoon but could Trump win again? HISTORIANS will certainly have their hands full with the legacy of Donald Trump. Just when it seems he cannot do anything more outlandish, selfish or just plain stupid, he surpasses himself. His performance in meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Finland last week almost seemed to be an attempt to exceed his own previously well-documented witlessness. It must be admitted that if that was his intent, he was successful. Observers accustomed to viewing an American president with at least some degree of respect and admiration must surely now concede this particular incumbent of the Oval Office deserves neither respect nor admiration. It is only a small step further for observers to acknowledge a growing feeling of disregard for the country of which he is the present chief executive. Pundits and commentators are certainly among the major beneficiaries of Trump’s refusal to be careful with his words. Television personalities with predictable predilections about Trump opine every evening before increasing audiences. Such dominance of the news media and public discourse must be a point of real pride for a self-oriented personality like Trump. He may wonder if figures he appears to admire like Putin actually do envy his ability to routinely blot out virtually any other news than what he has done or said lately. It would not come as a surprise to learn that Putin, North Korea’s Kim Jong-un and other real autocrats do indeed envy Trump’s omnipresence. He has been able to achieve news domination without resort to the secret police, armed forces or control of the supply and distribution of food, communications and electric power. How in fact has Trump managed to accomplish this? Are we all spectators and witnesses to a phenomenon who will take his historical place along political theorists and practitioners like Machiavelli, Disraeli, Metternich, Bismarck, Churchill, Lenin and Roosevelt? Or is Trump the hapless, foolish buffoon many would secretly like him to be, a silly aberration who will inevitably soon be swept from the political stage, a mere footnote in a future discussion of a political course adjustment that was
overdue in American and perhaps European politics? It is too early to know. It seems improbable that Trump is really a calculating conniver who carefully plots his next move. He simply could not be that good an actor. But to dismiss him as an inconsequential outlier may also be misguided. Democrats, liberals and the putative majority of Americans who despise this president, and the disrepute and even irrelevancy to which he is leading the United States, must not repeat Hillary Clinton’s mistake of 2016 in underestimating Trump. They must learn also from the sad, similar experience of John Kerry in 2004. Kerry, a sitting senator and the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, had looked on as Bush made several major mistakes. Bush approved a profoundly poor policy decision in invading Iraq when the real revenge targets were further east in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Bush actively impeded life-saving stem cell research to appease a minority of religious zealots. Bush appeared to be the intellectual servant of neo-conservative theorists whose worldview was tainted by greed and lust for power and unconcerned with the nation’s interests. But most of all, Bush squandered a once in a lifetime opportunity to unify the sprawling, diverse United States of America after the unfathomable horror of the terrorist bombings of New York City and Washington on September 11, 2001. For the first time since the Japanese sucker-punched the US by destroying most of its Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbour in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, the US mainland faced a real, tangible threat from an overseas foe. Americans were ready to enlist behind wise leadership and forge ahead to impel the nation to new heights. Bush blew it. Feckless and intellectually lazy, he gave clear evidence of just how unprepared and unready he was to lead the nation. That had all happened during his first term. Americans knew just how inadequate a president he was before they went to the polls in November 2004. John Kerry knew it, too, and like Clinton in 2016, he underestimated his opponent. Bush won anyhow. Could Trump do the same?
Ban exports of Queen Conch EDITOR, The Tribune. STROMBUS gigas or Queen Conch as it is known to most of us, is collapsing in most of its historic Caribbean region. Though taking them has been absolutely banned in the Florida Keys for 30 years now, they still haven’t come back in any significant numbers. The recent trend in their numbers elsewhere are not encouraging either. We are unsure of the true numbers of conch leaving The Bahamas, from our own exports, as well as, foreign poachers, mostly Dominican and American it seems. We do know that in the last five years, the number of adult conchs have declined in Exuma Land & Sea Park by 71 percent. This, in one of the most stringently regulated parks we have in The Bahamas. Certainly this is a huge concern. It is also a given that we have very little enforcement of our fisheries laws throughout our Family
Islands, as well as, most of the marine parks administered by the Bahamas National Trust. And, The Bahamas has faced an historic inability to regulate and halt foreign poaching, nor have we managed to successfully convince our own citizens to abide by the Fisheries laws. Proof of this is available in every shoreside heap of conch shells in The Bahamas. Conch is considered an important staple of the Bahamian diet and should be protected first and foremost for the Bahamian people. The continued relative abundance of conch should be considered immensely important to our people, and a very valuable element of the tourist experience which we can also capitalise on. All the science points to a severe reduction in the abundance of conch regionally, with potential extinction, if significant and workable conservation measures are not put into place fairly quickly. The
science is only just catching up to the regional declines and the requirements for a healthy and sustainable fishery. A proactive approach is the best way to assure the future availability of this important food source. The lessons learned from fisheries globally regarding regulation and conservation have always come too late. This is much too important a resource to not take a proactive conservative approach for the sake of our human population, as well as, our valuable conch population. Please Bahamians, educate yourself about what is going on with our conch populations so that we can make sensible and longterm decisions for the benefit of us all. I believe it is incumbent upon us to immediately halt the export of our Queen Conch. NORMAN TRABULSY Jr Mangrove Cay, Andros, July 13, 2018.
Farewell to Basil Sands EDITOR, The Tribune.
ILLUSTRIOUS Basil Sands loved God. He was devoted to his God and his Anglican Church, while respecting the many ways in which people express their spirituality. During the Episcopacy of Bishops Eldon and Gomez, Mr Sands, the Treasurer of the Diocese, who served voluntarily, designed and implemented strategies to strengthen the fiscal foundation of the Diocese. He also served Bishop Boyd and remained available for astute advice. The Bishops and he recognized the need for an holistic approach to decision making. I remember well the piercing questions and silent strength of Mr Sands at meetings of Diocesan Committees to change the Canons, the Education Authority and recruitment of persons testing their vocation. The full impact of every decision was fully examined and measured. Bishops in the Province also called upon Mr Sands for advice and assistance. He was a Family Man. He and his devoted wife Robertha “Bobby” Sands, did everything that they could to ensure that their children were well educated – in the truest sense of the word. They were an incredible team. They loved family. Growing up, their house was always filled with family and friends -including their children’s friends. Significantly, they were married for more than 65 years – demonstrating their belief in the importance of marriage as the foundation of family and community life. Mrs Sands, who worked with my mother at BOAC, loved to travel. Mr and Mrs Sands ensured that through travel and education, their children understood their place in the world. Because they are well educated, each of his children Robert “Sandy”, Diane, Basil, Renee and Duane (“Ernie”) - have taken their place in leadership in their professions and in public service, at all levels. This fact, understandably, is a source of great pride for their parents. Mr Sands also served as a father figure and mentor for his nieces and nephews and countless others - nationally and internationally. A chartered accountant by profession, he worked tirelessly and gave sacrificially to the accounting profession. This service is forever etched in history by his record as a founding
LETTERS
letters@tribunemedia.net member and director of the Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA), by which he has been honoured. This visionary and courageous man lived through the era when people, including Bahamians, did not repose confidence in Bahamian accountants, especially if they were people of colour. This trailblazer worked hard to change that view. He understood that the future of Bahamians in the profession rested on the shoulders of people like him. He worked extremely hard; was an exacting task master and skilled mentor. His extraordinary competence, professionalism and integrity remain unchallenged. His firm PKF is a leading accounting firm in The Bahamas. It gave him great pleasure to work with his daughter Renee, also a chartered accountant. I know she appreciated the opportunity to enjoy a professional relationship with her father. They ably demonstrated succession planning in business, to our young nation. One would imagine that with his stellar service to church, family and profession he would have no time for anything else. Not so. Many NGOs have benefited from his benevolence. He was a dear friend of my father, Sir Clement Maynard, both being “out East men”. Both came from humble beginnings. He worked with and advised my father on Gambier House, which was turned over to the PLP debt free, the Senior Citizens Centre, the Yellow Elder Day Care Centre and the GK Symonette Library, all projects commenced and completed, debt-free, by those teams of visionary men and women. And, he gave similar seminal service to scores of other NGOs and generally to Bahamians who sought his advice. Mrs Sands also worked with my father, as manager of personnel and services, at a time when he and the leaders in the Ministry of Tourism were reshaping that Ministry so that it could fully achieve its role as the main engine of the Bahamian economy. This intelligent and gracious lady, as well as understanding the travel industry, is a natural mentor. Many young Bahamians became leaders in the industry, nationally and abroad,
and new programmes, like the People to People Programme became entrenched. The Honorary Consular Corps (“HCC”) at its birth and until his retirement benefited from Mr Sands’ wisdom. While he was Honorary Consul to Japan, the Emperor of Japan bestowed upon him, Order of the Sacred Treasure. Members of the HCC and many Ministers of Foreign Affairs benefitted from his diplomatic skills. Her Majesty the Queen honoured him when she bestowed upon him the honour of Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George. Perhaps the public service of which he was most proud was his service to his beloved Ancient and Accepted Scottish Right of Freemasonry, Prince Hall Affiliated. As well as being a 33º Mason, he served for many years on the United Supreme Council. In 2016, he was elected to the highest office, of the Sovereign Grand Commander, a post that he held at his passing. He was the first non-American to hold this position. In this capacity he led over 7,000 Scottish Rite Freemasons, Prince Hall Affiliated, from the USA, Barbados, Canada, Europe, the Far East and The Bahamas. At the Testimonial Ball held by The Bahamas Council of Deliberation to honour him in 2017, it was clear to all that Mr Sands is held in the highest esteem everywhere that Freemasonry exists. I’ve known Mr Sands all of my life. It is pellucidly clear that he was a role model and a nation builder. The Bahamas is better place because Mr Sands, served God and people, quietly, congenially, generously, and graciously; with excellence, dignity and integrity – seeking no reward. He was a patriot – a nation builder. I pray that Mrs Sands and the entire family will be comforted in the days and years ahead as they hear from people all over the world, and from all walks of life, how Illustrious Basil Sands positively impacted and changed their lives. Mr Sands is a national hero. My mother, Zoe, Lady Maynard, and our family extend deepest sympathy and prayerful support to Mrs Sands and their family. May he rest in peace. ALLYSON MAYNARD-GIBSON Nassau, July 19, 2018.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, July 24, 2018, PAGE 5
‘No role for DPP in social media war’ from page one “We think the real story here is the prosecutions that were unleashed on PLP MPs; this is now victor’s justice again,” Mr Mitchell said. “This reference to the DPP is designed to intimidate PLP partisans in their social media warfare against FNM trolls who continue to defame the PLP and its leaders. “If however, the FNM persists in this folly, the PLP has a litany of complaints against FNM trolls on line and (advocacy group) Save The Bays, all engaged in smear campaigns against the PLP.”
Mr Mitchell added: “We recall that in the case of Save The Bays, the FNM shut down the investigation into their conduct and funding. We are prepared to so inform the director of public prosecutions as well about our suspicions so that there is balance in his investigations.” Viral allegations concerning a political “war room” and its purported campaign of dirty tricks against Free National Movement candidates in the run up to the 2017 general election surfaced on social media last week. The videos and voice notes detail a personal, unrelated disagreement between two members of
the purported war room, which unleashed a litany of allegations and WhatsApp screenshots as the pair tried to discredit each other. It is alleged – and strongly denied by PLP officials – people were paid by supporters of the PLP to gather and disseminate false information on FNM party candidates, including now-ministers Marvin Dames, Dionisio D’Aguilar and Jeff Lloyd. Among those claims, were also scurrilous allegations of “hits” being sanctioned and sex trafficking. On Sunday, Attorney General Carl Bethel told The Tribune he referred the
matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions Garvin Gaskins because it raised serious issues. The Tribune’s report on Monday stated Mr Gaskins had been “tasked with investigating the veracity of claims”. However, the DPP does not investigate matters, instead the office refers a matter to the police if it deems so appropriate. The police will then consult with the DPP after they determine if there is sufficient evidence for a charge. The Constitution (Amendment) Act 2017 mandates all instructions from an attorney general to the director of public
prosecutions be gazetted. Yesterday, Mr Bethel explained he did not give the DPP a formal directive, but forwarded the video recording he received on WhatsApp after hearing allegations of “hits” being ordered. “I just forwarded the whole document,” Mr Bethel said. “I just sent it to him. Any other member of the public could have done so. What he does with it, if he does something or he does nothing, is up to him. I have not asked him what he has done or not done. If he wishes to say something or refer to another agency that’s up to him but hearing that concerned me.” In his press statement, Mr
Mitchell continued: “What a complete and utter waste of police and prosecution time. “Not to mention the fact that the director of public prosecutions is supposed to be an independent creature. We look forward then to the specific directions being gazetted according to the law that the FNM has now passed and brought into force. “The problem for us is that on what we see, no offence is disclosed. This is a simple social media, political war of ‘you say and I say.’ That is now to be elevated to the use of the state’s apparatus to investigate some phantom alleged criminal behaviour.”
BISHOP WHO SHONE AT ROYAL WEDDING LAUNCHES NASSAU CONFERENCE
HEAD of the American Episcopal Church Bishop Michael Curry delivered a sermon at Christ Church Cathedral last night, marking the beginning of a conference for the Union of Black Episcopalians in Nassau this week. Bishop Curry recently gave a spirited sermon at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. The conference is being held to commemorate the Union of Black Episcopalians 50th anniversary. The event takes place at the Meliá Nassau Beach Resort until July 27 and serves as a key gathering point for the members of the African diaspora in the Episcopal Church. The theme this year is “UBE at 50: The Glory of the Past, the Hope for the Future.” Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
STOLEN BOAT FOUND NEAR BIMINI By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
A VESSEL stolen from Grand Bahama was discovered near Ocean Cay in the Bimini chain and a Bahamian man found on board was arrested by Bahamian authorities.
The Royal Bahamas Defence Force’s Northern Command assisted police officers stationed at Bimini in the recovery of the stolen vessel on Thursday morning. After receiving information last Wednesday that a 21-ft open hull water craft was removed from the
Taino Beach area in Freeport, RBDF Patrol craft P-129 along with a police patrol craft immediately began searching for the vessel. The boat was eventually discovered drifting in waters 10 nautical miles off Ocean Cay. Investigations are continuing.
PAGE 6, Tuesday, July 24, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
Gaming industry now at ‘standstill’ from page one
“The entire industry stands still,” he said yesterday when The Tribune contacted him. “I think the government thinks it will be just normal, but that is yet to be seen. “The operators and the government’s positions are the only ones that have been considered. No one has considered that of the patrons when they have the final say. “Their response to the (stamp) tax will determine the entire gaming industry. My position has always been that I needed to wait when it came to laying off people for that reason.” In May, Deputy Prime Minister K Peter Turnquest said the new stamp tax on web shop deposits and digital online sales was to come on stream at the same time as a new sliding tax scale on gaming houses. At the time, he said: “We are increasing the taxation
of gaming house activities through the introduction of a sliding scale of rates applied to taxable revenue, namely: up to $20m, a rate of 20 percent; between $20m and $40m, a rate of 25 percent; between $40m and $60m, a rate of 30 percent; between $60m and $80m, a rate of 35 percent; between $80m and $100m, a rate of 40per cent; and over $100m, a rate of 50 percent.” Mr D’Aguilar attributed the delay in stamp tax to it being a new form of taxation that needed special conditions. “Obviously this is a completely new form of taxation. The customer would come to the window and pay their money and of course five per cent of the money they pay at the window would have to be immediately deducted to cover this new tax,” the minister said yesterday. “So you would need a modification to your existing point of sale system to account for this new tax.
What is customary is once you’ve made modifications to these programmes, which are intertwined with the games and whole gaming environment, is that you get the company to come in and certify the platform that you are using to run your gaming company is doing what it is supposed to do and that you as the owner of the gaming company did not go in and make other modifications. “So for example you may alter the payout rate or you may change the programme to do things that are not what the specs say that it does. “You just don’t let the gaming companies go in and modify and change things willy-nilly. The Gaming Board insists that a reputable company certifies all of the programmes you’re using in the gaming environment. So that takes time so you have to change the programming and then you have to get it certified so that takes four to six weeks,” he also said.
CRAIG FLOWERS
STYROFOAM floating in the ocean in Bimini last year.
Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff
MINNIS: IT’S TIME TO GET RID OF SINGLE-USE PLASTICS By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis added his voice to the government’s push to eliminate single-use plastics by 2020 yesterday evening, telling people during a town-hall at the New Providence Community Church that it’s time The Bahamas takes
substantial steps to protect the environment. The importance of his message was boosted by a recent viral video showing massive plastic debris covering a beach in the Dominican Republic in the last week. “This shocking event dramatises why there is a global push towards reducing plastic pollution in our oceans,” Dr Minnis said.
“More than 60 countries have already committed to introducing levies and bans to reduce single-use plastic waste. Plastic pollution is extremely difficult to move from our environments and these plastics break down into much smaller micro pieces which are often mistaken for food by birds, turtles and fish. “Tiny particles of plastics have been found to
build up in fish brains, altering their behaviour. The effects of human beings eating fish affected by these plastics is still being studied. “With an extensive and delicate marine environment, plastic contamination is passed up through our food chain, ultimately having negative impacts on our health and our economy which depends
so heavily on our pristine waters and beaches.” Dr Minnis said yesterday’s town-hall was the first of many as the government pursues the elimination of “single-use plastics such as shopping bags, food utensils, straws and Styrofoam from food containers.” Bahamians could show their support for the policy through the reduction of
YOUR
littering, he said. “I want to encourage all Bahamians to do their part in reducing their plastics and Styrofoam use. As much as possible, refuse what you can’t reuse. We need to stop throwing garbage on the road and on the beaches and in our waters and we need to stop dumping garbage on vacant land and in the bushes.”
CHOICE FOR THE FAMILY WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/JOYFM1019
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, July 24, 2018, PAGE 7
FORMER MP PHENTON NEYMOUR HAS DIED from page one
Ministry of Environment from 2008 until 2012, and had expressed disappointment ahead of last year’s election that he had not been chosen as the candidate for Exuma. During the PLP administration, he was a regular critic of Leslie Miller’s tenure as chairman of what is now Bahamas Power and Light. He announced his support for medical marijuana earlier this month, amid the debate over legislation on the issue. He stressed he would not support the legalisation of marijuana for recreational use, but criticised the government for its weak stance on the issue. “It is something that saved my life,” he said, “I had no appetite, I couldn’t eat, nausea, felt bad all the time. Once I take the pill the only thing I did was fall asleep, the pill takes out that element that causes you to get high.” He said that during his treatment he had to travel to Miami each time he needed medical marijuana for relief. This month, he said that he had been in remission twice and was
PHENTON Neymour pictured after voting in last year’s election. currently cancer-free. that’s why I have enjoyed Earlier this month, Mr the time with my wife, I Neymour told The Nassau count each day as my last Guardian: “You got to day, that’s how I live now.” enjoy now. You don’t know He studied at St Paul’s what tomorrow brings; College in Freeport and
Queen’s College in Nassau, before earning bachelor and masters degrees from Syracuse University, New York. He also obtained a MBA degree from the
University of Miami, and served as the local president of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. He was also a pilot, with more than 16 years’ flying experience. He
worked as an engineer, and was involved in the trade union movement for 11 years. He is the father of four children.
Sands: Don’t spend a fortune training too many doctors for not enough vacancies By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net HUNDREDS of qualified doctors in Trinidad & Tobago face unemployment in what Health Minister Dr Duane Sands says is a case of “piss-poor planning” the kind The Bahamas has also been guilty of over the years. A Saturday report by the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian revealed many recently registered doctors are unemployed even as T&T’s government has spent $150m over a fiveyear period on the tuition of recent graduates of the University of the West Indies. Without course correction, Dr Sands said The Bahamas could similarly find itself spending a fortune on the education of people who could also end up unemployed. The
country already spends millions per year on tuition for medical students. “There has been an exponential increase in the number of students training per year,” he said. “Those students would have trained with scholarships from the Bahamian people. But those scholarships carried an expectation or a commitment to provide training opportunities and for some people, the expectation that they will have a job. That expectation was probably not unreasonable when the numbers were manageable and the economic headroom and wherewithal was there.” In the House of Assembly last month, Dr Sands said the government will limit the number of medical school graduates granted internship slots at local public hospitals moving forward, reversing the practice whereby every Bahamian medical
school graduate – outside those from programmes The Bahamas does not recognise – has been accommodated. The policy shift creates uncertainty for some graduates, with Dr Sands saying it is increasingly difficult finding space for people in other countries. “Historically our graduates would have gone to the USA, Canada or Great Britain,” he said. “Now some still manage to get training posts in those countries but you now have people travelling to South Africa or Australia and the challenges of getting post-graduate specialty training slots is stiffening as the number of persons increase.” No dramatic shift in the country’s scholarship policy appears imminent, but Dr Sands said there will be greater collaboration between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry
PATIENT REGISTRATION CHANGE MANAGEMENT of Princess Margaret Hospital has advised the general public that patient registration services have been redirected from the main registration window located in the pharmacy waiting area to the General Business Office and
the Accident & Emergency registration area at this time. PMH officials have said while patients can expect delays in the registration process, there has been no denial of service and patient care. According to Health
Minister Dr Duane Sands, the redirection of registration occurred because some staff members called in sick. “Management apologises for any inconvenience caused, and appreciates the cooperation of the public during this time,” health officials said.
WOMAN’S CAR TAKEN IN EARLY MORNING THEFT By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net A WOMAN was robbed of her vehicle early yesterday morning after arriving to work at a resort in Freeport, according to unconfirmed reports.
The incident reportedly occurred around 4.30am as the woman was getting out of her car. She ran to the security gate for help, The Tribune was told. The car thief reportedly attempted to hit the woman, who is a cook, and the security officer as
he sped off in the stolen car. The car is believed to be the one that was used in the John Bull robbery at Port Lucaya Marketplace yesterday. Up to press time, police did not confirm the report.
of Health going forward. “It’s a case of the right hand and the left hand talking to each other,” he said. “For scholarships granted by the Ministry of Education, we’ve agreed to discuss the manpower needs and the implications for future training. If I know six years down the road this person and his cohort are going to require a certain level of training, we have to make sure that will be in place. The chickens have come home to roost.” Dr Sands said it must be clear to aspiring doctors what specialty areas the country is most in need of. Otherwise, he said training opportunities at local hospitals must be enhanced. Providing patients with healthcare services is important, he said, but so too is training the next generation of doctors. “The truth is our hospitals are not primarily
training facilities,” he said. “Let’s say I have a young surgical trainee and I want as a consultant surgeon to teach him or her to do a minor case. That training is going to add a certain amount of time to the execution of that case. As a manager with limited access to the operating room, I now have competing concerns. If I let that trainee do that case, which I have to, then it means one less or two less patients that get operated on that day. “Do you choose to see to it that Dr Rashad gets trained or Mrs Smith gets her surgery that day and doesn’t get cancelled? When we build capacity, it’s not just to build capacity to provide services but to teach nurses and doctors, to build capacity for tomorrow.” One way the Ministry of Health is addressing its human resources problem is by establishing the Office
of Medical Staff Development that focuses on the development of doctors. Through that department, over 200 senior house officers have recently been enrolled in a residency programme within a medical department. “That then starts the clock but it still doesn’t change the path to registration or licensure,” Dr Sands said. “All of these individuals now still have to have a personal plan as to how they are going to move along.” Although the programmes could last as much as seven years, Dr Sands said the doctors will generally be expected to become registrars within three years. Ultimately, he hopes the number of senior house officers in the public system will gradually reduce, allowing hospitals to accommodate more medical school graduates seeking internships.
PAGE 8, Tuesday, July 24, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
A woman with fashion in her blood I WAS scrolling through Instagram one day when I came upon the work of this Bahamian designer. I was in awe. I followed her immediately. Since then, I have had many a jaw dropping and breathtaking experience seeing another one of her creations pop up on my timeline. Even her business name is a cut above – Remilda Rose is a name attached to some of the most beautiful garments to touch red carpets and turn heads in The Bahamas. When I met her in the fabric store, she touched my shoulder and introduced herself. She knew exactly who I was because I clicked “like” on almost every post she’s made since I discovered her. She told me her name and it didn’t ring a bell. But the second she said “Remilda Rose”, I lit up. After a little chit chat, I knew there was a lot more than fashion this woman has to share and sitting down Face to Face with her later on proved just that. Gillian Curry-Williams has fashion in her blood. Her father was a tailor and her mother, a seamstress. Both parents, however, were also civil servants. Donald Curry was an accountant with Bahamas customs and his wife Letitia Curry (nee Taylor) was a nursing officer. The couple had three children – Mario, Adrian (now police supt) and Gillian was their only girl. When Donald and Letitia met, they were both in fashion mode. Donald was a professional tailor at the time, making suits for people from all walks of life. Letitia was in nursing school, but she learned how to sew from her mother and was good at it. But Donald had another profession
Face to Face
By FELICITY INGRAHAM
that possibly contributed to him catching Letitia’s eye. He was a well-known musician who played at numerous events and for people from all around the world who came in on the cruise ships to Nassau’s harbour. He played lead guitar and would stroke up many a Bahamian tune to the delight of his listeners. He was a part of the popular band “Vince Martin and The Bahamians” and also played with many other musicians during his time such as Ronnie Armbrister. When Gillian found some music from the Vince Martin quartet and played it for me, we both sat there, chins upward, as if we were gazing into a time gone by. The music literally made you feel as if you were back in time – a time when Bahamian music was played in sweet rhythms, slower than today, but quick enough to make you tap your feet and bob your head. The lead guitar could be heard just as clearly as the pride on Gillian’s face could be seen as she heard her father’s music. As I listened, I wondered why we (as a country)
don’t do more to preserve this kind of sweet Bahamian melody and play it on the radio more often, like Charles Carter does at Island FM. Gillian says her father loved his Bahamian music and kept lots of records that he purchased from fellow musicians. Seeing photos of her dad playing professionally back in the day added to the nostalgia. Once Gillian’s parents married her father decided it was time to take things to another level. So he went back to school to take up accounting, earning his Pitman certificate. Eventually, he became an accountant with the Bahamas Customs Department and his wife became a certified nurse. Letitia Curry is a name well known in the hospital and for years, she served in the maternity ward, delivering countless Bahamians safely into the world. She was well-known and well-liked because of this and became like a mother to many. On one occasion nurses were having trouble getting a tube down a patient’s throat. Nurse Curry, who was pregnant at the time, was able to assist
GILLIAN, far left. Her father made his suit and her mother made her outfit and the children’s and, above right, Donald Curry, far right, plays lead guitar in the Vince Martin Quartet.
A Small Company is looking for a
Manager
to manage and oversee its operations and sales. Requirements • BS/MS degree in business administration or related field • Proven working experience as a Manager with a minimum of 5-7 years • Successful previous experience as a sales representative or sales manager, consistently meeting or exceeding targets • Strong business sense and industry expertise • Excellent mentoring, coaching and people management skills • Interpersonal skills to maintain and develop relationships with management and customers General Responsibilities • Achieve growth and hit sales targets through successful management • Design and implement strategic business plan that expands company’s customer base and ensure a strong presence within the market • Build and promote strong, long-lasting customer relationship by partnering with them and understanding their needs. • Identify emerging markets and market shifts while being fully aware of new products and competition status • Maintain production to meet all schedules • Manage Staff • Provide technical support to customers and support staff • Foster a positive team environment and assist coworkers as required • Comply with all company policies and procedures • Prepare Budget and Marketing Plans
GILLIAN Curry-Williams wearing one of her own designs on an occasion at Government House where she met Bahamian fashion icon, Dame Marguerite Pindling. Left, Gillian gives her acceptance speech for the Uncommon Leadership award with Lei Lewis and Nando Mel looking on. patient Wilson. He repaid her by becoming Gillian’s godfather – this being one of many testimonies of how her patients became a part of her life. Gillian attributes much of her good upbringing also to her “mama”, Remilda Taylor. Mama lived off of East Street opposite the home of the parents of former Premier thenPrime Minister, Sir Lynden Pindling. “We spent a lot of time at mama’s house because my parents were working, or sometimes we would go to daddy’s office,” Gillian shared. “I can remember mama’s cooking right now. She had a big, black steel cast iron pot. I loved her peas n’ rice and steamed chicken… they don’t make steamed chicken like that anymore. And I loved her soup! I could see her sitting on her porch right now… she loved her porch.” She first attended St John’s preparatory school, which was located in the church hall of Christ Church Cathedral, George Street. She then went on to St John’s college where she completed all of her schooling up to grade 12. “As far as I was concerned, history and physics and all that I had to do, I didn’t feel I needed to do,” she confided. “I did what I needed to do to but my mind was on one goal. As long as I could remember, all I wanted to do was fashion designing. I did my schoolwork, though. I didn’t really have any dolls growing up; my books were filled with sketches.” While her parents were busy with their government jobs, both kept creating quality garments, because the requests kept coming in. “While my mom was off to work at the hospital, I would take the fabric that people brought to her to make their dresses, and I would cut it,” said Gillian. “When she came home she would be scared, and tell me that I can’t go cutting people’s fabrics. But I would cut it right every time. The first outfit I made by myself was for my mother. It was celadon green, it had wide sleeves and a cuff. It had a yoke in the back and in the front, and the yoke in the back had six buttons. It had a zipper, and it was pleated. The pleats were stitched
Instructions to applicants • Please send the below listed documents via email to humanresources.noreply@gmail.com - Resume including Passport Photo - 3 Character Reference Letters • Subject of email “Vacancy- Manager Position” • Only those applicants who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted • Deadline for submission – 5pm, Friday, August 3, 2018. THE CURRY family.
part of the way down and then it opened up.” With this kind of fervour for fashion, Gillian was well on her way to fashion design school. It was the late Dr Bernard Nottage, who was Minister of Education at the time, who granted her first scholarship. She spent four years at the American Academy for Applied Arts and earned her bachelor’s degree in fashion design and pattern making. When she returned home, she found herself sewing lots of work uniforms, as that’s where the money was at the time. She would sew uniforms for institutions like the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas (ZNS) and Nassau Flight Services. Later on, she opened a sewing school, spending an entire decade teaching others this useful skill. She then opened a studio and started decorating, successfully beautifying weddings and events for the next seven years. Then Gillian hit a low point. She had travelled to take her son to university and when she returned, the landlady of her Prince Charles studio had changed the locks and refused to give her any of her belongings. It was a tough moment in time, Gillian recalled. “I had gotten married and it didn’t work; I was going through a divorce. I was mentally frustrated, I wasn’t functioning and my creativity just wasn’t flowing. A friend encouraged me to apply for a scholarship and go back to school. I thought no one would give me a scholarship at my age! “I applied at the Lyford Cay foundation where my son (Donovan, a flight dynamics engineer in Georgia) had earned a scholarship. Initially, they told me that I was chosen as an alternate. Then, they told me the application was denied. Three weeks later, they told me that (a scholarship recipient wasn’t able to receive it) and I had been chosen! I still have all of those letters. If I didn’t take the steps I needed, combining my faith with my works, it would not have come together.” With high aspirations, Gillian set out for the Academy of Design in Toronto, Canada. It wasn’t until she was wrapping up her studies and she had to write a biography that professors found out she already had a degree in design. She wanted the experience to be new and fresh, as if she was learning all over again from scratch. It was during one of her
marketing classes that Remilda Rose designs was born. Initially, her company was called “Simple Elegance”, but her marketing professor was not satisfied. Eventually, she had a light bulb moment. She leaned on the inspiration of the two most important women in her life. She took her beloved grandmother’s first name, Remilda and her mother’s middle name, Rose and combined them, much to the delight of the professor. She was then instructed to create her brand, motto and logo, which are still in use today. Remilda Rose has blossomed with the motto: “Embracing, Embellishing and Empowering the Beauty in Every Woman.” She is called on by women from all walks of life to create some of the most exquisite designs seen at events around the country, and now her fashion is reaching other parts of the world. She is in a much happier place now. She is married to attorney Franklyn Williams who gives her the support and encouragement she needs to continue to grow as a designer. During the weekend of July 13, Gillian was invited by the CEO of Women of Wealth Magazine to attend the Billionaire Roundtable Summit. The event took place in Florida on the Sun Dream Yacht. There, Gillian received the award for “Uncommon Leadership”. She was hailed for her “humanitarian cause – fighting cancer with fashion”. When Gillian’s father was diagnosed with cancer, it heavily impacted her life. She would often take her father for treatment at the hospital and there she met others fighting cancer. She thought to herself that there must be something she could do to honour them. She decided to host what would become the first of many fashion shows, featuring cancer survivors as many of the models. On July 20, her latest round of nominations closed; people were encouraged to nominate someone they know, male or female, battling cancer to be featured in the next fashion show to be held on October 21. Gillian designed a fabric to honour all people battling cancer. She showed me a beautiful material which utilised the colours specifically associated with the awareness campaigns for various types of cancer. This material was patented in the United Kingdom and printed in the United States, through a tedious process, which she considered a labour of love. When her father was buried, he was wearing a bowtie made from the fabric that he inspired. To see Remilda Rose’s fabulous designs, check out Instagram or Facebook. • Due to a production error last week’s Face to Face featured the wrong photographs to accompany the story of Theresa Elizabeth McCardy-Burrows. The full interview with the correct pictures can be found at www.tribune242. com. We apologise for the error.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, July 24, 2018, PAGE 9
Debit card shopping spree lands teenager in prison By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net A MAGISTRATE yesterday sentenced a 19-year-old to two years in prison for multiple fraud charges due to expenses he racked up while on a shopping spree across two islands with a debit card he manipulated. Patrecko Maycock, of Pride Estates, stood before Deputy Chief Magistrate Subusola Swain, charged with seven fraud-related charges and one count of deceit of an officer stemming from various incidents between September 28,
2017, and July 14. It was alleged that on July 14, Maycock, while concerned with Peter Marshall, 24, of Bahama Sound, Exuma, illegally obtained $834.10 worth of tobacco and alcohol products from CNK Liquor Store in Hooper’s Bay, Exuma, with the use of a Scotiabank debit card which he manipulated to read all purchases as a credit card charges. It was also alleged that once identified as a suspect in the matter, Maycock lied to police about his identity to avoid arrest, resulting in a subsequent charge of deceit of an officer. Maycock entered guilty
pleas to both charges. He was sentenced to two years and three months respectively. Meanwhile, for his role in the matter, Marshall was ordered to pay a fine of $1,000 or face six months in prison. He was also ordered to reimburse CNK Liquor Store $834.10 or face an additional six months in prison. Magistrate Swain indicated to Marshall that her leniency was not imposed to negate the seriousness of his involvement in the crime, but rather handed down in consideration of his lack of a record, young children and her acceptance
of his claim that he had no knowledge that the card used in the purchase was manipulated. She later scolded Marshall, imploring him to make better choices. Meanwhile, authorities further alleged that Maycock, while concerned with two other men, on four separate occasions between July 8 and 11 fraudulently obtained fuel in the amounts of $3,278.20, $3,426.43, $5,197.59 and $1,224.17 from Shell Service Station in Oakes Field using the same manipulated debit card. Authorities also alleged that the trio conspired over
the period to commit the act, resulting in a charge of conspiracy to commit fraud. Maycock entered guilty pleas to all five charges and was sentenced to two years for each charge. Additionally, it was also alleged that on September 28, 2017, Maycock, equipped with the same card, illegally obtained two Apple iPhone devices, valued at $399.99 each; a LG sound bar, valued at $299; two Apple iPhone cases, valued at $25 each and one tempered glass, valued at $20 from Micro Tech on Carmichael Road, New Providence. Maycock again entered
a guilty plea and was sentenced to two years on the charge. In her ruling, Magistrate Swain branded Maycock a despicable mastermind who intentionally set out to manipulate a system for his benefit. Magistrate Swain declared the 19-year-old a “threat to the banking institution”, asserting that she was “angry” at herself for showing restraint in her sentencing of two years. Maycock was remanded to the Department of Correctional Services where he will serve out his sentences, with all terms running concurrently.
READERS RESPOND TO PINDER OVER WORK PERMITS AFTER Labour Director John Pinder expressed a desire to review the application process of long-term work permits and said there should be increased stipulations to guard against abuse, readers gave their reaction on tribune242. com. K4C said: “LABOUR Director John Pinder the Bahamas has a education system that has a D average – that should be your priority: EDUCATION.” Boopboop responded with this: “Maybe you’re right, K4C. However there are persons who are educated, have gone abroad to the US, Canada, England or qualified themselves at our local University of the Bahamas and are just as qualified or, in a number of cases, more qualified, but yet well paying jobs are going out to foreigners. There are MANY, MANY, MANY, examples of this right there in Nassau.”
BahamaLlama had this to say: “My God this country can’t think beyond its next lunch. We need to INCREASE skilled immigration to deal with the challenges we face. Like K4C says, which part of the D-average sector are going to be to be tackling these problems? The 10,000 imaginary agricultural scientists on Mayaguana? Exuma’s hidden engineering hub? “Still, so much easier to win some political points with the bottom 5% of the electorate by claiming you’re fighting all those evil foreigners.” Tribune Business reported that realtors are warning the high-end
JOHN PINDER, giving remarks to media. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff second home market is in “a government that finds ways destroy our economy. They state of shock” and “panic” other than taxing the snot have no answers. All they over fears of “exorbitant” out of everyone and eve- know is tax tax tax.” rything to raise revenue. real property tax hikes. Proguing asked: “How Proudloudandfnm posted This useless government about government collectthis response: “We need a we have now is going to ing unpaid property taxes?
Ever thought about that?” And Johnmcntsh said: “Although the taxes in in communities in some areas of the US are high, there are amenities which come with those taxes that the Bahamas cannot provide. For example the taxes in Scarsdale, NY are 2% but the average salary is $249,000.00 and that does not cover the retirees who are living on very generous investments. “The amenities are substantial. Beautiful parks, pools, roads, railroads, beautiful airport, fantastic schools, etc. Taxes are fine as long as there is a return. Views are wonderful but they only go so far. There has to be a plan to upgrade infrastructure, raise standard of living for everyone on the islands and provide a safer environment.” • Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.
PAGE 10, Tuesday, July 24, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
VENEZUELA INFLATION HEADS FOR 1M PERCENT
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Inflation in Venezuela could top one million percent by year’s end as the country’s historic crisis deepens, the International Monetary Fund said yesterday. Venezuela’s economic turmoil compares to Germany’s after World War I and Zimbabwe’s at the beginning of the last decade, said Alejandro Werner, head of the IMF’s Western Hemisphere department. “The collapse in economic activity, hyperinflation, and increasing deterioration ... will lead to intensifying spillover effects on neighboring countries,” Werner wrote in a blog post. The once wealthy oil-producing nation of Venezuela is in the grips of a five-year crisis that leaves many of its people struggling to find food and medicine, while driving masses across the border for relief into neighboring Colombia and Brazil. Shortages in electricity, domestic water and public transportation plague millions of Venezuelans, who also confront high crime, the IMF noted. If the prediction holds, Venezuela’s economy will contract 50 percent over the last five years, Werner said, adding that it would be among the world’s deepest economic falls in six decades. Socialist President Nicolas Maduro often blames Venezuela’s poor economy on an economic war that he says is being waged by the United States and Europe.
TRUMP CRITICS THREATENED WITH LOSING CLEARANCES WASHINGTON (AP) — Six former national security officials are being targeted by President Donald Trump for their criticism of his administration. In an unprecedented move, the president is considering revoking their security clearances, making them ineligible for access to the nation’s closely held secrets. The six have served in both Republican and Democratic administration, including Trump’s. They are former CIA Directors John Brennan and Michael Hayden; former FBI Director Jim Comey; former director of national intelligence James Clapper; former national security adviser Susan Rice; and former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has accused the former officials of having politicised and in some cases made money from their public service and security clearances with what she calls “baseless accusations” about the Trump administration and Russia.
WOMEN MAY BE IN MAJORITY IN NEVADA OFFICE RENO, Nevada (AP) — Nevada voters could soon make history by electing the country’s first femalemajority state legislature. Women, after winning a record number of primary contests last month, could make up nearly twothirds of the statehouse by November 7, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported. “In the past, we’ve had to ask women five, six, seven times to run for office,” said Danna Lovell, director of Emerge Nevada, a Democrat-linked candidate training nonprofit based in Las Vegas. “Whereas now, they’re worried. They’re scared about what’s going on in their communities. ... I think there’s an extremely great possibility for a female majority.”
A YOUTH walks through trash near his home in the Cite Soleil slum of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Photo: Dieu Nalio Chery/AP
Life in Haiti was getting worse before latest riots PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti Associated Press CHICKEN is a staple of the Haitian diet but its price has doubled in four years. Cooking oil and rice have gone up ten percent the last 12 months. A liter of milk costs more than half the daily minimum wage, putting it out of reach for most of the country. The cost of living seems like it is spiraling out of control to many Haitians, making life even more of a struggle in the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation. “It’s really hard,” Cassandre Milord, an accountant in a small shop in Haiti’s capital, said of the inflation that has been in double digits since 2014. “You never know how much money you need to go to the market. The prices go up every day.” It’s a nearly universal complaint across Haiti, and it lies at the root of the four days of deadly protests over steep fuel price hikes that shut down Port-auPrince earlier this month and raised the specter of the mass unrest that has paralysed the country in the past. Inflation is a fact of life in much of the world, but amid so much misery it resonates painfully here with everyone from people selling small bags of rice
in the street to owners of small businesses — everyone except the tiny elite. “There’s no money to send the kids to school,” Arceline Charles said as she sat in a crowded downtown street selling eggs from a carboard tray. “The country is a complete disaster.” The government of President Jovenel Moise, who took office in February 2017 after a messy, contested election, set off protests when it abruptly announced doubledigit increases in the prices for gasoline, diesel and kerosene. It was part of an agreement with the International Monetary Fund to eliminate fuel subsidies, to boost government revenue, in exchange for more support from member nations. Officials may have thought the public would be distracted by that day’s World Cup match featuring local favorite Brazil, but the reaction was explosive: People flooded into the streets, erecting flaming barricades and clashing with police. At least seven people died and dozens of businesses and cars were looted, burned and destroyed. Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant, facing a no-confidence vote in parliament, resigned along with his Cabinet. But the government has yet to explain why
it failed to accept the IMF recommendation to enact the price hikes gradually or whether it still intends to comply with recommendations that it modernize its economy by improving tax collection and increase spending on infrastructure, education and social services. Moise appealed for calm as he looks for a new prime minister. “I can understand the situation facing many of our unemployed compatriots. Hunger and misery are crushing us,” he said in a national address in Creole, the French-based language spoken by the majority of Haitians. The president, a businessman and farmer who sold himself in his campaign as someone with the knowledge and expertise to lift the country, faces a steep challenge. Haiti is one of the most unequal countries in the world, with the wealthiest living in walled-off mansions while about 60 percent of its nearly 10.5 million people struggle to get by on about $2 a day. A January report by the US Agency for International Development said about half the country is undernourished. The fuel price increases, with diesel slated to rise about 40 percent and kerosene about 50 percent,
would have rippled through an economy that is largely stagnant. Agriculture, the most important segment, is suffering from a longstanding drought and the devastation caused by Hurricane Matthew to one of the most fertile parts of the country in 2016. The Central Bank has sought to contain inflation but prices are rising around 16 percent a year. And the bank’s policy of devaluating the currency, the gourde, has in the eyes of many only made the situation worse because Haiti relies heavily on imports. Even those fortunate enough to work or to own a business find it increasingly difficult to survive. The minimum wage is about $150 a month, far below what is needed to support a family in Haiti. “It is a situation of massive impoverishment, with many sectors of the middle class becoming poorer and an increasing percentage of people who really can’t eat,” said Camille Chalmers, an economist and director of a non-governmental group that promotes the rights of workers. Milord, the accountant, said she already spends about a quarter of her daily pay, equivalent to about $3, on transportation and lunch. “Imagine
how people get by who only make the minimum wage,” she said. Business owners say they, too, are feeling the effects. Maxime Cantave, who opened a car wash and adjacent cafe in the Delmas area of the capital, said his business is down by a third over the past two years. “People don’t have any money,” he said as two vehicles were getting cleaned and the cafe was empty on a recent afternoon, a time when both would normally be full. Cantave returned to his native country from Florida after the devastating earthquake in January 2010, hoping to take advantage of the surge in international aid and private investment flowing into Haiti as part of the reconstruction. That investment has largely tapered off, hurting him as well as people like Benoit Vilceus, who runs a boutique hotel and a company that does construction and interior design. Vilceus says his businesses were already struggling but he had to temporarily halt a construction project in the city of Les Cayes because of the recent unrest. “This has been building up for a long time,” he said of the unrest. “It was just a matter of time.”
TORONTO GUNMAN ‘SUFFERED FROM PSYCHOSIS’ TORONTO Associated Press
INVESTIGATORS are digging into the life of a 29-year-old man trying to explain what prompted him to fire a handgun into restaurants and cafes in a lively Toronto neighborhood, killing a ten-year-old girl and an 18-year-old woman and wounding 13 others. The family of Faisal Hussain, who died during an exchange of gunfire with police, said yesterday that he had long suffered from psychosis and depression but they never imagined this would be his fate. It was not immediately clear whether he took his own life or was killed by police during the rampage on Sunday night. The mass shooting in the Greektown district came just three months after a man used a van to plow over pedestrians on a sidewalk in another Toronto district, killing ten people and injuring 14 in an attack apparently aimed at women. A statement from Hussain’s relatives said he had lifelong “severe mental health challenges”. They said medications did not help him and the interventions of professionals were unsuccessful. “While we did our best to
DESIRAE SHAPIRO, 19, right, and her mother, Gina Shapiro, friends of 18-year-old Danforth shooting victim Reese Fallon, mourn after visiting a makeshift memorial, yesterday. Photo: Mark Blinch/The Canadian Press/AP seek help for him through- did not rule out terrorism. out his life of struggle and “We do not know why pain, we could never imag- this has happened yet,” ine that this would be his he said. “It’s going to take devastating and destructive some time.” end,” the family said. The slain 18-year-old was “Our hearts are in pieces identified as Reese Fallon, a for the victims and for our recent high school graduate city as we all come to grips who volunteered for Canawith this terrible tragedy. da’s Liberal party and was We will mourn those who due to attend McMaster were lost for the rest of our University in the fall. Her lives.” family said in a statement Investigators searched they were devastated. the low income east end “She was ... smart, pasapartment that Hussain sionate and full of energy. shared with his parents and It is a huge loss,” said siblings on Thorncliffe Park Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, a Drive in the east end of the member of Parliament who city. knew Fallon. Police chief Mark SaunFlags at Toronto City ders said he would not Hall as well as at Falspeculate on a motive but lon’s former high school,
Malvern CI, were lowered to half-staff. “An engaging student, Reese Fallon graduated from Malvern CI just last month and was highly regarded by staff and loved by her friends,” the school board said in a statement, adding that support was being offered to students. The 13 wounded ranged in age from ten to 59, and suffered injuries ranging from serious to minor, Saunders said. Officials did not identify the ten-yearold who was killed or name any of the wounded, who included six women and girls and seven men. Dr Najma Ahmed of St. Michael’s Hospital said five patients were admitted in serious or critical condition, with three of them undergoing immediate lifesaving surgery. A video taken by a witness showed a man dressed all in black walking quickly down a sidewalk and firing three shots into at least one shop or restaurant in Greektown, a residential area of million-dollar homes that is crowded with restaurants and cafes. Witnesses heard many shots and described the gunmen walking along Danforth Avenue firing into restaurants, cafes and patios on both sides
of the street. At the corner of Danforth and Logan, where some of the shots were fired, about 50 people milled about on a small square Monday evening, talking in several languages. They expressed shock at a shooting in such a neighborhood, which is graced with parks, pretty two-story brick homes and street cafes. Some hugged, others wept. Others were somber, wondering both why someone would want to hurt people in their neighborhood — and how he obtained a gun in a country with far stricter gun laws than in the neighboring US. Bouquets of flowers lay near a plaque commemorating the city. A few steps away, people signed a makeshift memorial made of plywood reading: “we are Danforth strong,” a reference to the neighborhood’s main street. “I’m out of my mind just thinking about it. It’s Toronto,” said Augustino Speciale, who paused to smell a bouquet of white lilies attached to a lamppost. Ontario’s police watchdog said there was an exchange of shots between the attacker and two officers on a side street before the gunman was found dead.
THE TRIBUNE
BOAT STEERS INTO TROUBLE ON EASTERN ROAD
A BOAT being towed on the Eastern Road has pulled down power lines yesterday afternoon - creating a headache for motorists. The incident happened just after the junction of Johnson Road and the downed cables were seen sparking. Traffic was being diverted in both directions.
Tuesday, July 24, 2018, PAGE 11
GHADFG HSFGH AFGH SFGH
By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net A 21-YEAR-OLD man yesterday pleaded guilty to three counts of drug possession with the intent to supply. Deno Francis Jr, of Fleming Street, appearing before Deputy Chief Magistrate Subusola Swain, yesterday admitted to possessing .125 ounces of cocaine, 4.25 ounces of marijuana and two grams of Indian hemp with intent to supply. According to court dockets, on July 17, Francis Jr was discovered at his home on Fleming Street in procession of the various amounts of dangerous drugs which he was observed hiding in a small opening in the wall of one of the bedrooms at the property. He initially entered a not guilty plea, but was informed by Magistrate Swain that if the plea was accepted, and he went to trial, there would be no option for a fine. Following a short consultation with his lawyer, Francis Jr entered a guilty plea and was fined on all three counts. On the cocaine possession, he was fined $750 or nine months in prison. For the marijuana possession, he was fined $1,250 or two years in prison. He was fined $500 or six months in prison for the Indian hemp possession. Francis Jr was represented by attorney Bjorn Ferguson.
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PAGE 12, Tuesday, July 24, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
A SAFE SUMMER IS A FUN SUMMER
ACP Samuel Butler visited over 100 campers at the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s annual summer camp at St George’s High School on Friday. By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net ASSISTANT Commissioner of Police Samuel Butler visited over 100 children on Friday enrolled in the six-week police summer camp at the St George’s High School on Grand Bahama. ACP Butler commended Bahamas First General Insurance, which is a major sponsor of the annual summer camp that officially opened on June 25 by Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest. The programme consists of participants from central, eastern and western districts of the island. “It is always an exciting time to be around the youth of our nation, and we are here today with representatives from Bahamas First who have been a tremendous sponsor for our summer camp,” ACP Butler said. “They gave us a financial donation at the beginning
and are back again with these wonderful beach balls. We are excited to be a part of receiving these for the children.” The senior police official stated that the purpose of hosting a camp is to ensure that police come in contact with these children to help in their development. “It is a great investment that will have an invaluable contribution to their development from a social point of view; to be able to see to a police officer up front and to know they are real people, acting as a guardian with love, care, and compassion.” ACP Butler said the general public often sees police officers in a different light because of their role and duty to ensure law and order. The camps, he explained, open the door and provides one-onone interaction between police, the community and young people. ACP Butler said officers involved in the camp
encourage, support the talent and enhance the abilities of young people enrolled in the camps. “We prepare them for a safe summer and inspire them to get back in school with a renewed interest,” he said. He said that educational presentations are also held, and last week participants listened to a presentation from paramedics. They were also taught water safety. Lorraine Patton-Dawkins, office manager and administrator of Bahamas First General Insurance, Freeport, said the company is pleased to be a corporate sponsor every year of the police summer camp. “We saw it fitting to come today to give the children something more this year. We have so many beaches we decided to give them a beach ball,” she said. The theme for this year’s summer camp is, “Igniting the Dreams of our Children’s Future”.
PARAMEDICS gave a safety demonstration to campers at the RBPF’s summer camp.
BAHAMAS First General Insurance donated beach balls to participants.
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