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Volume: 112 No.158
TUESDAY, JULY 26, 2016
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Ingraham rules out nomination Former leader ‘will not return to leader post’ By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net AMID intense speculation about his future, former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham seemed to permanently close the door to any possible return to frontline politics yesterday, writing in a letter that he will not accept a nomination for a position at the FNM convention later this week even if he is nominated. His statement, sent to Free National Movement (FNM) Chairman Sidney Collie yesterday, was a move to definitively dismiss rumours of his return and to discourage attempts underway from some in the party to nominate him for leader at the convention this week. His statement brings clarity to the leadership race, especially for party Leader
MINISTER of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson distanced himself from comments he made about Prime Minister Perry Christie, releasing a statement yesterday that denied a report that he wants the nation’s leader gone. His statement was in response to a Nassau Guardian article published on SEE PAGE SIX
DOCTOR UNANIMOUSLY CLEARED AFTER ACCUSATION OF RAPE
Dr Hubert Minnis and his challenger Loretta ButlerTurner, as the camps for both had kept a keen and sometimes wary eye for signs of Mr Ingraham’s possible return. Mr Collie read Mr Ingraham’s letter during an appearance on the talk show “Hard Copy” with host Steve McKinney. In the letter, Mr Ingraham said: “Today I advise you as chairman of the Free National Movement, that I will not accept a nomination for any office of the party at the national convention this week. I remain retired. To be clear, should my name be proposed as a nominee to any position at the convention, you should accept this letter as the authority to declare that I have declined the nomination. SEE PAGE THREE
CONCERNS PARTY BUTLER-TURNER: WILL NOT UNITE I’M STRONGER By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net WHILE many Free National Movement supporters hope this week’s convention will unite a severely fractured organisation, concerns have surfaced that the party will remain disjointed regardless of who is elected to lead the FNM following the highly anticipated event. SEE PAGE FIVE
JOHNSON STEPS BACK FROM COMMENTS ON PM’S FUTURE
By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
AS the start date for the Free National Movement’s convention nears, Long Island MP and party leader hopeful Loretta ButlerTurner proclaimed in her latest campaign ad that she has “stronger leadership abilities” compared to incumbent Leader Dr Hubert Minnis. SEE PAGE FIVE
DR Gerald Forbes celebrates outside Supreme Court in Freeport on Monday after being acquitted of rape and sexual assault charges. Photo: Vandyke Hepburn/BIS By DENISE MAYCOCK A 20-year-old woman, gave her closing summation the criminal justice system, Tribune Freeport Reporter who was employed at in the case. The jury retired which is a well functioning dmaycock@tribunemedia.net Forbes’ Carico Medical around 1.40pm to deliber- legal system,” he said. Clinic, alleged that she was ate. Mr Johnson was retained DR GERALD Forbes, indecently assaulted by After the verdicts were in the middle of the trial to 45, has been acquitted of the doctor during a physi- delivered, Justice Evans represent Forbes, who had rape and indecent assault cal exam in February, and told Forbes that the charges fired his first attorney Wenin the Supreme Court in that he raped her while per- were dismissed against him dell Smith. By that time, Grand Bahama. forming an abortion proce- and he was free to go. She the prosecution had already A jury of four women dure in March 2015. He has thanked the jurors for their closed its case. and five men deliberated denied the charges. service to the court. Forbes, who has operated for about an hour and 20 Prosecutor Erica Kemp Mr Johnson then stood a private medical practice minutes before returning and Forbes’ attorney Os- and addressed the court. in Freeport for some 20 around 3pm on Monday man Johnson completed “We are pleased with years, took the stand and with their unanimous ver- their closing arguments the trial proceedings. We testified under oath. dicts, finding the doctor not on Friday, and on Monday are also pleased with the SEE PAGE SEVEN guilty by 9-0 on both counts. Justice Estelle Gray Evans result and the operation of
ATTACK BY BULL SHARK ‘WAS LIKE BEING CRASHED INTO BY A FOOTBALL LINEBACKER’ By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net A 62-YEAR-OLD dentist from Texas was attacked by a 6-foot bull shark while free diving in waters near Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, early Saturday morning. Dr Steve Cutbirth, of Waco, was spear fishing with his son-in-law and two guides when the attack hap-
pened. In an interview with The Tribune, Dr Cutbirth said he had just speared a hogfish and was returning to the surface when “it was if a football linebacker crashed into” his head. “Once a fish is speared, it is immediately taken to the surface and deposited in the boat. We never dangle speared fish behind us. I was unaware that our guide’s nephew had speared
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a fish or that the 6 foot shark had come in close. My fish was large and since there are no lines attached to the spear on a Hawaiian sling, the fish was moving about on the coral head. I finally got hold of the spear and began moving the fish toward the surface. I held the fish just above my head on the spear.” SEE PAGE SIX
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A PHOTOGRAPH of Dr Steve Cutbirth’s injuries posted to Facebook.
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