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HIGH 89ºF LOW 79ºF Volume:115 No.170, JULY 27, 2018
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Immigration rules catch teen who needs US surgery By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net ACCESS to potentially life-saving medical treatment for a 15-year-old girl suffering from brain lesions has been blocked due to her irregular immigration status that bars her from travelling to the United States, her family says. Her mother, Ginette Caty, 34, was naturalised as a Bahamian citizen in 2013 but her daughter Taranique Thurston will have to wait until her 18th birthday before she can apply for Bahamian
citizenship. However, Ms Caty believes the life and longterm well-being of her daughter is being risked everyday she is kept away from several authorised scans and treatments at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Florida. Taranique has been diagnosed with a brain cyst. She was due to have treatment yesterday but it has been delayed because of her status. Jackson Memorial Hospital agreed to postpone her treatment until her travel status could be resolved. SEE PAGE THREE
HUMAN rights group Rights Bahamas yesterday castigated the government for its recent raid in shanty town communities just weeks ahead of scheduled evictions. RB President Stephanie St Fleur said the raids exposed the government’s Shanty Town Action Task Force as a smokescreen
DUFF’
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beauty pages 14 & 15
‘KILL COPS’ THREAT EARNS TWO YEARS PROBATION By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net A MAN was sentenced yesterday to two years’ probation on 16 counts of death threats issued against police in a video recording. Dinero Gray, 28, of Gamble Heights, appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney facing charges of threats of death committed on Sunday, May 27. In the video, which spread across the messaging platform WhatsApp, Gray could be heard instructing people angry with police to fire upon them “wherever”. In the closing moments of the video, Gray could be heard saying: “That’s why when you catch them out with they family going for conch salad, you bust the brains out.” SEE PAGE NINE
$20M LOAN TO HELP YOUNG UNEMPLOYED FIND WORK By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
ARRESTS OPERATION ‘JUST A SMOKESCREEN’ By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
‘THE NEW
Glow like a goddess
Swimwear brand bets on natural
Trapped - by lack of ‘official’ status
Friday, July 27, 2018
for the state’s unrelenting attack on communities of Haitian lineage. The Shanty Town Action Task Force held a meeting yesterday morning to discuss the impact of Wednesday morning’s raids on its efforts. One task force member, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: “We had a brief meeting about that this morning, SEE PAGE SEVEN TARANIQUE THURSTON, who needs medical treatment in the US, but cannot travel due to her irregular immigration status.
IN a bid to reduce unemployment among people between the ages of 16 and 40, the government signed a $20m loan with the Inter-American Development Bank yesterday. The flagship component of the programme is the creation of new apprenticeship opportunities for Bahamians. The existing National Training Agency preapprenticeship programme will be expanded to include 1,100 additional people. A new advanced apprenticeship programme will be created to help 1,350 people as well. The training programmes will operate through the NTA and the Bahamas Technical & Vocational Institute. SEE PAGE SIX
FRESH WATER WASH CONCH - OR CLOSE By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net AS confirmed cases of conch poisoning continue to rise, the government intends to send inspectors out to ensure vendors selling and preparing raw conch are adhering to health regulations, including using fresh water to clean the seafood.
CONCH being prepared at Potter’s Cay. Those who do not comply with regulations face being shut down, although government officials have said
they would rather have vendors comply with the recommendations instead of being punished. While health officials are dealing with an increase of conch poisoning cases, the bacteria which causes the illness, vibrio parahaemolyticus, is becoming more resistant to antibiotics, Health Minister Dr Duane SEE PAGE FIVE
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
A COMIC’S VIEW: THE GAP BETWEEN GENERATIONS
SEE PAGE EIGHT
PAGE 2, Friday, July 27, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
DAUGHTER MAKES HER FATHER’S BAHAMAS DREAM COME TRUE A VIRAL video has taken a message of love around the world from The Bahamas. Devon Steeves’ father Bob has been sick since she was just five years old - and she always wanted to help him to have his dream trip to The Bahamas. She contacted TripAdvisor about wanting to take her dad on the trip of a lifetime and they were so moved by the story they sponsored the trip. She then reached out to Nassau’s number one rated resort on TripAdvisor, the Sandyport Beach Resort. Vernon Moss, general manager, said: “We were so moved by their story and the great love between father and daughter that we jumped on board with a complimentary stay. We have an amazing concierge team with all the insider’s knowledge to create the ultimate Bahamas activities
bucket list. Devon picked her activities and we managed to pull off a few freebies for them.” On seeing the viral video, Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar sent out a WhatsApp message, saying it’s a story worth sharing. “This is a heart-warming story of a life-long love of a daughter for her sick and ailing father, and after 22 years, the trip she arranged to The Bahamas for them once he beat cancer. Their video has gone viral and I’m not surprised. A feelgood, true life video that speaks to the power of love and the joy and beauty in the adventures they shared in The Bahamas.” Devon Steeves said: “I was only about five years old when my dad was diagnosed, and I knew that my life was never going to be the same. Over the period of 18 years, I watched my favourite
person in the whole world battle through Hepatitis C, liver cirrhosis, mental illness, a hip surgery, liver cancer, and a liver transplant.” The hardest part of her life, Devon said, was around her 17th birthday when the cancer worsened and her father Bob was given six months to live. “I never gave up hope, how could I? That was my dad, and he needed me!” A successful transplant led to recovery and in late 2017 Bob Steeves’ fight with Hep C was finally over. Companies who helped make the trip a reality are TripAdvisor, Global Degree, Sandyport Beach Resort, Regatta Point Resort, Stuart Cove’s SUB Adventure, Paradise Ocean Sports, Exuma Powerboat Adventures, Robert’s Island Adventures, Chat n Chill, Blue Sail Restaurant, and Social House.
BOB and Devon Steeves at Sandyport.
Photo: Michael Graziano/Global Degree
SHARKS TAKE A BITE TO GIVE BNT $100K THE Bahamas National Trust is beaming with pride after being selected for a major donation as part of the Discovery Channel’s exciting show “Shark Tank Meets Shark Week” which aired on Wednesday night on the Discovery Channel. The TV sharks – tough, self-made, multi-millionaire and billionaire tycoons – search to invest in the best businesses and products that America has to offer. The sharks give people from all walks of life the chance to chase the American dream and potentially secure business deals that could make them millionaires. The sharks also have a goal, too – to get a return on their investment and own a piece of the next big business idea. On Wednesday night’s show, instead of fighting for a piece of a business idea, the sharks were all pitching a $50,000 donation for their favourite conservation organisation. Each shark had to convince their peers why their shark-centric non-profit organisation, whom they were paired with, deserved to win the $50,000 donation. FUBU tycoon, Daymond John, was teamed with BNT to pitch the its phenomenal shark conservation success
story. Mr John presented a convincing argument, and brought home the $50,000 prize for the BNT. He later placed the icing on the cake by matching the winnings; bringing the prize money to a total $100,000 for BNT. Shelley Cant-Woodside, BNT’s director of science and policy, was ecstatic about the win. “The Bahamas is a small country that is doing big things in terms of conservation,” she said. “Through extensive education and outreach, working with PEW Charitable Trusts, the BNT was able to work with Bahamas government to declare the Bahamas a shark sanctuary in 2011. We were excited to be selected and recognised for our work, but to be selected as the most deserving conservation organisation is amazing.” She added that the Bahamas was the first to establish a land and sea park in the Western Hemisphere and lobbied for the banning of longline fishing which was important in maintaining healthy shark populations. “The BNT was very excited to be selected as one of the conservation organisations featured on the Discovery Channel’s ‘Shark Tank meets Shark Week. Our shark Daymond John was so impressed with the BNT’s work in having the Bahamas declared a shark sanctuary that he matched the $50,000 conservation grant. We are beyond excited and very proud to have been declared the winner of the competition. Our sharks must have been very convincing when they met Daymond John,” said, Janet Johnson, BNT president. BNT has thanked the Ministry of Tourism and and tourism representative Donna Mackey.
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, July 27, 2018, PAGE 3
Trapped - by lack of ‘official’ status from page one Due to her mother’s naturalisation process, Taranique is currently registered in The Bahamas as a non-Bahamian born to a foreign mother and Bahamian father, who are unmarried. Ms Caty is urging immigration officials to review her daughter’s status as she is currently barred from travel to the US due to her lack of a valid passport. Ms Caty, born in The Bahamas to two nonBahamian parents, says she applied for citizenship in 2000. However, she was not granted status for more than a decade – by which time she had already given birth to her three daughters. She claimed that prior to her naturalisation, she also applied for status for each of her children, but said officials informed her that under the law, her daughters, like her, would have to wait until the age of 18 to apply for citizenship. In the interim, her daughters were granted travel documents, which they were able to use to apply for American visas. However, she claimed once those documents expired, she was instructed to register her children for both a Belonger’s Permit and a Certificate of Identity. The US government no longer recognises those documents, and their official use has since been discontinued in accordance with the immigration policy introduced by the former Christie administration. The November 2014 policy mandated that every person living in the Bahamas hold a passport of their nationality with proof to legally reside in this country, among other restrictions, like the requirement for every foreign person enrolled in schools, including children born in the Bahamas to immigrants, to have a student permit. Children born here to non-Bahamian parents and entitled to apply for citizenship at 18, were instructed to apply for the citizenship of their parents until then to comply with the new policy. However, human rights groups argue the policy disproportionately affects the children of Haitian migrants, the country’s largest migrant population, due to the state’s protracted
TARANIQUE THURSTON, above, and her mother, Ginette Caty, right. and seemingly arbitrary processing of citizenship applications. Both Taranique’s Certificate of Identity and Belonger’s Permit were issued in 2013. Plea In an emotional interview with The Tribune, Ms Caty issued pleas for understanding and support for her daughter’s condition. “My child is Bahamian, this is all she knows as home. I am asking the government and immigration to do the right thing and help me and my family to get my daughter the help she needs,” she said. “Her life is on the line and she needs the proper medical attention. The doctors here have already told us that they can’t do anymore because of their limited equipment. “The referral is done. The doctors in Florida are waiting to assist. We just need to get her a valid passport, to get a valid visa to get there,” she added. In a letter written on behalf of Ms Caty and her daughter, consultant neurologist at Doctors Hospital Dr Clyde Munnings wrote to Acting Director of the Department of Social Services Lillian Quant-Forbes. He acknowledged he was responsible for her treatment to date, but insisted the teen needed to seek further attention in the US due to a lack of a specialist paediatric neurosurgeon
locally. The letter dated April 18 notes: “Taranique Thurston is under my care. She was seen in my office today. She needs care in the United States of America; specialist paediatric neurosurgeon is not available in the Bahamas.” The doctor said the teen needs a MRI brain scan on a machine not available locally. “Arrangements are being made with Jackson Memorial Hospital,” the doctor wrote. A completed treatment application for Jackson Memorial Hospital was also presented to The Tribune. Wiping back tears, Ms Caty said: “If there is anyone that knows the struggle of the immigration process and the problems that come with it, trust me, it’s me. I (was) waiting my whole life to be a Bahamian.” Holding up her Bahamian passport, she continued: “I went nights hungry trying to save up the money needed to pay for this. For years and years and years, I pushed for this, begged for this, hell, it took so long, I would pay people just to check on my application and to make sure it was still there. “Through God, I finally got it, but my children, my Bahamian children deserve better. They deserve to avoid the label of unwanted Haitian child. They aren’t unwanted. They aren’t
TARANIQUE THURSTON, who hopes to be given the chance to travel to the US for treatment.
Haitians. My babies are Bahamian-born children born to a (naturalised) Bahamian mother and a Bahamian father. “I look at my daughter every day and I worry that this process could kill her. She doesn’t deserve this,” Ms Caty said. Attempts to secure comment from immigration officials were unsuccessful up to press time.
PAGE 4, Friday, July 27, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
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Here’s hoping for Oban 2 - but why would Dhunna & Co give up what they’ve got? THE sorry saga of the Oban Energies deal rumbles ever onwards – and a most curious tale it is too. The deal – for a proposed $5.5bn oil refinery and storage facility in Grand Bahama - has been one of the biggest stumbles of the Minnis government, the Prime Minister himself going from dismissing concerns raised by the media over the deal as nothing new to finally admitting in his mid-budget speech earlier this year that mistakes had been made in the government’s due diligence. When the abiding image of the deal remains the signing that wasn’t a signing – with then non-executive chairman Peter Krieger signing with a name that wasn’t his own – it’s hard to deny that ‘missteps’ were made. For a while, it wasn’t even clear what it was that Peter Krieger had signed. Still, although that photo opportunity backfired, a deal was signed with another Oban principal, Satpal Dhunna, which brings us to where we now stand. This week, Minister of Labour Dion Foulkes has been making hopeful noises over a revised deal with Oban. He says Oban’s chiefs are open to discuss amendments to the Heads of Agreement which, if true, is fortunate indeed for the government. After all, Oban already has a deal – if they wanted, they could merely hold the government to the terms already on paper and signed. Indeed, if it were not for the diligence of the Press and Opposition to investigate Oban Energies and raise pertinent questions with the government, that would presumably still be the deal that was in place, unchallenged. Would Peter Krieger still remain involved, despite his involvement in lawsuits involving the misuse of investor monies? Would the project’s then senior vice-president, former car salesman Russell Erickson, still be attached to the deal despite questions being raised over the extent of his claimed experience in the boat manufacturing industry? The project arrived led by a team with a record that did not hold up to scrutiny, and yet which rapidly slipped past the government’s inspection, so if Oban is now willing to negotiate in good faith and perhaps surrender some aspects of the deal they have already signed,
then it will be a very lucky day for the government. Perhaps it might be considered so lucky that we might wonder exactly why they would show such largesse. How many of us would voluntarily give up the terms of a deal to go back and get the same thing but on weaker terms? Is it purely generosity on the part of Oban, whose opening gambit might not have led us to take what they say entirely on trust? What are we missing here? Other members of the Bahamian community remain sceptical of the deal – the Bahamas National Trust continues to speak out about the need for strong environmental protections, the PLP continues to object to the deal and there remains an unease about its transparency. In short, the government has a lot of ground to make up to ensure public trust in the project. Negotiations may not take place in public while sides try to wrangle out the best deal possible, but the outcome certainly needs to be clearly stated and shown to the public. No smoke, no mirrors, just clarity. Early on in the saga, Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest said the project could be a game-changer for Grand Bahama. His hope was a project of this size could make a huge impact in a community that desperately needs a helping hand – but after the missteps there have been, any deal done must be clearly presented to the public to blow away some of that smoke that has surrounded the deal so far. One thing is comforting. Dion Foulkes said this week the main thing as far as the government is concerned is they are proceeding very deliberately. “We are making sure that we cover all of the bases,” he said. That, at least, is good to hear – even if we wish that had been done from the very start. There is an old Russian saying, once made popular by US President Ronald Reagan: Trust, but verify. The government would be well advised to make sure of the latter this time around – because if they don’t, they might find public trust runs short if the second version of the Oban deal doesn’t significantly improve the outcome for the country.
Divisions over national honours EDITOR, The Tribune.
THE National Honours… Is it just a small storm or a gigantic Cat seven hurricane? In 2018 we have resurrected partisan division based on ethnic and political lines…We should be ashamed. Surely we are not so immature? It seems we are totally insensitive. Shame on PM Minnis. Firstly must say that the power of awarding these Bahamian Awards posthumously was wrong in perception and creation unless the Award was given and the person dies before bestowal. The PLP fundamentally designed this National Hero Award to establish in history that the PLP were the nation builders and what went prior to 1967 did not matter – actually did not exist. I suggest no one can contradict this and I can politically understand that. Pindling - Butler - Whitfield all received when they were alive the highest permissible Award of the State a Royal
knighthood - I challenge all why should they logically receive anything further posthumously? If there is going to be a National Hero Award may I suggest petitions have to be made to The House of Assembly and on obtaining a certain agreed number of signatures of registered Citizens, not voters - the Speaker will put on the Agenda the petition to receive the argument to make a certain person a National Hero the House of Assembly will decide, not Cabinet, and certainly not a Prime Minister. Plus one vote in support you are awarded the title of National Hero. The other Orders - a bipartisan Committee will approve - requirement to award will be that 95% of the Committee will have to agree. No interference from Cabinet or the Prime Minister. It further has to be understood that these Orders have a maximum membership only when there is a vacancy from the death of a past member that you can award. I don’t support that the Governor General and the
Chief Justice may continue to receive Crown knighthood - if the Bahamian highest Award is not good enough then stupid give nothing. You either get rid of the use of the Crown Awards or you continue 100% with them not both to be silly and substantially downgrade the reason for the Bahamian Awards. It is so ironic that the chief advocate for the removal of ‘colonial awards’ represents a foreign Government in a capacity of an Honorary Consul - now that is laughable Sir! Check the front part of BTC Directory page: 63 fourth listing in the left column - Belize. Sad in 2018 in a sweep the Prime Minister & Cabinet resurrected social and ethnic partisan divide…the FNM’s are mad - the PLP’s are as mad. The young people are mad also but at the stupidity! A divided people is not good. W THOMPSON Nassau, July 15, 2018.
Show us the money EDITOR, The Tribune. HELLO again my Bahamian citizens, another year has gone by, and it baffles me that there is still not one word being said in any quarters about our thirty million, plus, dollars ($30,000,000 plus) that was spent, wasted or pocketed on the so-called Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival. I am still waiting on the forensic report to be tabled in the House of Assembly concerning their fiasco of a “carnival” for the past three years of 2015, 2016 and 2017. Firstly, let me break this down, most of us broke Bahamians cannot fathom what a million dollars is, so let’s make this as simple as possible. A million dollars is a thousand, thousand dollars, so going forward let’s put this in perspective. The Bahamas Festival Committee spent thirty million dollars, plus, in three years of carnivals. Everything I am saying is what they have said in the news media, except I am going to break it down somewhat for those who don’t understand the entertainment business and I welcome the Bahamas Festival Committee to refute my words. In the first Junkanoo Carnival they paid Machel Montano, one hundred thousand dollars, again, these are their words. They said they paid Baha Men, sixty thousand dollars. The Music Masters Competition paid out a total of fifty thousand dollars, each year, so for three years that equals one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The following year they paid Wyclef Jean and Destra a total of one hundred thousand dollars,
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net again their words, so give or take a few thousand dollars here or there. So far that’s a total of only four hundred and ten thousand dollars. Artists like Tarrus Riley made a few thousand dollars, but nowhere in the vicinity of what Machel, or Wyclef received. I’m not sure of the T-Connection Band’s salary, but they are Bahamians, and we can only guess how they fared. The final year of Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival (2017) was crippled and the numbers were even more dismal. The reason I have not brought up the Bahamian entertainers is because they were disrespected and paid “peanuts” compared to the foreign artists, throughout the three years of Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival. That also includes the few foreign bands that were brought in on the first year, they also received chicken feed. For the three years of Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival’s existence, with all of the artists and entertainers put together, foreign and local performers, they were all paid less than one million dollars, in total. I drew attention to the highly paid artists to let the readers grasp where the so-called lion share of that money paid out to the entertainers went. So my question is, where is the other twenty-nine million, plus, dollars? Who and what was it spent on? I would give them the benefit of the doubt and even throw in an extra million on entertainment, so like I said
before, you can take away a thousand here, and give a few hundred there, but the numbers don’t add up. A million dollars is a lot of money, in fact, at the press conference for this year’s 2018 privatised carnival organisers said they could pull off their event at a cost of eight hundred and fifty thousand dollars, that was also in the news media reports. What do these guys know that the Bahamas Festival Committee did not know? And who will be held to account for wasting our monies? The Cabinet of the Bahamas at the time approved the millions of dollars that were released to someone or some group. A commission of inquiry should be held on this matter. Answers need to be given. The Bahamas Treasury needs to be reimbursed for the people’s funds that were wasted on the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival event. Some folks need to be held to account. This could be easily fixed if only we have the will to do so. The Bahamas Festival Committee, or the Cabinet of the Bahamas, only has to bring forth the receipts and records from those past three carnival events and show us the proof. Where are all of those voices that praised the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival, why have they all gone silent? There are many who benefited and there are many that owe us. Thirty million, plus, dollars is a lot of money, Show us the money, please. KIRKLAND H BODIE Nassau, July 26, 2018.
Name and shame EDITOR, The Tribune.
THE Treasury is owed hundreds of millions - it seems the Government and its agency are not very successful in collecting those millions. Adopt a simple system of - shame the person or persons or corporate body that owes the millions by
publishing lists of those who owe by asking them to contact the Ministry - Treasury or Utility Co in regards to outstanding accounts. I suggest in a sort time monies will be flowing and the Treasury will never have seen such a liquid position. Shame the persons who owe - Ministry of Finance.
Straw Market…Minister go check out the types of vehicles the good ladies drive…money there, sir, but the vendors have been taught by previous Government’s they possess the Market and they don’t have to pay. K HUMES Nassau, July 23, 2018.
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, July 27, 2018, PAGE 5
Fresh water wash conch - or close from page one Sands said yesterday. During a press conference, Dr Sands said that as of yesterday, there are 27 laboratory confirmed cases of conch poisoning and 22 clinical cases awaiting confirmation. Calling this increase an “ongoing public health threat”, Dr Sands added that laboratory reports reveal that the bacteria is “becoming more difficult” to treat. Dr Sands clarified that the number of antibiotics the bacteria is sensitive to has decreased. “Cases from the early part of this outbreak were relatively sensitive to a whole number of antibiotics that could be taken by mouth,” Dr Sands said. “We have seen increasing numbers of resistant vibrio parahaemolyticus that are not sensitive to the usual antibiotics. “What that means is, that those patients are harder to treat and their syndromes are more prolonged, and more severe. That has forced us to accelerate this public health initiative.” The initiative is a collaboration between the Ministries of Health, Environment, and Agriculture, to mitigate against cases of conch poisoning. A major factor in this is the requirement for vendors to have fresh water. Conch poisoning occurs when raw conch contaminated with vibrio is consumed. Vibrio is found in seawater in tropical regions, including The Bahamas. As the weather gets
MINISTER of Health Dr Duane Sands.
warmer, particularly in the summer and also due to the effects of climate change, the presence of the organism has increased. Conch poisoning can be prevented by conch being washed in fresh water before being consumed raw. “In this regard, in accordance with current legislation, all vendors who wish to continue with the sale of raw conch dishes, such as scorched (conch) and conch salad, may only do so if they demonstrate the presence of fresh, running water linked to the city supply,” Dr Sands said. “Additionally, vendors
must also demonstrate the active washing of raw conch and (preparatory) surfaces at all times. And this applies throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.” He also said the government will have to take action against non-compliant vendors. He added that the law does allow for vendors who do not comply with these regulations to have their establishments shut down. “We recognise that as this challenge has evolved, that there can no longer be only a voluntary participation in what is a significant public health issue,” Dr Sands said.
“And so there will be inspection teams verifying that people are actually following the recommended approach to conch preparation. “The legislature, or the legislation, allows for the various government agencies to shut down any persons who do not comply with the requirements of the law. “That is not our goal. We would like to see full compliance across the board. But there is a provision in the law, that allows for anybody who deliberately refuses to follow the advice, thereby worsening a potential public health hazard, to
no longer be allowed to sell fresh products.” Dr Sands added that the general public and consumers must also be “vigilant,” and ensure that any conch they wish to consume raw is thoroughly washed in fresh water. Also present at the press conference was Marine Resources and Agriculture Minister Michael Pintard who spoke about facilities at the Montagu fish ramp. “With respect to Montagu in particular, for those of you that have visited the site, you would see that there… are hoses that are coming out of the ground, but the installation of water facilities are not yet complete,” Mr Pintard said. “So certainly, we will be moving with haste in collaboration with Water and Sewerage, with the Ministry of Works, to remedy that situation in that particular location.” When asked if fresh running water is a requirement, Mr Pintard said: “Again, we expect that they would use fresh water. It’s not running water at this time. Several of the locations do not have pumps. “And so, we are moving with haste to make sure they are in place.” Mr Pintard also called for vendors to keep their environment sanitary, and said there will be a meeting “this coming week” on the matter. “Then we’ll take the necessary actions, which if necessary will include revoking licenses for persons who do not comply,” he added. Dr Sands also underscored that while waters
in the Family Islands have not been officially tested, it should be expected that the bacteria is present throughout the country. When asked about the nationalities of the conch poisoning cases, Dr Sands admitted that “some” were tourists. However, he could not confirm a specific number at the time. He also said that while the majority of the early cases were attributed to Potter’s Cay Dock, people have got conch poisoning from other locations. When asked about the other locations, Dr Sands declined to give specifics, saying that some people may have eaten contaminated conch at a “private venue,” but the conch itself was purchased elsewhere. “And so this has become even more complex, because not everybody would have consumed their conch at the place where it was purchased. And so we now have a number of additional venues. So, I’ll just prefer to leave it at that,” he said. Regarding the overall number of cases, Dr Sands said that while the clinical cases could take a “number of days” to confirm, those figures are not necessarily conclusive. “There are some people that may get conch poisoning, but never, ever show up at a doctor’s office; never go to the emergency room,” Dr Sands said. “So, the fact that we have now described 27 laboratory confirmed cases and 22 clinical cases awaiting laboratory confirmation does not mean that there have only been 49 cases of conch poisoning.”
MOULTRIE PROMISES TO REMAIN IMPARTIAL By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net AFTER a closed door meeting with Official Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis, House Speaker Halson Moultrie yesterday renewed his pledge of impartiality in mediating parliamentary proceedings. The Nassau Village MP did not go into great detail about their discussion. However it followed several clashes during Wednesday’s house sitting, particularly one in which Mr Moultrie expunged certain comments made by Englerston MP Glenys Hanna Martin from the record after she refused to withdraw them. Members on the governing side had called for her to substantiate her statements, but she argued it was not required since she was personally told of the claims. The incident seemed to draw the ire of Mr Davis who publicly voiced concerns immediately after the House of Assembly adjourned for the lunch recess as members were exiting the lower chamber. The Speaker’s relationship with Mrs Hanna Martin in the House has been at times contentious and tumultuous. Back in January, he named and suspended the MP. This incident gave way to a surprising and unusual speech from the Speaker several days later in which he launched personal attacks against members of the Progressive Liberal Party while defending his decision to suspend Mrs Hanna Martin. Among other things, Mr Moultrie took a swipe at the foreign-born status of the wife of Mr Davis. And in an apparent dig at PLP Chairman Fred Mitchell, he accused Mr Davis of taking advice from “reprobates” and “perverts.” Mr Moultrie also lashed out at retired parliamentary clerk, Maurice Tynes. “Now I understand the role of the Speaker is to be impartial and we had this discussion last night,” Mr Moultrie said during the sitting yesterday, moments before Mr Davis stood to make his contribution to the Economic Empowerment
Zone Bill 2018. “I’m satisfied despite what might come in the future and what might have already happened, that the member for Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador was sincere in our discussions concerning the way forward. “I want this Parliament and the Official Opposition to know that despite what I would call chaotic and unfavourable weather of the past week and maybe the tumultuous experience, that when we recess and return, this Speaker intends to be as impartial as is humanly possible and while though maintaining the rules to ensure that this institution maintains the highest possible standards that is possible as we progress this country towards higher planes. And so I believe that as a result of that meeting last night, we have arrived at a new position and a new standard to advance this Parliament and the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. I want thank the member for Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador for exhibiting the type of political maturity that was exhibited during our meeting last night.” Before he made his
pledge to be unbiased, the Speaker spoke of his political past as leader of a third party, adding he was once also a member of the PLP. He seemed to used this to further justify the pledge. Mr Moultrie said: “In 1992 I was taken to court for the first time and only time in my life. I was represented by the member for Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador. I was taken to court for registering to vote in Inagua and Mayaguana in the 1992 general elections. I was taken to court by the Free National Movement. God is good. I was the candidate for the Progressive Liberal Party. “I received PLP training. I still have the book on Machiavelli the prince that was handed to me. I was trained by Kendal Nottage who was assisted by Andrew ‘Dud’ Maynard. After a short period of time after 1992 I entered the political wilderness in third party politics and I was at the time the leader of the Bahamian Freedom Alliance. So I was attacking the Free National Movement and I was attacking the Progressive Liberal Party and I was receiving attacks from both. “As third party, I was in the valley of the shadow
of death and death blows were being thrown from both giants and so it is interesting that I sit here today. At the invitation of the member for Killarney, I became a member of the
Free National Movement. “I received FNM training as a consequence and the same Andrew ‘Dud’ Maynard was a part of the FNM training and so I say God is good because I
happen to be the Speaker who has PLP heritage, PLP training, third party wilderness experience and Free National Movement training and experience,” he also said.
PAGE 6, Friday, July 27, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
Davis says Over-the-Hill bill will only help rich By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net OFFICIAL Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis yesterday branded the government’s touted Economic Empowerment Zone Bill 2018 as “flawed,” adding the legislation in its current form will only boost the rich at the expense of the poor. Instead of doing what its title suggests, Mr Davis said the bill would only create special “exploitation” zones. Speaking in the House of Assembly yesterday, the Progressive Liberal Party leader said the legislation fell “dangerously short” of addressing the structural deficiencies of Over-theHill communities and did not do enough to tend to the lack of education, with which many there are challenged. Before Mr Davis’ critique, Tall Pines MP Donald Saunders blasted the opposition claiming their criticisms of the legislation were because the PLP felt its base was being threatened. He said for an organisation that constantly spoke about a love for the poor and disenfranchised, the party had not done enough to help those in this category. However, when Mr Davis spoke he questioned several aspects of the Economic Empowerment Zone Bill. He said it was more likely that wealthy investors
would take advantage of its many concessions, which will ultimately adversely affect the very people who need assistance. “I recognise, Mr Speaker, the urgent need to respond to the challenges of these communities,” Mr Davis said yesterday during his contribution to the debate. “We need a durable long-term solution to this situation. However, the prime minister’s highly touted concept of special economic zones is flawed, this Bill is flawed. “Its chief flaw is that it offers further enrichment to the rich at the expense of the poor. This initiative is what I call the cart before the horse. It dangerously falls short of addressing the structural challenges plaguing the Over-the-Hill communities,” Mr Davis said. “The Over-the-Hill community and economic woes are long-standing and have been exacerbated by educational and economic gaps. “Now with the increasing spectre of illegal migrants, who in some instances occupy entire streets, the situation is even more complex. “This is the state of the inner city. Some areas having broader inequalities than others and while much has been made of the role of the special economic zones to be created under this act arguably I say it lacks the necessary protections. This lack of
PLP Leader and Cat Island, San Salvador and Rum Cay MP Philip ‘Brave’ Davis. protections will catalyst the exploitation and marginalisation of residents in those areas. “The question I ask is: who wins? Who loses? For example if a landlord uses the concessions granted under the bill to improve their rental property, can the prime minister assure tenants that the direct impact of this initiate would not result in the displacement of those tenant? Can he assure this House on what are the solutions when the displacements occur?” Mr Davis also said: “The
great concern within this framework is that all qualifying individuals who start to benefit will not reflect significantly on those residing in those areas. “The point is you’re not going to help the vast majority who are under these rough living conditions. “Mr Speaker, what the government has dubbed special economic zones will in my view be special exploitation zones. So the question I ask again is: Who wins? Who loses? How will this initiative improve
Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
economic and educational outcomes?” Mr Davis said the Bill did not acknowledge urgent challenges like income, health and the lack of family stability. “How will this programme transform communities challenged by violence and highly constrained dreams? Looking at the Bill it comes up short and there is no reasonable response,” he said. The PLP has said it will only support the Bill if certain amendments are made. Prime Minister Dr
Hubert Minnis has blamed a “violent and destructive” era under the PLP for the Over-the-Hill community’s poor conditions. As he began debate in Parliament on Wednesday, Dr Minnis said the overriding goal of the new law was to provide opportunity and hope for more people. It is also to complement the work of the highly touted Over-the-Hill rejuvenation initiative. The House of Assembly passed the Economic Empowerment Zone Bill last night.
$20M LOAN TO HELP YOUNG UNEMPLOYED FIND WORK from page one
The apprenticeship programmes will concern three areas: information technology, maritime/shipping and medical services. Apprentices will be given a stipend, although details of this and other key elements of the programme have not yet been determined. Through the loan, a 43,000 sq ft building will be constructed to serve “as a one stop shop to address all matters for job seekers,” Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest said. That building will be outfitted with childcare services or a nursery “to accommodate women who
are seeking the services from various support windows in the facility,” he said. According to IDB country representative Michael Nelson, anyone between 16 and 40 will be eligible for the programme though the focus is on “school leavers and unemployed persons”. There are no “technical requirements” or minimum education requirements for the programme, he said. With the unemployment rate of people in the targeted age group high, Mr Turnquest acknowledged demand could be great. The selection process for participants has not yet been finalised. “I’m sure there will be an evaluation process
because we want to make sure participants in this programme are successful,” Mr Turnquest said. “If you have no interest in doing maritime work or technical work, there is no point in applying so there will be some screening process that I imagine will be (worked into) the programme. That would be the first sort of screening if you will. It will be a fair (selection) process I’m sure and it will be open to all Bahamians. This fits very nicely with what the government is trying to do with respect to BTVI by the way which will be operating a programme on its own that will work very nicely with what we are doing here. The good news is there will be a significant number of training opportunities available
for Bahamians through this programme, through BTVI or through the University of The Bahamas as well as all the private institutions we have in the country.” The loan will also help the government develop blockchain technology, Mr Turnquest said, announcing that in early September the Ministry of Finance will host its first meeting of a national blockchain strategy committee “to guide selection and implementation of blockchain initiatives in public and private sectors.” Over the years, the government has made a number of attempts at reducing unemployment through apprenticeship programmes. Labour Minister Dion Foulkes said the new loan
differs from the IDB’s Citizen Security Programme, which also had a labour component, one that focused on unemployment among at-risk youth. “We have a shortage of trained Bahamians with specific skills,” he said. “I see it every day in applications for labour certificates where on our register persons are not there to meet the demand for the marketplace. What this programme is going to do, we’re going to train Bahamian men and women in the skills that are currently demanded. Our curriculum in most of our institutions are outdated going back to the 70s and the 80s. This programme is a modern skills and apprenticeship programme and we are going to target
certain areas, especially ICT skills, some hard skills also and the idea is as the economy grows we want Bahamians to take advance of the opportunities here. We still approve too many labour certificates and too many work permits to non-Bahamians.” The payment period for the loan is 25 years at an interest rate of 3.6 percent. In January, the Department of Statistics revealed the unemployment rate stood at 10.1 percent, up slightly from 9.9 percent. At the time, it was also reported that youth unemployment (for those ages 15-24) increased from 20.1 percent in May 2017 to 22 percent last November. A new Labour Force Survey is expected to be released today.
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, July 27, 2018, PAGE 7
THIS building, which was destroyed by fire, housed 11 straw vendors who were displaced in March.
Photos: Denise Maycock/Tribune Staff
Water turned off at Bazaar amid struggles By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net STRAW vendors at the International Bazaar are without public restroom facilities after the city water supply was turned off yesterday, The Tribune learned. Some seven vendors remaining in the Straw Market do not pay rent, but still had access to running water in the public restrooms there. A concerned person contacted The Tribune out of worry for the vendors, most of whom are elderly women.
The Tribune contacted officials at the Grand Bahama Utility Company concerning the disconnected water supply. Kim Miller, public relations and communications officer at the Grand Bahama Port Authority Group Ltd, said the water supply will be turned back on. “A team has been deployed to get the water reactivated,” she told The Tribune. The number of vendors at the Bazaar has declined significantly after a building fire in March displaced an additional 11 vendors with
shops there. When the International Bazaar was booming before 2004, the vendors paid $100 rent. It was later lowered to $50 when business dropped off sharply when the Royal Oasis closed due to hurricane damage. After many of the stores and shops closed and relocated from the Bazaar, the area became a ghost town but the vendors remained at the Straw Market. They no longer pay rent and the market is unkempt. In addition to the disconnected water supply, The Tribune also discovered the Grand Bahama Port
ARRESTS OPERATION ‘JUST A SMOKESCREEN’ from page one raising concerns about it. The minister said not to worry about it, just try to clear up the misperception. We know as we going back in these communities today, people think we were part of raid or reporting to those agencies.” Labour Minister Dion Foulkes, who heads the task force, did not return calls for comment up to press time. In an interview with The Tribune, Ms St Fleur reiterated her organisation’s charge that shanty town raids are conducted illegally and violate human rights. “It is illegal to raid people’s homes and demand they produce documents,” Ms St Fleur said. “It is illegal to detain and deport them based on their failure to produce documents. There is a proper, legal procedure for immigration enforcement and the government continues to violate it. “(The good faith) the task force and its representatives have sought to build with residents of Haitian communities has been severely undermined by the continued illegal raids. It is a case of smiling in people’s face while stabbing them in the back.” Described as an “islandwide” sweep, Wednesday’s joint-raid by police with the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and the Immigration Department resulted in the arrest of 35 people for various offences. Outside Parliament later that day, National Security
Minister Marvin Dames resisted the operation’s characterisation as a shanty town raid as he reiterated the government’s desire to increase the presence of law enforcement agencies. According to a police press statement, ‘Operation Twilight’ targeted “prolific offenders, wanted suspects and other persons associated with criminal activities”. Shanty town residents in New Providence who do not have occupancy certificates for their structures have been ordered to relocate by August 10. The Minnis administration plans to bulldoze the illegal structures built on Crown land, which were leased for farming. Yesterday, Ms St Fleur
continued: “RB wants them to apply the law and stop making things up. If they have an issue with a particular home, or questions about land ownership in a particular case, the relevant authorities should follow the correct procedures in that individual case. “This wholesale sweeping approach where they just evict everybody and bulldoze all homes is nonsense,” she said. “It’s like arresting everybody in Bain Town because one or two are criminals. The wholesale approach is illegal. All law enforcement must be about particular, individual cases, not generally attacking a group of people because of what one or two may have done.”
Death Notice For Former Cabinet Minister
Phenton Neymour #17 Hutchinson Street died on Monday, July 23rd, 2018 at his residence. He is survived by his Wife: Cutelle Neymour; Children: Jonathan & Khalon Neymour, Ashley & Tiara Neymour; Mother: Princena Lambrigger; Four (4) Brothers: Chat, Brian & Bradley Neymour, & Renarto Lambrigger; Step-mother: Paula Neymour; Step-father: Bruno Lambrigger; and a host of other relatives and friends who will be listed at a later time.
THE GRAND Bahama Port Authority has served notice of demolition for a building that once held straw vendors’ shops. The building was destroyed by a fire at the Straw Market in the International Bazaar earlier this year. therefrom; recover the Authority has served a Grand Bahama. It stated that pursuant expenses reasonably 30-day notice of demolition on the owner of a burnt- to Section 11(3) of the law, incurred by the authority in out building that once held if the owners fail within so doing; cause the relevant the said 30-day period to person to be prosecuted shops for straw vendors. The notice was served comply with the provisions under the act for default. Ms Miller said that the on July 23 in accordance of the notice, the authority with the Freeport (Build- may without further notice GBPA is waiting for the ing Code and Sanitary take such steps as may be owners to give them guidCode) Bye Laws 1967 to necessary to demolish the ance on what the next step the owners of Lot 7, Block structure and remove any they would like to take M, Central Area, Freeport, rubbish or debris resulting regarding the edifice.
PAGE 8, Friday, July 27, 2018
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The generation gap A FEW weeks ago, I found myself at a barbecue at a friend’s house, enjoying a leisurely Sunday afternoon. As is tradition with these outings, everyone brought their family, and their choice of burgers, beers and libations. A friend of mine (who shall remain nameless) showed up with his wife, his 65-year-old father (whom we affectionately call “The BBQ King”) and his 15-year-old son (whom we teasingly call “Booger”). The BBQ King immediately took his rightful place behind the grills (three of them), where his skills are second to none. As he began prepping the food, he ushered command after command to his grandson, “Booger”, who looked less than pleased to be serving as gopher while all the other kids were splashing around in the pool. “Booger” was moving slow as molasses (on purpose, I’m sure) as he got the charcoal, then the lighter fluid, then the tongs, then the foil, the plates, the corn, and whatever “The BBQ King” needed to serve up the most delicious ribs, steaks and burgers you can imagine. As the sun shone bright and the air started to smell of sweet barbecue, I noticed “Booger”, iPod in hand, longingly staring off in the distance while the hot dogs started to sizzle. ‘The BBQ King’ must have noticed his indentured sous-chef’s lack of attention too, because he hollered, “Boy turn them dogs ’fore they burn!” “I turned them!” “Booger” responded halfheartedly, before being pushed aside. “Boy, go find something else to do before you mess up my food,” ‘The BBQ King’ said. “How you expect to cook and play with that thing in ya head? “That’s the problem with y’all young people; y’all don’t know how to pay attention. That’s why yinna so lousy!” As “Booger” rushed toward the pool (with a sly smile on his face), he murmured, “That’s the problem with y’all old people; y’all too grumpy, and want everybody to do y’all work!”
Say what? For some time now, I have been amazed by the growing disconnect between our elders and the younger generation, as well as the fact that we as a nation have accepted this as
has passed by; they are too afraid (or too stubborn) to move with the times and as aresult brand anything new and different as “foolishness” or a “flash in the pan”. I remember my wife’s
‘For some time now, I have been amazed by the growing disconnect between our elders and the younger generation, as well as the fact that we as a nation have accepted this as the status quo and allow it to get progressively worse by the second.’ the status quo and allow it to get progressively worse by the second. On the one hand, some young people have no respect for elders and their contributions to our society, while on the other hand there are older people who the world
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very first OBGYN, an older doctor with busy patient list who must not have had a clue how to run the brand new ultrasound machine in her examining room. One day I dared to ask her when we would be able to see our baby only to have my hopes dashed with, “Oh that ultrasound machine is broken, I am waiting for the technician from Florida to fix it.” Obviously the technician was on Bahamian time, because throughout all our visits right up until the birth of our child, we had not received a single ultrasound
from that OBGYN. We did have several done at Doctors Hospital (where they always did an excellent job) while our then doctor allowed dust to cover the only piece of equipment resembling modern technology in her office. Imagine my surprise on our second child, with the help of our second (and still) OBGYN, who’s very smart, and who happens to also be young, and her plethora of modern resources — I was able to view an ultrasound right there in her office, it was one of the most ironic moments of my life, the ultra sound showed my son in such detail, I was left to marvel (and laugh, hysterically) at the fact that, he had his foot (specifically, his big toe) in his mouth. With everything in life, change is happening every second of every day. There are some amongst us who resist or even loathe change (as in, extra or unwanted work in the form of a “modern” ultrasound machine). Alternatively, there are others who fly blindly into the future without an inkling of the past (as in, downloading an iTune when the better, original version is freely available in your parents’ CD collection).
RIP PHENTON
ON a totally different note, I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my friend and former FNM MP and Cabinet Minister Mr Phenton Neymour. Phenton, was always honest and quick to give me positive advice, throughout my career. Whether it was politics, sports or life. Always candid, with his awesome voice. (I often told him, if I had his voice, Howard Stern would be retired). Intellect, quick wit, great sense of humor, and undying patriotism, it was always an excellent conversation or debate. Sadly, we have truly lost a great Bahamian. In his long battle with cancer, he proved to be heroic, inspirational and spiritual. Motivating those, also going through health issues, as well as inspiring others, such as myself, to carry on his legacy. From my family to the entire Neymour family, our deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences. We will keep you in our prayers. May his soul rest in eternal peace. Take your well deserved rest old friend, until we meet again. Can you imagine the political reunion going on behind the pearly gates, BJ Nottage, Stephen “Daddio” Mitchell, Charlie Maynard and Phenton, oh the stories!
SADLY, BOTH ARE DOOMED As the ‘baby boomers’ and ‘millennials’ age and are forced to share the planet with the fruits of their loin’s loins, respect and mutual understanding will surely make the forced cohabitation much easier to stomach.
Speaking of stomachs, I am happy to report “The BBQ King” retained his crown by serving up the best ever ribs I have tasted in my life. Sadly, the barbecue didn’t go so well for “Booger.” In his haste, he was already neck deep in the pool before he remembered his iPod was in his pocket. All I can say is… yep, “lousy”.
Funeral Service For OSWALD BRADLEY BURKE, 90 of Winton Meadows, will be held on Saturday, July 28th, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Annes Anglican Church, Fox Hill Road. Officiating will be Fr. Hugh Bartlett, assisted by other ministers of the Clergy. Interment will follow in St. Annes Cemetery, Fox Hill Road. Left to cherish his memories one daughter: Donna Jervis; one son: Gregory Burke; grandchildren: Afton Jervis and Caleia Burke; grandnephew: Owen Wells; nephew: Dr. Amos Johnson; sister-inlaw: Majorie Chea Johnson; special friends: Mrs. Claris Price and Family, Mrs. Louis Saunders and Family, Mrs. Mavis Mackey and Family, Mrs. Lauriette Cartwright and Family; special family: Mrs. Althea Tinker and Family, Mrs. Mazie Sands and Family; care giver: Montina. Family and friends may pay their last respects at Bethel Brothers Morticians, #44 Nassau Street on Friday from 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m. There will be no viewing at the church.
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, July 27, 2018, PAGE 9
A YOUNG Ranger cadet showcasing her talent during a tour at the Bahamas Broadcasting Corporation’s Northern Service.
RANGERS TAKE FIRST STEPS INTO THE WORLD OF JOURNALISM ABOUT 20 Royal Bahamas Defence Force Rangers are better prepared with fundamental skills after successfully completing phase one of a journalism course at the RBDF Rangers Summer Camp in Grand Bahama. A total of 70 Rangers are attending the event, which is being held in Freeport. Last month, 38 young Rangers completed a
two-week music camp in Nassau where a number of them learned how to play a musical instrument for the first time. During the first week of this latest summer programme that is being held in Freeport, the young students completed a writing course as the first phase of the three-week training programme. The writing course was led by Marine Seaman
Michael Turner, who focused on various topics that are relevant to the work of journalism. Topics included news writing fundamentals, feature writing, responsible journalism, journalism ethics and conducting interviews. Ranger cadet Jacquelle Cooper, a 13-year-old student at the North Long Island High School, was elated to have been a part
of the journalism course. “It increased my writing skills a lot,” she said. “I can now write a whole story without hesitation. Because the course exposed me to lots of information.” The entire course aims to expose the Rangers to the field of journalism, and to also teach and develop some of the valuable skills needed to function within the field, including writing,
photography, videography and graphic design. Jenneva Russell, a photojournalist from the Freeport News, was a guest speaker at the camp. She spoke about responsible journalism and some of the possibilities which exist in the field. Rangers also had the opportunity to visit the Bahamas Broadcasting Corporation’s Northern Service where they were
taken on a tour of the facility and spoke candidly of their experience on camera. The second phase of the course will focus on photography and the third phase will cover videography and graphic design. The Royal Bahamas Defence Force is proud to be playing a positive part in developing the potential of tomorrow’s leaders by investing in their lives today.
Conviction upheld for man guilty of stabbing By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
THE Court of Appeal has affirmed the 2015 convictions and subsequent sentences of a man found guilty of the 2015 fatal stabbing of another man in the Rand Memorial Hospital’s parking lot. Rashid Farrington stabbed two men, one fatally, in trying to evade capture after he snatched a woman’s handbag as she assisted her mother out of a vehicle in the hospital’s parking lot. The woman began screaming for help and caught the attention of two men standing nearby, the ruling said. The two men were able to apprehend the thief and as they did, he fell. The woman’s handbag was returned to her. At this stage, both men saw the thief’s face, the ruling noted, and the assailant fatally stabbed one of them and injured a third man who had come on scene. The assailant escaped but the third man followed him to a nearby apartment complex called Garden Villas but “returned when he heard him ask someone to get his gun,” the ruling added.
Following his escape from the scene, Farrington was identified by witnesses during an identification parade. Additionally, a fingerprint found on the car door of the woman who was robbed matched Farrington. In his appeal, the appellant raised issues with how evidence was identified in the case, the wanted posters shown to witnesses when he was identified, the clothing used in the identification parade and the finger print evidence, among other things. The Court of Appeal, in a ruling published on its website this week, dismissed the appeal and affirmed the convictions of murder, stealing and causing harm. The ruling noted the facts which gave rise to the offences are, based on the record of the trial, “fairly straight forward.” In answering the question of whether the verdict in the case was unsafe and unreasonable, the ruling further noted that in spite of the failure of the trial judge to deal robustly with the defects in the identification as it relates to the conduct of the ID parade, it ruled the convictions should not be set aside on
‘KILL COPS’ THREAT EARNS TWO YEARS PROBATION from page one After a short consultation with his attorney, Glendon Rolle, Gray pleaded guilty to all 16 counts. Mr Rolle, in his address to the court, pleaded for leniency, insisting the accused in his rant never addressed any officer by name and had no intention to carry out any act. He said his client was poorly influenced at the time of the video and spoke from a misguided position. Mr Rolle said the downsides of social media and the way one should conduct themselves in that forum continues to be a “challenging” area for the country. He further petitioned the
court to render a verdict that would force his client to issue a public apology and, in time, work with the police as a “poster child” of misconduct on social media. However, in his ruling Magistrate McKinney opted to sentence the accused to two years’ probation with several conditions, including being restricted from commenting further on the video and its contents. If the probation is violated, Gray faces up to a year in prison. Additionally, Magistrate McKinney also sentenced Gray to 120 hours of community service. If the hours are not served, Gray faces another year in prison.
this basis. “Significantly, this was more a case of recognition by both of the prosecution’s main witnesses. They knew the appellant,” the ruling notes. “They were involved in retrieving the bag that was stolen from the virtual complainant and they both had an opportunity at close quarters, albeit for very short periods of time, to
recognise the appellant. “The incident that initiated the identification was the theft of the bag and that resulted in hot pursuit of the thief who turned out to also be the killer and the person who caused harm to (the deceased).” The ruling continued: “The jury had a chance to see these witnesses testify and the appellant chose not to give evidence.
“These are circumstances which would compel the application of the proviso even if the complaint about the direction to the jury as to the conduct of the parade was flawed, since the two witnesses would have identified the appellant even if the parade was properly conducted.” Given the circumstances, the court ruled to dismiss the appeal and affirmed the
convictions and sentencing. Farrington, 30, was found guilty of the murder of 40-year-old Lamorn Moxey on September 25, 2015. He was sentenced to 45 years on the charge. He was also found guilty of stealing and causing harm, for which he was sentenced to ten years and one year, respectively. The sentences were slated to run concurrently.
GN-2053
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Bahamas Property Fund - what’s next? N
O one can tell Providence House - all of how many which have serious vacancy investors hold, issues. directly or indiWhen originally created rectly, an equity position in and sold to investors by the the BISX-listed company Fidelity Group more than Bahamas Property Fund ten years ago, BGF seemed (BPF), but they all must a sound commercial venhave a headache after a ture. Bahamians had always quick glance at its recently liked real property investpublished financial state- ments; why not repackage ments for the year 2017. them in small pieces for Only 67 records appear retail sale, similar to the on the shareholder reg- hugely successful REITS ister, representing a total (real investment trusts) of $2.4m shares outstand- marketed in the US? But ing. But many of these 67 REITS enjoy US tax advanare pension funds hold- tages not available here, ing for their beneficiaries, and always accumulate or broker-dealers holding hundreds if not thousands as nominee for their cus- of separate properties, tomers. Royal Fidelity, for giving true liquidity, while example, holds more than BPF never acquired more 1.3 million shares, 56 per- than three buildings. cent of the total, part of Then we were hit by which is held for its own the 2008 recession, comaccount but a larger portion bined with the steady shift for its many clients who in business property away invested in BPF. Thus there from central Nassau to may be thousands of Baha- the available real estate mians who have money tied in the Western District. In up in this enterprise. hindsight, perhaps BPF’s The recent financials advisors Royal Fidelity reveal the startling news and Morley Realty should that the auditors’ restate- have spotted this trend ment of the 2016 accounts and adjusted BPF’s acquirequired an abrupt write- sition policy towards joint down of about $10m ventures with property from the property values, developers active in these reducing equity by over areas, as well as in eastern 30 percent from $32m to areas outside downtown. $22m. The auditors’ letter, In any event, BPF’s busifrom the venness model erable firm of ‘For government has left it PWC-Price with several of any nation, Waterhouse, recent years of uses careful delivering the both operataccountants’ ing losses and mail is a prime language in valuation writeduty, right up Note 13 to offs, capped explain that there with by the recent “The fair values maintaining downward of investment restatement of properties rec- domestic the 2016/2017 ognised in prior public order financials. No years were and protecting dividends have misstated as a been paid and result of cash national borders.’ no shares have flow projections traded on BISX omitting cash outflows for since October 2016 at the maintenance cost of vacant now meaningless price of rental space”. Hence the $9.09, against thousands of massive reduction in share- unfilled sell orders. holders’ equity. Shareholders are locked That’s a pretty blunt into an illiquid investment indictment by PWC of with no current return and the way BPF reported the no visible growth prospects. financial condition of its BPF’s manager, Royal three investment proper- Fidelity, will soon proties - Financial Centre, duce the 2017 Annual One Marina Drive, and Report that must address
FLOODING inside the Post Office in 2016 and, right, Phil’s Supermarket on Gladstone Road which is due to become the new postal headquarters. shareholder concerns. Unless it contains credible prospects of higher rental rates and reduced vacancy level - and possibly new investments properties - an attractive future for BPF seems doubtful. The present three properties will not vanish, but can they generate a reasonable rate of return while held in a fund structure? Perhaps the solution will be to liquidate BPF and sell the separate properties in the open market, distributing the proceeds to BPF shareholders. This will mirror the thousands of US companies who have closed because of changing economic or regional conditions, but realised some value from liquidating their assets. In an evolving world, not every business has the right formula for success.
ALIV SHARE SALE RATIONAL CHANGE OF PLANS
Government is holding a sound investment worth at least $70m - its 51.75 percent equity stake in ALIV, acquired in early 2016 as part of ALIV’s initial
capital funding. The only question is when and how to realise cash on a sale of this stake. The PLP’S original plan placed the ALIV shares in a special purpose government vehicle named “Holding Co” and I heard Perry Christie emphasise to its chairman Jimmy Campbell and its financial advisor Gowon Bowe that this was to be a “temporary” commitment intended for prompt sale. Nothing had been done by the time of the 1917 election, but Mr Bowe continued to promote a scheme whereby Holding Co itself would be sold to investors in a so-called “private placement” to avoid scrutiny by our Securities Commission (SecComm). It was never clear how Holding Co would be marketed to cautious investors,
since none of our licensed securities dealers were brought into the picture to play their usual role of acting as investment bankers for new share offerings, particularly for ones as large as $70m. Apparently their professional expertise was considered unnecessary. Together with many others, I expressed my doubts about this scheme, as it seemed to violate public policy by using a questionable loophole to evade SecComm jurisdiction. Our doubts were shared by the FNM Cabinet, who announced early this year a “delay” in implementation. Then just last month Attorney-General Bethel made the clearcut decision to ditch the whole scheme with a more rational plan. The ALIV shares will be sold in a public offering but only under the longstanding regulation that ALIV must first complete three full fiscal years and produce financial statements for the period. This will delay any offering until 2019 at the earliest, allowing Government to determine that ALIV has developed a solid track record to justify investment by the Bahamian public. Under regulation by SecComm, ALIV shares would be listed on BISX, not only giving ALIV a true market value but also giving a better benchmark for valuing Cable Bahamas, with continued ownership of 48.25 percent of ALIV’s equity. With both companies listed on BISX we can observe how ALIV may eventually become the larger company and stimulate investor interest in trading on our securities exchange. The Attorney General must be congratulated for making this firm decision on behalf of his Cabinet.
THE POSTAL CRISIS
For government of any nation, delivering the mail is a prime duty, right up there with maintaining domestic public order and protecting national borders. But it is a function marked by tedium, requiring thousands of routine transactions that must be completed every day, by hand or computer, without glamour or recognition.
Unfortunately, the psyche of Bahamian politicians and senior civil servants seems infected with an allergy against even thinking about such nit-picky work, let alone performing it. Through one administration after another, these mandarins ignored the sweating minions struggling to sort the daily flow of letters and packages, using antiquated equipment and archaic systems, with inoperable air conditioning, unhealthy paint-peeling walls. It’s hardly surprising that our postal system has nearly ground to a halt. My personal experience of more than a month to receive a letter from a New York bank is just one minor irritant compared with more serious problems faced every day by local businesses receiving late payments and sometimes finding that mailings are lost forever. Even in this digital era, there is an irreducible minimum of essential hard copy deliveries. Internationally, Bahamians cope by using expensive couriers or opening convenience boxes in Florida. Domestically, it’s inconceivable that any cheque of crucial document is entrusted to the Post Office. Hand delivery by self or professional messenger has become the rule. Fewer stamps are sold and postal revenue sinks even lower. All the flowery rhetoric from Government ministries and the Chamber of Commerce about “making it easier to do business in The Bahamas” is nothing but a sick joke until we solve the basic task of delivering mail. Government sits on its hands. I have heard nothing further about demolishing the barely habitable Central PO Building. Phil’s Supermarket on Gladstone Road, the alleged site of the new headquarters, sits peaceful and undisturbed. The Prime Minister should acknowledge this crisis by declaring a State of Emergency and, like NEMA with hurricane damage, draft several hundred workers, even if half-trained, to clear up the backlog accumulated on East Street and the branch offices - only a first step, but essentially a symbolic one.
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, July 27, 2018, PAGE 11
NIGARAGUA DEATH TOLL RISES TO 448
ORPHAN children sit in their beds at the Nest of Hope orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. UNICEF estimates that 80 to 90 percent of the children in orphanages have one or two living parents. Photo: Dieu Nalio Chery/AP
Hope at last for Haiti orphans PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti Associated Press LIKE roughly a quarter of Haiti’s children, 11-yearold Franchina has spent much of her short life without parents. Her mother dead, her father in prison, Franchina was placed in a state-run orphanage as a toddler, remaining illiterate year after year and seemingly destined for a hard life in the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation. But this year, Franchina’s fortunes took a hopeful turn. She has benefited from the newfound resolution of Haiti’s government to improve the deplorable status of the country’s children, and more specifically from a partnership between the state child welfare agency and several international child-service organisations. In a country and region with no tradition of formal foster-care systems, they are recruiting and training Haitians who buy into the idea that being a foster parent is a noble mission. “There’s a certain satisfaction to it,” said Jeannes Pierre, 61, a Baptist pastor in Port-au-Prince who is now Franchina’s foster father. “It’s doing something extraordinary.” In her orphanage, Franchina shared a bunkroom with many other children. Now she has a bedroom to herself, small and simple but enlivened by a colorful stack of books. To her delight, her foster parents taught her how to
read within weeks of her arrival. “It’s like removing the darkness from the eyes of a child,” Pierre said. The Pierres do not know how long Franchina will be with them. “We want to keep her as long as possible,” Pierre said. And Franchina, it seems, would agree. Asked what she likes best about her new life, at first she was too shy to respond. Then she confided: “I like everything.” Many of Haiti’s youths live on the streets; hundreds of thousands are domestic workers in other families’ homes. Franchina was among the 30,000 or so consigned to orphanagelike institutions ranging in quality from adequate to abominable. By itself, foster care won’t come close to resolving the plight of Haiti’s children. But the new programme is cited by experts as evidence of the government’s determination to strengthen child-oriented policies — and lessen reliance on foreign-based charities and mission groups. “There’s no magic bullet, no one solution,” said Marc Vincent, who heads UNICEF’s operations in Haiti. “But it’s important to recognise the steps the government is taking — it is passionate about making things better.” Some of the changes derive from the island’s devastating 2010 earthquake, which fueled a surge of international adoptions, primarily to the United States. Some Haitian children were airlifted to the
US even though they were not approved for adoption; an Idaho church group leader was convicted of arranging illegal travel after trying to take other children out of Haiti without government approval. Such incidents prompted Haitian authorities to sign an international convention setting ethical standards for international adoptions. Regulations were tightened and the number of international adoptions from Haiti fell sharply, from more than 1,300 a year to around 300 or 400. The child welfare agency — known by its French initials, IBESR — also is trying to beef up oversight of Haiti’s roughly 750 orphanages. Most are privately run and financed, operating with little or no government regulation to rein in abuse and neglect. “We can’t go on placing kids in institutions,” said Vanel Benjamin, IBESR’s foster-care coordinator. “The answer is family.” UNICEF estimates that 80 to 90 percent of the children in orphanages have one or two living parents. Lumos, the nonprofit founded by Harry Potter author JK Rowling, is among several groups seeking to reunite children with their biological families, but the work is slow and the orphanage operators are not always cooperative. “They don’t want to change,” said Eugene Guillaume, the Haiti program manager for Lumos. “Orphanages are their business.” Even at competently run
orphanages accredited by IBESR, heartbreak is the norm, as Dallye Telemaque Bernard, director of the Nest of Hope home in Port-auPrince, makes all too clear. She oversees the care of about 50 children, ranging from five months to 13 years. Some are brought in by government social workers, or by police who find them in the streets. But most are dropped off by their impoverished parents. “Some children come here very sick, from families in very bad economic situations,” said Bernard. “Ideally, there should be a programme to help the children stay with their own families, but there isn’t.” Sections of her orphanage are cheerful, but the upstairs bedrooms, with sets of four or five bunk beds lining the walls, are spartan — including one bedroom set aside for infants. Bernard said the babies generally arrive from Portau-Prince’s largest shanty town, Cite Soleil, dropped off by heartbroken mothers. “It’s difficult for them,” she said. “But they don’t have a choice.” With Haiti now cutting back on international adoptions, Bernard wishes there were ways to reunify more children with their biological families — and she’s also intrigued by the new fostercare programme.
The programme began three years ago in Port-auPrince and the southern city of Les Cayes. This month, about 100 government officials and social service providers gathered to extend the programme into the northern region around the city of Cap Haitien. “Today is a day of victory,” declared Antonio Jean Louis of Children of the Promise, a Christianoriented mission. “There’s now an option besides international adoption.” Among the attendees was IBESR’s Vanel Benjamin, who said the programme will keep expanding to other regions of Haiti, with a goal of having 200 foster families accredited by the end of this year. International adoption “should be the last resort,” he said. “Foster care is a better alternative.” In the United States, there’s a constant struggle to recruit foster parents even though they’re generally paid many hundreds of dollars a month. In Haiti, the plan is to build a foster care system exclusively with parents willing to take on the task at their own expense. Aspiring foster parents are screened to ensure they’re psychologically and economically capable of caring for foster children without exploiting them.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) — A rights group on Thursday raised by nearly 100 to 448 the number of dead from more than three months of political upheaval and protests demanding President Daniel Ortega leave office. Alvaro Leiva, director of the Nicaraguan Pro-Human Rights Association, said 399 of the dead had been identified and there were photographs, news reports and other evidence to document the other cases. The unrest began in April as protests against proposed social security cuts, which were later scrapped. Following a violent crackdown by security forces and allied armed civilian groups, the demonstrations grew and broadened in scope to accuse the president of being an authoritarian and include a demand for early elections.
FONDA REGRET OVER HANOI JANE MOMENT BEVERLY HILLS, California (AP) — Jane Fonda said she’s still confronted by Vietnam War veterans over her 1970s anti-war activism and welcomes the encounters. Such moments provide an opportunity to talk, she said, which needs to be done with what Fonda called “an open mind and a soft heart”. The actress drew bitter criticism after being photographed atop an anti-aircraft gun during a controversial 1972 visit to North Vietnam. Meeting with TV critics on Wednesday to discuss a new HBO documentary on her life, she expressed regret for that moment. She said it was thoughtless to perch on the gun and called it “horrible” to think about the message her action sent to soldiers and their families, she said. It was an earlier meeting with US soldiers in Paris that sparked her activism, Fonda said. Her belief that America always fought on “the side of the angels” was shaken by what she heard and later read. She felt betrayed and lied to by America’s leadership over the war and decided she would do everything possible to help stop it as part of a movement, Fonda said.
PAGE 12, Friday, July 27, 2018
THE TRIBUNE