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VOLUME:115 No.174, AUGUST 2, 2018
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CLASSIFIED TRADER: CARS, CARS, CARS & MORE CARS
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Families beg court ‘Save our homes’ Legal action aims to halt demolitions By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net SHANTY town residents have filed a suit against the government over its plan to eradicate “unregulated” communities and have asked the Supreme Court for an injunction to block looming evictions or any form of interference until their case is heard in court. The writ was filed by Callenders and Co on behalf of 177 shanty town residents from both New Providence and Abaco, and non-profit group Respect Our Homes Ltd. They are seeking a
judicial review of the decisions taken by the government, whom they contend have not established legal right or authority to the land, and as such, are both unlawful and unconstitutional. Yesterday, human rights attorney Fred Smith said he was prepared to take the case all the way to Privy Council in his bid to protect the rights of his clients, whom he asserts are vulnerable and oppressed. “Unregulated communities have emerged in The Bahamas over the last 40 years or so,” the lawsuit read. SEE PAGE FIVE
...FOULKES REVEALS SOME HOUSES ALREADY SAFE By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
PARTS of two shanty towns in New Providence will escape the government’s demolition exercises this month because of the code worthiness of its buildings. Altogether, nearly 30 buildings in the All Saints Way shanty town off Golden Isles Road and the Bedrock shanty town east
of Bacardi Road will not be demolished, according to Labour Minister Dion Foulkes, head of the government’s shanty town committee. As for individual buildings that are up to code in other shanty towns that are surrounded by noncode worthy structures, Mr Foulkes said Cabinet will decide on Tuesday what to do with them. SEE PAGE FIVE
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‘UNLAWFUL KILLING’ COP WILL FIGHT VERDICT By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
ONE day after a Coroner’s Court jury ruled Police Corporal Adrian Miller unlawfully killed an armed man at a party, his lawyer said he intends to appeal the inquest’s verdict. Bjorn Ferguson yesterday confirmed plans to lodge an appeal within a month, maintaining his client operated within the confines of the law and his duties. A jury on Tuesday unanimously ruled Cpl Miller unlawfully killed 31-yearold Girred Clarke some moments after he fired a .45 Glock pistol twice into the air and once into the trunk of a car being driven by a man with whom he he’d had an argument. SEE PAGE 13
LUCAYAN: ANY BUYER WILL WANT HUGE SUBSIDY By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
HEAD OVER
HEELS FOR
GOLD
DONALD Thomas is pictured as he soars to gold in the high jump at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla, Colombia. It is the fourth gold medal of the games for The Bahamas. Thomas cleared the 2.28m mark to secure his gold medal finish. See Sports for the full story.
SHELL DEAL WILL CUT FUEL BILLS By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net BAHAMAS Power & Light’s (BPL) top executive yesterday said “the country could not have a better partner” than Shell, with the deal’s “transformational” impact extending well beyond the energy sector. Whitney Heastie told The Tribune that selecting Shell North America to develop New Providence’s new power plant would ensure “opportunities
WHITNEY HEASTIE are wide open” for Bahamian businesses and residents, including the possibility of liquefied natural gas (LNG) being sold to individual companies. Describing Shell as a world leader in LNG
supply, Mr Heastie revealed the energy giant plans to develop a bunkering facility at Clifton Pier so it can supply cruise lines and other vessels that have converted to this fuel. The BPL chief executive explained the additional revenue from this facility will lower Shell’s costs for shipping LNG to this nation, a benefit that would ultimately be passed on to Bahamian consumers through lower fuel and energy prices.
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
SEE PAGE 12
THE Grand Lucayan’s former purchaser yesterday said he “feels much more comfortable investing” $200m in Nassau than seeking “massive subsidies” to make that deal work. Paul Wynn, the Wynn Group’s chief executive, told Tribune Business that Freeport’s anchor property was “not for me” and he “can’t do it”, given that the potential purchase lacked “economic feasibility”. He argued that any buyer would be seeking the same multi-million dollar taxpayer subsidies that he required to rebuild airlift into Freeport, plus renovate and remediate the existing hotel properties. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
DIANE PHILLIPS: FOR ALL THE WORDS I’VE LOVED BEFORE
SEE PAGE EIGHT
PAGE 2, Thursday, August 2, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
MAN ACCUSED OVER $1M BLAZE AT BREWERY By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
DARRELL NEELY, of Marshall Road, was charged with arson yesterday.
MISSING TEEN GIRL FOUND BY POLICE
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
THE teen who was reported missing on Grand Bahama was found alive and well late Tuesday evening, police reported. Assistant Superintendent of Police Terecita Pinder said 16-year-old Timmia Kemp was discovered shortly after 10pm in the Malibu Reef area by officers of the Central Detective Unit. Before being found this week, the teenager was last seen at her residence in Beaconsfield, Freeport, on the morning of Wednesday, July 25. The police issued a missing person’s flyer on Monday calling on people in the community to assist in locating the teen. ASP Pinder thanked the Grand Bahama community for their support in the matter.
Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
A 41-YEAR-OLD man was arraigned in Magistrate’s Court yesterday on a charge of intentionally setting fire to Commonwealth Brewery resulting in nearly $1m in damage. Darrell Neely, of Marshall Road, stood before Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans charged in connection with the July 26 incident. It is alleged that on the day in question, Neely unlawfully set fire to a single story stone and metal commercial structure, the property of Commonwealth Brewery, causing damage of $967,555.87. Police reported a fire at the site on John F Kennedy Drive shortly before 9pm last week Thursday. Neely was not required to enter a plea to the charge and the matter was adjourned to October 1 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI). Neely was remanded to the Department of Correctional Services in the interim. However, he was advised of his right to apply for bail at the Supreme Court.
Inmates to be trained at BTVI after deal signed By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net A CONTRACT was signed yesterday to provide 600 inmates and seven officers from the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services with training and certification from Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute. Present at yesterday’s signing included National Security Minister Marvin Dames, BTVI President Dr Robert Robertson and Michael Nelson, acting InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) country representative for The Bahamas. Dr Robertson explained while some of the details are still being finalised, the first phase of the programme will be the training of the correctional officers, who will then serve as BTVI adjunct faculty. “While that’s going on, we’ll start
to set up the exact cohorts and classes based on the needs of the specific students,” Dr Robertson said. The officers’ training is scheduled to begin next month. “That’ll take approximately an entire year, but they’ll be certified as a... technical and vocational education training instructor, which is very important.” Dr Robertson added the inmates’ programme will also start shortly, running on a “parallel basis, using (BTVI’s) existing instructors and then we’ll supplement them with some of the correctional officers,” he said. “The whole programme only lasts two years. So, we’ve got a lot of people to run through the system fairly quickly, but we want to do that in a really good, systematic, quality way.” In his remarks, Mr Dames said the “targeted areas” of this training
will include electrical installation, carpentry, plumbing, auto mechanics, information technology and garment manufacturing. “Six of the prison industries will also be upgraded with modernised equipment to support the training initiative,” he said. Mr Dames also said the government is relaunching the IDB’s Citizen Security and Justice Programme and applying part of the proceeds of this loan to contract BTVI. Mr Nelson added this is part of a $3.4m component of the programme, entitled “Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Offenders”. Mr Dames underscored this initiative is part of a wider plan to transform the BDCS from a penal institution to a correctional one. He explained the certificates the inmates will receive will bear the logo and insignia of BTVI, and allow them to enrol in the
institution want to advance their level of certification after release. Dr Robertson said it will take approximately a year for participants to qualify for the certificate, which can then transfer into other programmes at BTVI, as well as other schools such as the University of the Bahamas. With BTVI also offering free tuition for the general public for this upcoming semester, Dr Robertson said while the institution will be “stretched” it is prepared for the influx of students. He added there are also courses available online. Regarding the recidivism rate among former convicts, Mr Dames said, “Everyone that enters this programme, we will ensure that at the end of the day upon release, that there is an exit plan. “There is a plan for reintegration (so) that these individuals, who are all Bahamians, are afforded an equal opportunity to get a job.”
TOURIST ‘DIDN’T KNOW’ MARIJUANA WAS ILLEGAL By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net AN American man was fined $2,000 for possession of one gram of marijuana found on a nightstand in his hotel room. Claudio Louis Evangelista II, 22, of Underhill Road in Locust Valley, New York, appeared before Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans on the single charge of drug possession yesterday. Evangelista, a guest at the Breezes Resort at the time of the offence, entered a guilty plea, insisting he was unaware the small amount would be considered illegal in the Bahamas. The marijuana was discovered by hotel staff and turned over to police on Monday. Evangelista told Magistrate Vogt-Evans that in New York, being caught
with the small quantity would only result in a ticket of $150. Responding to the claim, Magistrate Vogt-Evans asked the defendant if he was aware that he was no longer in the jurisdiction of New York, and now in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, to which he answered: “Yes, I am.” He was then presented with the full report of events, the law he was found to be in violation of and offered a chance to address the court. In his address, Evangelista issued an apology to both the court and the country for his offence, contending that if he knew his actions would run contrary to the law of The Bahamas, he would have refrained. He was subsequently issued a fine in the amount of $2,000 or six months in prison.
MAN SHOT IN STRUGGLE AS ROBBER TOOK CELL PHONE A MAN is in hospital after he was shot during an armed robbery, police said. Shortly after 8pm on Tuesday, a man and woman were walking near the canal in Coral Harbour when they were approached by a man armed with a firearm, who robbed them of cell phones. The male victim
got into a struggle with the gunman, resulting in him being shot and both of them falling into the canal. The gunman was able to escape. The injured victim was taken hospital and is listed in stable condition. Investigations are ongoing.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, August 2, 2018, PAGE 3
Probe examining environment at dock after conch poisoning By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net SEVERAL factors at the Potter’s Cay Dock could be creating an environment for the bacteria which leads to conch poisoning to thrive, Agriculture and Marine Resources Minister Michael Pintard said yesterday. Apart from the failure of vendors or consumers to wash raw conch in fresh water before food preparation, these conditions include issues with a nearby water treatment facility and ongoing dredging in the area, Mr Pintard told reporters. As of yesterday, Health Minister Dr Duane Sands said there were 54 clinical conch poisoning cases caused by the bacteria vibrio parahaemolyticus – 45 incidents are confirmed, while nine remain pending. However, as these cases continue to grow, Water and Sewerage Corporation Executive Chairman Adrian Gibson sought to distance the water provider from any blame attached to the ongoing outbreak. He told The Tribune a number of tests were conducted with results that free the corporation of any culpability. In the absence of a definitive cause, Mr Pintard reiterated the government’s ultimatum for vendors to either follow safe handling standards or face the revocation of their licences. Some vendors at the Potter’s Cay Dock have insisted that a broken septic tank is the main contributing factor to the issue. Asked about this, Mr Pintard said: “Certainly Minister Sands addressed
CONCH being prepared at Potter’s Cay. this issue earlier in terms of the virus existing in warm water (and) it having an impact on a number of persons primarily at Potter’s Cay and certainly another location in New Providence. But at no point we indicated what we thought the source was. “We’ve heard speculation that one of the contributing factors may be the plant that is located in the area of Potter’s Cay and we know Water and Sewerage has to do some remediation work there. “I would not preempt the
chairman commenting on the timetable for that work being done. We do not rule out the possibility that it enhanced the environment that led to the outbreak but we are not establishing any cause or effect.” Mr Pintard said he could not confirm whether there had been broken pipes at the dock. But he said this was something officials were continuously looking into. “Of course from the beginning again you would recall that in the past we
have had a similar outbreak and it occurred as a result of dredging in the harbour so many persons have established a link between the dredging and the treatment facility that is in the area and what is occurring. But again I have no definitive word to that effect but all of those matters are being addressed. So Water and Sewerage is certainly exploring it and looking to make whatever decisions necessary to remediate the situation relative to the treatment centre that’s
located there.” He also said: “Tomorrow I will be meeting with vendors in Grand Bahama to address this issue to encourage them to be safe in food preparation to emphasise to them as we have with the folks at Montagu and Potter’s Cay that if persons
are not following the standards we have prescribed, we are prepared to revoke licences.” For his part, Mr Gibson said despite the vendors having access to fresh water from WSC, many of them still refuse to use it to wash conch.
SPAY AND NEUTER CAMPAIGN LAUNCH By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
AFTER leading a major spay campaign this year in Puerto Rico, spearheaded by Helping Paws Across Borders, Grand Bahama veterinarian Dr Chante Wildgoose is giving back in the same way here at home. Dr Wildgoose, of Freeport Veterinary Hospital (FVH), is launching an annual free spay and neuter clinic is for companion animals. The three-day clinic will be conducted by Dr Wildgoose and her staff, along with veterinary technician volunteers of the international non-profit animal welfare group Helping Paws Across Borders (HPAB). “The hospital has made the decision to give back to the local Grand Bahama community. The free clinic will also be generously helped by local businesses, pet owners, and lovers via donations and free labour,” according to a statement issued by FVH. “The idea for this clinic had been borne as a notion to assist Grand Bahama pet owners in its depressed economic environment.” FVH has been providing private medical veterinarian services to animal owners on Grand Bahama for
nearly ten years. Dr Wildgoose has also offered volunteer veterinary surgical services with HPAB to several communities in numerous towns and villages in Belize, Honduras, and Puerto Rico. While in Puerto Rico, Dr Wildgoose led a team of six veterinarians and other volunteers to Ceiba where they performed some 900 surgeries in 10 days during the Puerto Rico Spayathon. She performed 210 of those surgeries. Dr Wildgoose also performs high volume spay and neuters in Abaco, along with Abaco Shelter in the Bahamas. She conducts clinics four to six times a year there. She said she is very committed to giving back to Grand Bahama and is happy HPAB has partnered with her veterinary hospital in such an important effort to keep the island’s animal population under control.
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THE TRIBUNE
The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
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Legal issues over 3D printed guns A LITTLE-KNOWN dispute over 3D-printed guns has morphed into a legal debate in the last week, drawing attention to a technology that seems a bit of sci-fi fantasy and — to gun-control advocates — a dangerous way for criminals to get their hands on firearms that are easy to conceal and tough to detect. The gun industry calls the outcry an overreaction that preys on unwarranted fears about a firearm that can barely shoot a round or two without disintegrating. It also raises a host of constitutional questions involving First Amendment protections for free speech and Second Amendment rights to own guns. Here are some questions and answers about the debate: Q. What is behind the dispute? A. Cody Wilson, the founder of Texasbased Defense Distributed, first posted downloadable blueprints for a handgun called the Liberator that could be made using a 3D printer in 2013. Within days it had been downloaded about 100,000 times until the State Department ordered him to cease, contending it violated federal export laws since some of the blueprints were saved by people outside the United States. The dispute between Wilson and the federal government went on for years until this past June when they reached a settlement that paved the way for Wilson to resume posting the designs. The State Department decision came amid an obscure administrative change — begun under the Obama administration — in how the weapons are regulated and administered. Military grade weapons remain under the purview of the State Department, while commercially available firearms fall under the Commerce Department. The settlement with Wilson determined that 3D-printed firearms are akin to more traditional firearms that aren’t subject to State Department regulations. Wilson resumed sharing his blueprints for the gun the day the settlement went into effect last week. Q. Why does Wilson want the authority to post the designs on his website? A. Wilson calls it a First Amendment issue. He believes the First Amendment gives him a constitutional right to disseminate the code to make a gun with a 3D printer. “This is a very, very, very easy First Amendment question that I think people might be hesitant to accept because it involves guns and people don’t like guns,” said his lawyer, Josh Blackman. And Wilson has a strong legal claim that distribution of the information is different than actually making an allplastic firearm. While it is a violation of the federal Undetectable Firearms Act to make, sell or possess a firearm that can’t be detected by magnetometers or metal detectors, what Wilson is doing is simply providing the information on how to make such a firearm. “What Defense Distributed was doing was not making and then shipping the weapons overseas,” said Chuck James, a former federal prosecutor who is now a private lawyer with the Washington, DC-area firm of Williams Mullen. “They were making the data available on the Web where it would be available to someone overseas.” Q. What kind of gun designs are available on the website?
A. Defense Distributed shows a variety of designs. The code for a 3D printed gun is for what he calls the Liberator, which gets its name from a pistol American forces used during World War II. His design includes a metal firing pin and a metal block. His site also includes blueprints to make various AR-platform long guns and some other handguns using more traditional means and materials. Q. Are 3D printed guns legal? A. In 1988, the US enacted the Undetectable Firearms Act, making it illegal to manufacture, sell, or possess a firearm that couldn’t be detected by a metal detector. That law has been renewed several times by Congress and remains in effect. If 3D printed guns contain enough metal to be flagged by a metal detector, they are considered legal under US law. Gun-control advocates argue that the risks are too great to allow 3D printed guns because even if they’re designed to include metal, it’s too easy for someone to not include those pieces or to remove them to skirt detection. “It’s an absurdity. You can take the piece of metal out and put it back in at your own whims and you can take it out and walk through a metal detector undetected,” said Jonas Oransky, legal director for Everytown for Gun Safety. Q. How well do 3D printed guns work? A. Gun experts and enthusiasts recoil at the suggestion that a 3D printed gun is a true threat, calling the firearms mere novelties. Unlike traditional firearms that can fire thousands of rounds in their lifetime, 3D-printed guns are notorious for usually lasting only a few rounds before they fall apart. They don’t have magazines that allow the usual nine or 15 rounds to be carried; instead, they usually hold a bullet or two and then must be manually loaded afterward. And they’re not usually very accurate either. A video posted of a test by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in 2013 showed one of the guns produced from Wilson’s design — the Liberator — disintegrating into pieces after a single round was fired. “People have got this Star Trek view” of the guns being futuristic marvels, said Chris Knox, communications director for The Firearms Coalition, a gun-rights group. “We’re not talking about exotic technology.” Others are quick to point out that normal guns are readily available in the US with little regulation, making 3D-printed guns a major hassle compared with regular weapons. Q. What’s the status of the debate? A. A federal judge on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order blocking Wilson from continuing to post the designs on his site. A hearing is to be held in that case next week. In the meantime, President Donald Trump criticised the Department of Justice advising the State Department to reach a settlement with Wilson without first consulting with him. Wilson’s website currently displays a banner asking people to help “to uncensor the site.” Clicking a link directs the person to a page to pay membership dues ranging from $5 a month to $1,000 for a lifetime. By Lisa Marie Pane, Associated Press
No to Oban EDITOR, The Tribune. RUMBLINGS of an OBAN-2…Version one-two-three-four. You lied on us the first time no next time. PLP wake up opposeexpose this OBAN thing stinks. Have Oban Energy complied with any of the
conditions of the first flawed HOA? Have they sent in their Financials? Have they completed the EIA. Wake up PLP! Mr Prime Minister the committee formed was to investigate the validity of the Heads of Agreement not re-negotiate. Was in East End recently - they say no
Oban even with the unemployment they want to breathe fresh air and stay living without what is obvious will come - horrific air pollution. No to Oban Number: 1-2-3-4! J ALBURY Nassau, July 26, 2018.
Traffic laws EDITOR, The Tribune. IN my humble opinion if the traffic laws in this country were being enforced, there would be a drastic decrease in the country’s overall debt. I am appalled at the many traffic violations that are seen on our streets daily. For instance, a rear view mirror is exactly that, a mirror that is to be used to see what is going on in the rear. There are people riding around daily with lawn mowers and other items blocking their rear view which is a very dangerous situation, I actually witnessed an accident that was caused by the driver being blindsided by the obscurity created by the trunk being opened which prompted me to write this letter to the editor. There are vehicles being driven with front and rear damage with missing lights rendering the driver unable to give the proper signal for the other road users to adhere to, causing accidents and near misses which could be avoided if the proper lighting required on the vehicle was in place which again is an obvious traffic violation. At night, these vehicles are being driven with one headlight rendering the driver with obscure vision which can
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net result in someone not wearing light-coloured clothing being run over because the single light head is only shining on the side which is on and not giving proper vision in its entirety like two head lights would. Dump trucks and Trailer heads are in a class by themselves; you must keep more than the recommended braking distance when driving behind these vehicles because there is no telling when they are stopping or turning because in most cases it’s not that the lights are not working; there isn’t even a light fixture in place. There are trailers being used for towing gardening equipment, boats, building materials and many other uses that are supposed to have an additional licence plate attached to the trailer in addition to a proper lighting system that is plugged into the main source of the vehicle which it is attached to for braking and signalling proposes for the road users to adhere too. Bicycles licences are still available at the road traffic department but the law is not being enforced and
the new trend nowadays are bicycles that are motorised which means they are in the category of scooters and should be required to be licensed and insured because they are road users making them vulnerable to causing accidents or being involved in an accident and individuals could be seen riding them on our streets with no fear as far as the law is concerned. The Minister responsible for transport and the Traffic Police department needs to get their act together because there are too many traffic laws not being enforced. For example, it’s obvious to any officer that even though a vehicle may be licensed and properly insured, if a vehicle is being driven during the day with damaged head or rear light that will definitely be a hazard at night; the driver of the vehicle should be given a ticket because it’s a traffic hazard. Again I say in closing; the Minister responsible for transport and the Traffic Police department needs to get their act together because there are too many traffic laws in this country that are not being enforced. DEREK B RUSSELL Sr Freeport, Grand Bahama. July 27, 2018.
Hacker pilots EDITOR, The Tribune. CIVIL Aviation has to be joking….CCTV around General Aviation is not going to prove anything. The Control Tower, Captain Beneby controls movement of every aircraft - the pilot has to register a flight plan - I believe that includes the names of the passengers. Unless the Controllers are totally oblivious to the rules (probably) there is absolutely no reason why one “hacker flight” should occur at any time. Planes carrying passengers surely must be asked
to state licence - state the pilot’s licence (remember in the Andros case the pilot did not have commercial licence). An immediate act should be that an officer of CAA should be posted at General Aviation and at the FBO’s/Charter locations and all movements (flights) require his inspection. Captain Beneby, prosecute one and this problem is over… remove licences from pilots. Pilots doing charter work have to immediately be re-possessed to ensure their licensing as a pilot is current, proper ID with
clear distinction that he is licensed to carry passengers – a list of licensed charter carriers be posted on more than one location at General Aviation and the FBO’s/Charter locations. No aircrafts should be taking off without the Control Tower having 100% surety that that flight is duly processed - licence etc… public be warned don’t be stupid your life is on the line, if not surely CAA could be liable? W THOMPSON Nassau, July 28, 2018.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, August 2, 2018, PAGE 5
Families beg court ‘Save our homes’ from page one “They stand on land that is predominantly, or is presumed to be, Crown land. An exhaustive determination of the legal title-holders to the land has not yet been possible, but the government respondents have been acting on the unproven footing that the land is Crown land to which they have an immediate right to possession.” Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, Minister of Labour Dion Foulkes, Minister of Public Works Desmond Bannister, and Attorney General Carl Bethel are named as respondents in the ex-parte application filed on Tuesday, and obtained by The Tribune. Bahamas Power and Light and the Water and Sewerage Corporation are included as fifth and sixth respondents for the purpose of obtaining the injunction to block the disconnection of utilities. The application is seeking a judgment on: the decision to issue notices to residents purportedly in accordance with the Building Regulations Act 1971; the decision to take possession of shanty town land occupied by residents; the decision to ATTORNEY Fred Smith with some of the residents in a shanty town. disconnect power, water, injunction restraining the policy itself. In essence, - not supported by any legisand other utilities; and the government from taking they have presumed a right lative or executive authority policy to eradicate or irre- possession, interfering with, to take possession of land - and the government’s trievably eliminate shanty or demolishing any shanty where no right has been notices were unlawful towns in the country. town structures until the established or lawfully because they were made Applicants are also seek- application is considered. exercised, and they have for extraneous purposes, ing a declaration that each The application also used unlawful threats to namely to obtain possesof those decisions were makes a request for the demolish buildings and dis- sion of the land, further made unlawgovernment connect utilities as a proxy government crackdown on fully, and as to provide for for taking possession. undocumented immigrants, such, are void OF the individuals whose discovery of “More generally, the and to extend an apparent names are attached to the and illegal; an all relevant policy is unconstitutional policy of “breaking up Haiorder quash- case only five percent are documents because in applying only tian communities perceived not of Haitian descent. ing each of under their to the areas the govern- to be ghettoes”. the decisions; Their full status is as control con- ment designated as ‘shanty They also claim the gova declaration follows: cerning the towns’ it discriminates ernment failed to consider the notices Citizens - 42 percent Crown’s unlawfully against people individual circumstances are void and Work permit holders 25 alleged title of Haitian race and origin.” of the occupiers of indiillegal; a dec- percent (90 percent of or interest in The applicants con- vidual buildings or parts laration that these for over 20 years) the land, and tend their constitutional of the land when it made a the policy is Permanent resident - 20 their decision- rights were breached, and “blanket decision” to take percent unconstitumaking as it set their challenge on five possession of the land and tional and Resident spousal - six relates to the grounds: inhumane or demolish all buildings. percent an order policy. degrading treatment; invaThe application outlined quashing the Permit to reside - five It read: sion of home and property; failures to consider: the percent policy; a pro“This applica- prevention of freedom of nature of the right by which hibition order Bahamian-born pending tion is about movement; unlawful dis- residents occupied land, citizenship two percent. restraining the the lawful- crimination; and unlawful the nature of the buildgovernment ness of the deprivation of property. ing affected, and the effect from causing decisions The writ also sets out that eviction would have on the disconnection of utili- by which the government seven grounds for judicial them and their families. ties; damages and costs. respondents are seeking to review. They claim the posIt read: “The decision The applicants have implement the policy and session of land and utilities was motivated by the irrelalso requested an interim the constitutionality of the decisions were ultra vires evant consideration of what
FOULKES REVEALS SOME HOUSES ALREADY SAFE
from page one
“There is one home in particular off Bacardi Road, a very nice home, it is built to code and it is owned by a Bahamian of several generations,” he said. “That’s a decision Cabinet will have to make in terms of how we are going to approach that. There’s also another that’s similar to that. Problem with the second one is the offsets for the building control division, that home does not meet the offsets in terms of the distance to other homes. That one is a little different.” As for the areas that will be preserved, he said: “All Saints Way off Golden Isles Road is built and structured like a regular subdivision. Most of the homes are very nice homes. Some of them have building permits. Most are code worthy. We have decided to leave that particular area out of this exercise. The second area is Bedrock which is off Bacardi Road, it’s on the eastern side of Bacardi Road. All of the homes are code worthy and they are very nice homes that have been built. We’ve decided to leave that out of this
exercise. There are some individual homes in various shanty towns that are code worthy and some that have BPL connections and cable connections. Those are more difficult to deal with because they’re surrounded by homes that will be demolished. With the exception of those two areas, all of the other areas will be removed.” Accordingly, the government is considering options for regulating the communities whose homes won’t be bulldozed, Mr Foulkes said. He said ahead of the August 10 eviction deadline, utility services in shanty towns will be disconnected. Jennifer Delancey, chief health inspector in the Department of Environmental Services, said 259 orders have been served with respect to derelict vehicles in the shanty towns – they have all since been removed. Mr Foulkes said it costs $60 to remove each vehicle. He stressed that the government has incurred no expense through its shanty town efforts, noting removal of derelict vehicles is something the department “does anyway”. It’s not clear how many
people remain in the shanty towns as of yesterday, though Mr Foulkes said most have left the areas. In one shanty town, off Lazaretto Road, “only two families are there now out of 30 and I think one is moving today,” he said. As for people with special needs, officials have identified 15 such families that will be assisted by the Red Cross, he said. “Some of them have left the shanty town area. Some have not. Some are really sad cases but we really don’t want to personalise it.” Ultimately, the government is standing firm by its August 10 eviction deadline. “This is a very historic effort and if we are successful and I believe we will be, it will probably be the first time this has been done successfully in the world,” Mr Foulkes said. “Many countries have tried it. The most famous case is in Brazil, where Brazil attempted to get rid of its communities and it was a complete disaster. “We think we have covered every aspect of what we have to do from a technical point of view and also from a human relations point of view.”
apparent right the occupiers had to possess the land, as opposed to what right the government had to possession of the land. Further, it is to be inferred that the notices decision and the utilities decision purported to take into account legally irrelevant considerations, namely health and safety concerns, which are not grounds for exercise of the statutory powers relied upon.” The writ makes a distinction between the notices posted in New Providence shanty towns in June, and a set of two notices disseminated in July. Both notices purported to remind people of the government’s intent to eliminate shanty towns throughout the country. The writ contends the July notices issued to specific shanty towns were signed by a building control officer, when the Building Regulation Act outlines the minister as the only authorised individual to make such a decision.
It pointed out that the minister was also the only individual with authority to exercise powers to disconnect utilities. Other grounds for judicial review include: fettering of discretion, in which the applicants claim the decisions are unlawful because the government applied a rigid policy with no exception for the use of discretion; and there was a legitimate expectation the individual applicants would be allowed to stay on the land or would be consulted before being evicted or ordered to demolish buildings. The application states the expectation stemmed from the permission or encouragement to use the land they have enjoyed for a significant period of time; the country’s obligations under international laws and treaties; and the government’s promise to conduct extensive consultations after the policy was announced earlier this year.
PAGE 6, Thursday, August 2, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
Tributes to Neymour at House of Assembly
FORMER Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham pays his respects to former Minister of State for the Environment Phenton Neymour, whose body lay in state at the House of Assembly yesterday. Photo: Letisha Henderson/BIS
FORMER MP Richard Lightbourn signs the book of condolence during the viewing of Phenton Neymour’s body at the House of Assembly yesterday. Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff
PHENTON Neymour lies in state at the House of Assembly yesterday.
Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff
OBAN COMMITTEE AWAITS EXPECTS TECHNICAL REPORT THIS WEEK By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net THE Cabinet subcommittee examining the Oban Energies project will receive a key technical report this week, Labour
Minister Dion Foulkes said yesterday. “We are awaiting the report from our technical committee which is chaired by our Mrs Carol Young and Mr Loren Klein,” he said. Mrs Young and Mr
Klein are senior officials in the Bahamas Investment Authority and the Office of the Attorney General respectively. Mr Foulkes also said: “That report is due in this week. The subcommittee of Cabinet which I chair will meet, we will take that report to Cabinet with recommendations to amend the heads of agreement. The Oban group is in agreement with this process and are amicable to making changes to the agreement. We have not proposed the exact changes yet.” The technical group comprises “three Grand Bahamians who worked in this industry”, he said, “mainly at BORCO now Buckeye that have given us invaluable information and advice in terms of oil refinery and terminal and storage. We think that we
have an opportunity to make the heads of agreement a better agreement for The Bahamas from an economic point of view, an environmental point of view and a legal statutory point of view.” When it was unveiled nearly five months ago, the Oban Energies initial agreement received intense criticism, including from several environmental organisations. The fallout prompted an admission from Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis that there were gross missteps in the government process. Oban Energies has reportedly spent $10m on the project so far, according to its president, Satpal Dhunna, who said a significant amount of those funds were used to nail down the best location.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, August 2, 2018, PAGE 7
PMH accused of union busting By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas Nurses Union’s executive board demonstrated yesterday outside Princess Margaret Hospital regarding its ongoing issues with the Public Hospitals Authority and Ministry of Health, accusing the government of “union busting”. One major source of contention is the withholding of a strike certificate following a June 7 strike poll, BNU President Amancha Williams told The Tribune. The union is also angry over a new five day, eight hour shift system PHA wants to implement. The union says this will lead to burn out and increased errors. “They’re withholding the certificate,” Ms Williams said. “We had 377 nurses voted yes, and seven voted no. So we don’t understand what is their reasoning, why are you holding our strike certificate? “We say it is union busting, and we want it to stop, and we want our strike certificate today.” When asked what will happen if the Department of Labour does not meet these stipulations, Ms Williams said the union will “take it to the streets”. When asked if there will be a tactic such as a ‘sick out’, Ms Williams said, “We don’t know what could happen. The streets would tell us.” She added that this could take place “anytime, anyplace, anywhere”. On April 30, more than 200 registered and trained clinical nurses staged a “sick out”. One issue that angered them was a 12-hour shift foreign nurses, who are not a part of the union, were asked to work at the time. During a press conference held at the National Training Agency yesterday, Labour Minister Dion
MEMBERS of the Bahamas Nurses Union protested outside Princess Margaret Hospital yesterday. Foulkes said the strike cer- discussions with BNU. delivery to the Bahamian tificate is being withheld The ministry said, “With public.” due to reports that not all regard to the PHA, all matAccording to the statenurses participated in the ters regarding outstanding ment, BNU was given the strike vote. payments to members of requisite one month notice “We received sev- BNU by the authority have prior to the shift system eral complaints from five been addressed.” being implemented. islands, that either ballots It added that the only The ministry also said were not delivered or they outstanding matter is the that the “majority” of the were not delivered in time payment to staff in Grand 14 issues the nurses had for all the nurses on those Bahama due to the fire at requiring government islands to participate in the the Rand Memorial Hospi- attention had been “amistrike vote,” Mr Foulkes tal, and promised that these cably” resolved. These told reporters. payments will be made this included mileage allowance, “The law requires that month. cleaning of the Abaco and all members, whether they “The authority was await- Exuma clinics, and vehicles vote or not, should have ing a response from the being purchased or leased the opportunity to vote. So, union regarding a proposal for Family Island and Spetoday we sent a formal com- to eliminate the nursing cial Services Nurses. munication to the Nurses shortage at the various hos“The issues still outstandUnion, asking them to com- pitals in New Providence ing require due diligence ment on that. – PMH and SRC – and and verification before pay“We’ve given them seven Grand Bahama Health ments can be made. These days to respond, and then Services,” the statement include: payment, at spewe will make a decision continued. cial project rate, of nurses whether to certify the strike “To eliminate the nursing who worked during and vote or not, after we read shortage within these hospi- after the passage of Hurtheir response.” tals, PHA will implement a ricane Irma; the 2018-2019 On July 28, the Min- five-on/two-off shift system payment of accelerated istry of Health released for night duty nurses, which increment and promotion a statement to “update will effectively re-align exercise for nurses who the public” on the pro- work schedules to eight have obtained additional gress being made it ins hours and improve service qualifications during the
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Photo: Morgan Adderley/Tribune Staff past two years; and review the nurses’ statement of all allowances and claims continued. of overtime for payment of According to the BNU, arrears.” there is a deficient of 395 The ministry also prom- PHA nurses and approxiised to make payment for mately 270 Department of the increase of uniform Public Health nurses. In allowance of $50 per month, light of these figures, BNU effective July 1, during the disputed PHA’s claims that August 2018 pay period. a shift change is going to Yesterday, BNU released “improve quality of nursing a press statement directly service and reduce overaddressing these matters. time,” and described the Regarding the shift shift change as an attempt change, BNU said that to “(make) blood out of during a meeting held on stone”. May 10 with PHA, it was The union also called agreed that no changes can PHA’s response to this occur without the union’s crisis as “unwise” and said involvement in discussions by mandating a reduction and agreement. in additional staff overAccording to BNU, shift time will result in increased proposals were eventually burn out, increased medical forwarded to the union, but errors, and “lack of quality PHA “did not respond to service” provided. the response given by the Another source of conBNU” by last Friday. tention is outstanding “However PHA has payments. BNU said there instructed its administra- are outstanding payments tors to commence changes to be made to “a few” to the shifts without any nurses for post-graduate discussions and agree- qualifications and sick benments between the parties,” efit payments for NIB.
PAGE 8, Thursday, August 2, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
For all the words I’ve loved before... By Diane Phillips
E
VERY time I hear the Willie Nelson song “For all the girls I’ve loved before”, I find myself transposing the word “words” for girls. I am not sure why and it probably doesn’t matter. I am not denouncing the right to love girls and Willie has my blessing. Personally, I have loved a few myself – my daughters and granddaughters and had I thought of my late mother as a girl instead of a mother, I would have included her. Most females are worthy of love, starting with family, including my sister-in-law with whom I speak nearly every day, plus friends, but there is something about the love of words and sentence structure that writers love in a way that’s almost otherworldly, goose-bumpy. It is an affection that is indescribable, which is odd because writers are supposed to be able to describe. That’s why we write. To cobble together a thought from loose words and create something meaningful that makes life richer than it was before that sentence was struck. Finding the right words
and marrying them into the right thought is kind of like mining for gold or crafting the perfect instrument. Life is just a bit better because of it. If words were left to their own devices, they would just ramble around in space. Some would be special. Like belligerent or bellicose or rambunctious because they sound like what they are. They bellow rough, violent, negative sounds that match the vibe and convey their meaning. Maybe it is because they have heavy consonants and limited vowels or the vowels they contain are combined in a way that sounds harsh. Obnoxious sounds as obnoxious as the word implies. It almost reeks of obnoxiousness. It’s a sad reality but most words don’t sound like what they mean at all. We have gotten used to them so we know what they mean but if we did not know we would have no idea what they represent. We have to be taught the meaning of each word in our vocabulary which is a pretty incredible feat when you stop to think about it. The tough ones are not necessarily the long,
SINGER-SONGWRITER WILLIE NELSON, performing at the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, New Jersey, and an inspiration for word lovers. complex and multisyllabic. The tough ones are those that do not sound like what they mean or sound opposite of what they mean. Like lucid. To me, lucid sounds like someone who just lost it, not found it. Everyone has his or her favourite words, sounds that just roll off the tongue like they belong in midair, catching the breeze instead of being clogged inside where they do no one any good at all. Me, I like words that make me smile or laugh. Like jelly which strikes me as humorous because I picture something, anything, trying to stand still but wobbling uncontrollably, as if it overimbibed, an expression that is totally pompous but more refined than blasted. Words can be classified as adjectives. Many are, of course. But I like to think of what the adjectives are that would describe a word. Lovely. Soft. Sloppy. I’ve been asking people
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all week what their favourite word was or what word they most disliked. One well-respected man said without hesitation: “Pickle”. Why pickle? “Don’t know,” he said. “It just gets me.” It’s a strange one, I’ll give it that. Pickle, you can have one on a sandwich, on the side or be in one, like if you lie and are about to get caught and you don’t know whether to run or confess. Pickle is also weird as a word because it is book-ended by rhyming words disparate in nature. Trickle as in the economic trickle-down effect, which is a relatively good thing, and fickle, which is just plain awful especially if you are the victim. Or prickle, even the sound of which makes you cringe. Yanking out a prickle helps and yank is one of those words that sounds like what it means. It’s short, tight and to the point. You can feel it working. An editor I admire shared his least favourites, one of them being persons. It’s not people he dislikes. He approves of people and doesn’t know why persons, I mean, people, insist on saying persons when they mean people. A person is an individual. A group of persons is people. Why? A dog is a dog and multiple species of that same animal is dogs so why do multiple persons have to be people? He and I agreed to disagree on that but we agreed on that, the word that, that is, which is overused and dropped into too many sentences where it does not belong like a relative who overstays his welcome. And that is another thing. Sentences have no way of controlling themselves.
They can’t sit up in the eat. The point is I was not middle of a paragraph that short of things to play with was otherwise going along so not sure why I chose pretty smoothly and say words as my favourite “Hey, this part isn’t work- plaything. ing. Fix me. One of the most intriguIt is possible, even likely, ing parts of playing with one of the reasons words words is taking a plain word continue to fascinate writ- like “place” and decoraters is because doing them ing it up one side and down justice is so demanding. It the other. Think of what takes every you can do bit of mental with the word muscle and ‘Everyone has his place – you focus to get or her favourite can misplace them right. words, sounds that something When we and if you are don’t, we self- just roll off the lucky, you will punish and tongue like they find it but if flagellate. you displace belong in mid-air, No one else it, like an has to punish catching the breeze ethnic group, us. We do it instead of being it will be a to ourselves much greater clogged inside because challenge words and where they do than somethoughts thing you no one any good and ideas misplace. To and expres- at all. Me, I like displace as in sion are so words that make the water that critical to our me smile or laugh.’ rises when well-being. you lower the Sometimes baby into the I am tempted to use tub, there’s nothing you expressions like wanting can do about that until the to disabuse myself of the baby is clean. Or when you notion that…and then I lose something and have to think disabusing is so pre- replace it, you are back to tentious, why don’t I just the starting point, looking say ‘get rid of’ or ‘dismiss’ for a place to purchase it. or “forget about” but there There are a thousand is something almost rhyth- more things a word hound mic about disabuse that can say about words expressions like “get rid of” because that’s one thing just don’t possess. about them. They can often There is no sensible run on but they never run explanation for my fascina- out. tion with words. I was not a Enough said. I know particularly poor child. One you’ve been waiting. All year my father owned an together now... amusement park and I got To all the girls I’ve loved to ride a roller coaster all before day on Saturdays. I never Who travelled in and out tired of the thrill. Another my door time he owned a movie theI’m glad they came along atre. Mostly I got junk toys I dedicate this song from the penny machine To all the girls I’ve loved and all the popcorn I could before
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, August 2, 2018, PAGE 9
Safety belts and texting warning after traffic deaths By FARRAH JOHNSON HEALTH Minister Dr Duane Sands said the recent trend in traffic fatalities has raised public health concerns regarding how drivers practice road safety. His comments came hours after a motorcyclist in New Providence died in a traffic accident on Tuesday, bringing to six the number of traffic-related deaths since Friday. In an interview with The Tribune yesterday, Dr Sands said evidence from the last ten years indicates there has been an increase in trafficaccident related injuries, about which all “rightthinking Bahamians” should be concerned. According to Dr Sands, the rise of injuries recorded during this period includes both serious and minor ones, as well as incidents which led to loss of life. “Given this reality and the impact on the health system and on the health of patients, we want to remind the public of the evidence that texting or
using a telephone while driving is not a good idea. We’re concerned about the inconsistent use of seatbelts and especially the challenge with infants not being in the appropriate safety seats,” he said. Dr Sands said the bottom line is when people get involved in serious traffic accidents, they end up in hospitals, clinics, or, in severe cases, the morgue. He added these factors have “direct implications for the health care system inclusive of emergency medical services”. “From a public health point of view, there are specific challenges about driving under the influence, driving with excessive speed, and now in the era of technology, driving while texting, whatsapping, instagramming, or whatever other utilisation of that thing that people like to have in their hands and it is seldom that you will drive past somebody who is not on their phones,” he said. Tuesday’s traffic fatality happened shortly after 5pm on Sutton Street
MINISTER of Health Dr Duane Sands. off Kemp Road, involv- motorcycle. The driver of ing a white Ford E350 van the motorcycle, who sufand a red and black SYM fered serious injuries,
was taken to hospital, where he later died. The driver of the van, who was
not injured, remained at the scene and is assisting police with their investigations.
STUDENTS CHOSEN FOR ANNUAL INTERNSHIP AWARDS THE Alf Thompson Memorial Scholarship (ATMS) Committee has selected two students from Nassau to be the recipients of its annual internship awards. This scholarship, started by the Bahamas Marine EcoCentre in 2011, was initiated to honour the memory of John Alfred Thompson, a gifted Bahamian trained in engineering and the sciences. This summer, ATMS will send two aspiring Bahamians to Bimini Biological Field Station, commonly known as the “Shark Lab”. Melissa Ingraham, 21, and 20-year-old Hydie Knowles, both from Nassau, will live and work at the Shark Lab while conducting studies with noted shark and marine biology research scientists, graduate students and other interns from around the globe. The internship runs from July 15 to August 15.
Ms Ingraham, who has previously worked with dolphins, sea lions and stingrays and participated in a whale camp led by the Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation as well as a summer camp at Island School, which focused on bonefish catch and release, has a keen interest in sharks. When asked about the opportunity at Bimini Biological Field Station this summer, she said: “I would like to gain hands-on experience with sharks. Their declining population is tragic, yet because of the dangerous depiction of sharks by the media, the general public is not concerned about these declines. My goal is not only to learn about sharks, but to become their advocate and educate those who have misjudged them – shark conservation is important.” Currently a senior at the University of Tampa, Ms
Ingraham previously attended Queen’s College in Nassau, and Florida Gulf Coast University. Ms Knowles is entering her third year at the University of the Bahamas; she is in the small island sustainability programme, majoring in marine biology. As a competitive swimmer from an early age and open water scuba diver, she has long had a love of the ocean. She wants to use her artistic talents to promote creative solutions to environmental problems. When asked about her expectation of the internship in Bimini, Ms Knowles replied: “One of my goals will be to broaden my knowledge of the world’s oceans. This knowledge will allow me to create products and solutions necessary to combat the impacts of human consumption.” She is particularly concerned about the effects of
ocean acidification on coral growth and is keen to promote reduction of harmful micro-plastics. The goal of the 2018 ATMS programme is to provide Bahamians with the opportunity to experience hands-on marine science research at the Shark Lab in Bimini. This will include learning about various research techniques in the disciplines
of population demographics and dynamics, molecular and behavioural ecology, bioenergetics, sensory biology and physiology. The hope is that the internship experience will motivate students to further their studies and ultimately pursue careers in these fields. These internships are made possible by the ATMS, offered through the
Bahamas Marine EcoCentre and the Shark Lab, both non-profit organisations promoting awareness, conservation and respect for the Bahamian environment (www.bahamas-marineecocentre.org; www.miami. edu/sharklab). To learn more about the Alf Thompson Memorial Scholarship, visit www. bahamas-marine-ecocentre. org.
PAGE 10, Thursday, August 2, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
JACK THOMPSON REASSIGNED TO MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS MONTHS AFTER TRANSFER By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
AFTER being transferred to the Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture a little less than a month ago, Permanent Secretary Jack Thompson was again reassigned, this time to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Minister of Foreign Affairs Darren Henfield confirmed this as he rejected speculation Permanent Secretary Rhoda Jackson had reportedly been moved from his ministry because of her handling of a situation involving the Haitian Embassy.
Statement A local website had alleged her transfer out of the ministry came because of a strongly worded statement released in response to a Haitian official’s interference in Bahamian domestic matters when he made certain statements to ZNS, which were also published in The Tribune. Mr Henfield said: “Firstly the prime minister and the Cabinet Office the secretary to Cabinet are responsible for the movement of permanent secretaries. “I can say to you emphatically that that it is nonsense (the claims she was removed because of
PERMANENT Secretary Jack Thompson.
the statement) because the PS acted upon my instructions as the minister of foreign affairs when she summoned the Haitian emissary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, so it’s complete nonsense. “I can in fact tell you that PS Jackson has been moved and PS Jack Thompson is now in my ministry.” Regarding the meeting between government officials and those from the Haitian Embassy last week, he said: “As you all know I instructed my ministry to command the presence of the Haitian emissary to explain his assertions made concerning land in shanty towns to Haitian migrants who may occupy those areas. “Firstly not only Haitians live in shanty towns so there must be consideration for all if the government had to enter
into such an undertaking, which it is not. “The first meeting he (First Assistant Secretary Karl Henri Chatelier) was not there. “The first meeting the chargé d’affaires came and spoke to the issue when he was told that interference in Bahamian domestic affairs is not the common practise among diplomats in this country. “For us it was intolerable. On the second occasion the message was reiterated and reemphasised but I think we all went away appreciating that what was done would not occur again,” Mr Henfield said.
Renovations Speaking to a reporter about the government’s plans to evict shanty town residents on August 10, Mr Chatelier suggested the options of renovations that will bring shanty town residences up to building codes, leasing the land to current residents, and extending the eviction deadline. Last week, Mr Henfield said the government was not aware of the Haitian diplomat’s suggestions until reading the comments in The Tribune. At the time, he said it was “unusual” for diplomats to “inject” themselves into domestic policy.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
JUDGE FURTHER EXTENDS HOUSING AID FOR PUERTO RICO EVACUEES BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge has granted more time to Puerto Rico hurricane evacuees living in hotels across the US through a temporary housing voucher programme. Judge Timothy Hillman in Massachusetts on Wednesday extended an order allowing the evacuees to use federal assistance to live in the hotels until at least Aug. 31. The judge had previously ruled they could stay through at least
checkout time on Aug. 7. The evacuees have been living in hotels on the mainland since they fled the island after Hurricane Maria last September. Their housing aid through the Transitional Sheltering Assistance programme initially was supposed to expire at midnight June 30. A Federal Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman says the agency is working to comply with the judge’s order.
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THE TRIBUNE
$3M SHORTFALL IN MINISTRY’S SCHOOL REPAIRS BUDGET By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
DESPITE the Ministry of Education’s school repair budgetary shortfall of around $3m, Jeff Lloyd says officials will “make it work”. The Minister of Education was also confident yesterday public school repairs would be finished before the start of the new school year on September 4, although some contracts for work had not yet been signed. Some contractors were also awaiting mobilisation money to begin the work, Mr Lloyd told reporters yesterday.
Students The ministry needed $9m to get schools ready for students. However, he said the government only allocated $6.2m for this undertaking. “Let me say that the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Works and (Ministry of) Education we work in tandem to get these schools repairs done,” he said. “New Providence is primarily the responsibility of the Ministry of Works and the minister has assured us that the contracts have been signed and are being signed this week and the mobilisation will be given to those contractors this week. “We also know that many of those contractors
Thursday, August 2, 2018, PAGE 11 MINISTER of Education Jeff Lloyd.
Minister says officials will ‘make it work’ would have already begun the work because they need six or seven weeks to get the large scope of works done in the respective schools.
Contractors The smaller contractors are waiting on that mobilisation and I have been assured that that mobilisation would be provided this week before the third of August in which time they will have essentially four weeks to get those works done. “I have been assured and I stand by that assurance that school will be ready for September 4, 2018. We are already on the first of August. This requires them to be working a little bit longer than the usual business hours of the day.” He added not anticipate any problems with works being undertaken in the Family Islands. “Those scopes of works have already gone, contracts have already been signed, (and) money has already been sent to administrators in respect to the islands. Contractors have already been chosen and so they are on their way with the work at this particular time. “So, I feel very confident at the moment
- although we don’t have any room for delay at this point - that school will be ready,” Mr Lloyd said.
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PAGE 12, Thursday, August 2, 2018
Shell deal WILL cut fuel bills from page one Emphasising that “we’re not going to be fumbling here”, Mr Heastie said Shell was the best, least-risk option to build, own and operate the 270 Mega Watt (MW) power plant that will use multiple fuels to supply the majority of New Providence’s energy needs from 2021 onwards. While LNG prices are currently 50 percent less than the diesel fuel used by BPL’s existing Blue Hills power plant, Mr Heastie said the state-owned utility was currently unable to forecast how much energy costs will decline by once the new power plant becomes operational. While pledging that Bahamians will see “significant savings” in fuel costs alone, the BPL chief executive said there were numerous “pieces” that had to fall into place before a final “all-in” cost of energy can be provided to the public. He explained these “pieces” included the final cost of the Rate Reduction Bond (RRB), which will raise funds to refinance
BPL’s legacy $350m debt and other liabilities. The RRB costs will ultimately be paid by BPL customers via an additional charge added to their bills, but the state-owned utility has yet to determine how much money it needs to generate. Bahamas Power & Light’s (BPL) top executive yesterday said “the country could not have a better partner” than Shell, with the deal’s “transformational” impact extending well beyond the energy sector. Whitney Heastie told The Tribune that selecting Shell North America to develop New Providence’s new power plant would ensure “opportunities are wide open” for Bahamian businesses and residents, including the possibility of liquefied natural gas (LNG) being sold to individual companies. Describing Shell as a world leader in LNG supply, Mr Heastie revealed the energy giant plans to develop a bunkering facility at Clifton Pier so that it can supply cruise lines and other vessels that have converted to this fuel. The BPL chief executive explained the additional
MORE spillages around BPL equipment.
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OIL ‘all over the place’ at BPL - a sign of the need for good management, says Whitney Heastie.
BPL ‘FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS’ FROM GLOBAL STANDARDS
BAHAMAS Power & Light (BPL) is “five to seven years away” from hitting global utility standards, but its chief executive yesterday said improvement “has zero to do with money.” Whitney Heastie told Tribune Business that rigorous management, rather than extra dollars, was key to transforming a dysfunctional corporate culture where “oil all was over the place” and minimal equipment maintenance occurring. He described BPL as “a mirror image” of what he found upon being appointed Grand Bahama Power Company’s (GBPC) vice-president of generation in 2010, where little to no focus was also being placed on safety and the environment. “This has zero to do with money; this has to do with good management,” Mr Heastie said of his revenue from this facility will lower Shell’s costs for shipping LNG to this nation, a benefit that would ultimately be passed on to Bahamian consumers through lower fuel and energy prices. Emphasising that “we’re not going to be fumbling here”, Mr Heastie said Shell was the best, least-risk option to build, own and operate the 270 Mega Watt (MW) power plant that will use multiple fuels to supply the majority of New Providence’s energy needs from 2021 onwards. While LNG prices are currently 50 percent less than the diesel fuel used by BPL’s existing Blue Hills power plant, Mr Heastie said the state-owned utility was currently unable to forecast how much energy costs will decline once the new power plant becomes operational. While pledging Bahamians
transformation plan. “When I came in as a Board member at BPL it was very clear to me this was almost a mirror image of GB Power [when I started], where safety and the environment were not where they ought to be. “It speaks volumes to the extent that unless people focus on safety and the environment, operations are going to follow suit. That’s a by-product of the culture around safety and the environment.” A career engineer of almost 40 years, who has worked in the US and for other Grand Bahama-based industrial players, Mr Heastie said his experience with GB Power had left him well-prepared to effect similar change at BPL - albeit on a much larger scale. “With due diligence we can start to change this,” he told
will see “significant savings” in fuel costs alone, the BPL chief executive said there were numerous “pieces” that had to fall into place before a final “all-in” cost of energy can be provided to the public. He explained these “pieces” included the final cost of the Rate Reduction Bond (RRB), which will raise funds to refinance BPL’s legacy $350m debt and other liabilities. The RRB costs will ultimately be paid by BPL customers via an additional charge added to their bills, but the state-owned utility has yet to determine how much money it needs to generate. To maximise the savings to consumers from the new Shell power plant, Mr Heastie said BPL was now “skimming the fat” to reduce its own costs and operate more efficiently, so that Bahamians benefit fully
Tribune Business, “but we have to start with safety and the environment. “We can’t continue to abuse safety practices and environmental systems, and not pay attention to them and think we will be successful.” The BPL chief executive said Abaco was a potential model for his transformation plan, where he had named a former GB Power co-worker, Donald Maclellan, to head-up the utility’s operations there following a much-publicised series of outages on the island. “Abaco has been a problem for decades,” Mr Heastie said. “Today, how much do you hear about Abaco? Simply because I took someone who worked with me at GB Power, and who’s very much in tune with safety and the environment, and put him in charge.”
THE CURRENT generators at BPL. from lower energy costs. “I think it’s going to be transformational; I really do,” the BPL chief told The Tribune of Shell’s selection. “Opportunities are wide open to residential and commercial customers. “You look at a complement of things when you evaluate these bids. Prices were one component, the entity’s experience is another, and in this industry safety and the environment has to be top. That has to be prime. “When you look at Shell’s safety record, environmental record, operational record and innovation with technology around LNG, it’s just incredible. Shell is the largest entity next to a country to supply LNG. There’s no other company that supplies the volume of LNG that Shell does,” Mr Heastie continued. “We considered all those things. For a country never engaged in this fuel market before, we could not have asked for a better partner as a country than Shell. We could not, because of all the experience they bring to the table. They operate plants around the world. We’re not going to be fumbling here. That’s very important for a country as opposed to a company.” Mr Heastie said Shell will construct an LNG storage facility, as well as new power plant, in the Clifton Pier area. He suggested the storage facility would not benefit only BPL, but could be used to supply industries and individual businesses with the fuel, too. “LNG has the ability to transform this country in so much,” he explained. “You’re going to have companies that set up small vaporisers at their place of business. They can put in fuelling stations, or you have a truck that comes and sells gas to merchants here. There’s so many
opportunities when you bring that scale of gas on the island.” Mr Heastie acknowledged that LNG only made economic sense when large volumes can be supplied, resulting in Shell’s plan to use its proposed Clifton Pier facilities for bunkering and supplying the fuel to ships passing through Bahamian waters. International Maritime Organisation (IMO) directives will impose limits on ship emissions from 2020, and this is driving the cruise ship industry to use LNG as its main fuel. Some 20 per cent of ‘new builds’ are expected to use this source and, of 100 vessels in the industry ‘pipeline’, around one-third - some 30 - are destined for The Bahamas and Caribbean. “What Shell did in their proposal was...... they can also engage in bunkering and move additional volumes of LNG,” Mr Heastie told The Tribune. “That makes the price [of energy to Bahamians] even more attractive. “They can build infrastructure at Clifton Pier, and transshipment costs come down because of the volumes they can move and use the storage facility for bunkering. It seemed, based on their size in the LNG market, their ability to provide us with everything we needed, it just seemed like it was a good fit for the Bahamas. That’s how we got where we are.” Mr Heastie yesterday defended the bidding process from criticism that it lacked transparency and favoured particular offers, pointing to the independent review by the Ernst & Young (EY) accounting firm which found no significant deficiencies. “Because of some concerns after January 9, when we presented to the Cabinet, the Government decided to have EY do an independent analysis of the process,” he told The Tribune. “They said outside of one or two things, like a little bit of confusion, the process was fine. There was nothing wrong with the process. “It related to the clarity of some of the changes, but at the end of the day they felt the changes were clear enough as we had the majority of bids still bidding on the changes we sent out. “Certainly we have learnt from the process, but I don’t think that it lacked transparency in any form or fashion, and it was dealt with in a way that the results would not change. The results would not have changed.”
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Thursday, August 2, 2018, PAGE 13
‘Unlawful killing’ cop will fight inquest verdict from page one It was alleged Clarke, on the night of August 17, 2013, fell into an argument with an uninvited guest during an event being hosted by his family and friends. Inquest records and witness testimony noted that
at some point during that argument, Clarke fired his weapon. A short time later, Cpl Miller, who with another officer responded to the scene, met Clarke and the two exchanged words. At least one witness over the course of the
READERS RESPOND TO LATEST STORIES AFTER The Tribune reported that health officials were set to decide on the implementation of up to 500 fees at the Princess Margaret Hospital in a bid to narrow a $50m funding shortfall, readers gave their reaction on tribune242.com. Naughtydread said: “The new slogan for the Islands of the Bahamas should be ‘Pay More Get Less’ this country is looking worse by the day. Soon people won’t be able to afford corned beef.” Birdiestrachan asked: “12% VAT and now this?? What next? Roc wit doc must need lots of money for his and others like him’s travel expenses.” TheMadHatter had this to say: “I believe the money is a problem. We are in a financial mess - but it is made more stressful for the public because we have ZERO information on what monies are coming in by dept and island and what monies are going out by dept and classification and island on a monthly basis. “These folks at Finance would never be able to keep up with the accounting at ANY company in the Bahamas that has more than three branches/locations.” Porcupine addressed the Minister directly: “Dr. Sands, Your argument does not hold water. Health care is a human right. You are asking the Bahamian people to suffer the effects of even further reductions in health care because of fiscal malfeasance, corruption and graft. Our health clinic in Andros is in a
sub standard building, we have no doctor, reduced medicines. Blame the last administration if you want, but you and Minnis could see to it that basic human principles ruled. You two haven’t, and doctors both. How sad. No, we are in the state we are in because like all the rest of the politicians, you kowtow to the money men. You could declare that before any other expenditure in this country, whether Carnival, Junkanoo, having governmental ‘entourages’ flying all over the world, paying the thousands of Inland Revenue employees – you would, first and foremost put the health needs of Bahamians above all else. We have no leaders to speak of in this country. This, is a perfect example. Health care is about human decency. And you can’t even work up the brain power and moral courage to stand tall.” And in The Tribune’s latest online poll, we asked readers if they believed the government should step in to enable 15-yearold Taranique Thurston to travel to the US for medical treatment. At the time of going to press, 65 percent of those voting thought the government should step in. 35 percent were against the idea. • Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.
inquest testified Cpl Miller told Clarke he was a police officer and requested he come to a stop. However, several other witnesses who were at the party testified they never heard Cpl Miller indicate his presence as a police officer nor request
for Clarke to come to a stop. Further testimony and inquest records note the two men, Clarke and Cpl Miller, at some point faced each other, the deceased produced a weapon and shots were fired. Ballistic evidence presented during the inquest
showed Cpl Miller had fired his service weapon, a 9mm handgun a total of eight times, while the .45 Glock pistol used by Clarke was fired only twice. Police reports indicated Clarke’s lifeless body was discovered between a fence and a vehicle just outside of the party.
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PAGE 14, Thursday, August 2, 2018
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MORE THAN 1,000 HOMES ARE TORCHED IN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES By JANIE HAR AND BRIAN SKOLOFF, Associated Press UPPER LAKE, Calif. (AP) — A massive wildfire in Northern California has torched more than 1,000 homes in and around the city of Redding, authorities said Wednesday as some evacuees were allowed to return home and new blazes exploded in what has become an endless summer of flame in the Golden State. “Whatever resources are needed, we’re putting them there,” Gov. Jerry Brown said at a news conference. “We’re being surprised. Every year is teaching the fire authorities new lessons. We’re in uncharted territory.” Just a month into the budget year, the state has already spent more than one-quarter of its annual fire budget, at least $125 million, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Mike Mohler said. Cal Fire said another 440 buildings, including barns and warehouses, have also been destroyed by the fire, which is now the sixth most destructive in California history. The huge Redding-area blaze, which started July 23, forced 38,000 people from their homes and killed six.
It has scorched 180 square miles (470 square kilometres) and is 35 percent contained. North of San Francisco, a fire threatened homes in an old ranching and farming area near Covelo. About 60 homes were ordered evacuated as the blaze erupted late Tuesday and winds whipped flames through brush, grass, oak, pine and fir near the Mendocino National Forest, officials said. To the east, another blaze Tuesday night raged through grassy cattle lands near Yuba City, covering more than 1 1/2 square miles (4 square kilometres) in a few hours. The new fires erupted without warning and spread with shocking speed through forest and brush that have literally become tinder, said Scott McLean of CalFire. “It just goes on and on,” McLean said. “We had this rain at the beginning of the year and all that did was promote the growing of grass and brush,” McLean said. “It’s a Catch-22. It’s growing more product to catch on fire.” He said the state really never left its drought status and several years of significant rainfall are needed to bring the state back. McLean also had a warning for people visiting rural and wilderness areas.
PRESIDENT Donald Trump smiles during a meeting with inner city pastors in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
TRUMP URGES END TO PROBE ‘RIGHT NOW,’ SETTING OFF NEW STORM By JONATHAN LEMIRE AND ZEKE MILLER, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump bluntly declared on Wednesday his attorney general should terminate “right now” the federal probe into the campaign that took him to the White House, a newly fervent attack on the special counsel investigation that could imperil his presidency. Trump also assailed the trial, just undeway, of his former campaign chairman by the special counsel’s team White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders scrambled to explain that Trump’s tweet was “not an order” and the president was not directing his attorney general to do anything. “It’s the president’s opinion,” she said. But Trump’s early morning tweetstorm again raised the specter that he could try to more directly bring special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia-Trump election-collusion probe to a premature end. And it revived the idea that the president’s tweets themselves might be used as evidence that he is attempting to obstruct justice. Meanwhile, Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani said negotiations are continuing to have Trump sit down for questions from Mueller, though the lawyer said “I’m not going to give you a lot of hope that it’s going to happen.” He said both sides had exchanged proposals for conditions for such an interview, “and yesterday we got a letter back from them and now we’re in the process of responding.”
Media Trump has raged privately in recent days that both the forces of government and the media are trying to undermine him. That includes trumped-up charges against his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and distorting the outcome of the Helsinki summit to make it appear he was beholden to Russia, according to two Republicans close to the White House not authorized to speak about private conversations. Trump was closely monitoring news coverage of the Manafort proceedings, which provoked the spate of incendiary tweets, according to the two Republicans and two White House officials. “The president’s not obstructing, he’s fighting back,” said Sanders, dismissing the idea Trump’s tweets could be tantamount to obstruction of justice. The most inflammatory of Trump’s tweets said, “This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!” The president’s anger came the day after the start of the trial of Manafort, who
is facing federal charges of bank fraud and tax evasion. And while Mueller did not bring any election-related charges against Manafort, the specter of the Russian investigation is hanging over the Alexandria, Virginia, courthouse. And Trump’s White House. “Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders,” Trump tweeted. “He worked for me for a very short time. Why didn’t government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!” Later the president invoked one of the nation’s most notorious criminals, 1920s gangster Al Capone,
RUDY GIULIANI, an attorney for President Donald Trump. and posed the question “who was treated worse” while airing his grievance about Manafort being held in solitary confinement ahead of a conviction. Manafort is in detention after having his bail revoked because of allegations that he was attempting to tamper with witnesses in his case. Federal prosecutors revealed last month that he was afforded unusual privileges while in detention. Trump has spent more than a year trying to distance himself from his one-time top political aide, and to minimise the role Manafort played in his campaign. Trump’s protestations aside, Manafort worked on the campaign during a critical six-month period in 2016, during which he led the effort to ensure Trump won the Republican nomination. He oversaw the early days of the general election effort. Sanders said Trump wants Mueller’s investigation concluded swiftly without intervention, though Trump has publicly mused as recently as May about interfering in the Department of Justice’s oversight of the probe. “At some point I will have no choice but to use the powers granted to the Presidency and get involved!” he tweeted then. Trump has repeatedly belittled the probe as “a hoax,” as those close to him suggest he feels that any talk of Russian interference tarnishes his electoral victory and delegitimizes his presidency. One of the president’s confidants deemed Trump in “a dark place,” seething about the longlasting probe and
the media’s depiction of his White House under siege. Though long antagonistic toward the press, Trump’s anger toward the media has only grown over the past month, as he has berated coverage of his Singapore and Helsinki summits, the possible prosecutorial cooperation of his former legal “fixer” Michael Cohen and the Mueller probe. After complaining about the tough questions he received from American reporters in Finland, Trump has largely steered clear of the mainstream media, instead opting for safer spaces like an interview with ally Rush Limbaugh this week. From the White House briefing room podium on Wednesday, Sanders declined to denounce the harassment of a CNN reporter during a Trump rally in Florida on Tuesday. The president’s social media outburst renewed discussion of the significance of his tweets. Rudy Giuliani, the president’s lawyer, stressed that Trump was just issuing an opinion, though he also said the White House believes “the investigation should be brought to a close.” “I guess, if we were playing poker — we’re not — put up or shut up, what do you got?” Giuliani said. “We have every reason to believe they don’t have anything.” When pressed by reporters on how she tells the difference between a presidential order or an opinion, Sanders said Trump makes his intentions “pretty clear.”
Tweets But the line between registering an opinion or governing by tweet has bedeviled the White House from the start, even when former press secretary Sean Spicer declared tweets could be official White House statements. Earlier this year, Trump blindsided the Defense Department when he tweeted out a transgender ban for the military, prompting the Pentagon to slow walk the programme. Mueller already is interested in some of Trump’s tweets to the extent they raise obstruction of justice concerns. Though experts believe obstruction by tweet is possible, prosecutors have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a particular act got in the way of an investigation and that the person who did it intended to obstruct. The president’s tweets on Wednesday were greeted warily on Capitol Hill, with most lawmakers, regardless of party, urging Trump to let the probe run its course. No. 3 Senate GOP leader John Thune of South Dakota said, “The idea that they should truncate it doesn’t make sense to me.” Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut went much further, declaring: “There is now highly credible evidence that the president of the United States is committing obstruction of justice in real time, right before our eyes.”
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Thursday, August 2, 2018, PAGE 15
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