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MP’s brother gunned down
Renward Wells’ younger sibling dies outside home By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
THE younger brother of Transport Minister Renward Wells was gunned down and killed outside his home over the holiday weekend. And last night the dead man’s mother said while her son Cabrio Wells had his “ups and downs” with the law, she doesn’t know “what went wrong” for someone to shoot him to death. Anna Glinton, in an interview with The Tribune
yesterday, said while her “baby boy” had his fair share of “jail problems”, he had since “turned his life around” after serving a stint in prison. Ms Glinton added that while she was “somewhat” surprised at the news that her son was killed, she insisted he was not a bully, but rather a “cool guy” who would only display aggression if provoked. According to police, Wells was standing outside a home on Roland Street,
THE Free National Movement’s Pineridge Constituency Association wants its Member of Parliament Frederick McAlpine to resign from the party, its chairman told The Tribune. Mr McAlpine has been an outspoken critic of the Minnis administration and said last week he would
SEE PAGE FIVE
By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
A CLOSE friend of the 25-year-old South African woman found hanging from a cellphone lanyard in an Atlantis hotel room last year insisted on Friday that her friend was not suicidal. Lauren Burke said it was “absolutely” not like Carla Van Eeden to have taken her own life, as her friend was a “strong person” whose very personality could not “condone” such a demise. Ms Burke said if she had to choose, she would say Ms Van Eeden died at the hands of another person as opposed to taking her own life. That, Ms Burke said, was because Ms Van Eeden committing suicide would not have comported with her demeanor prior to coming to The Bahamas.
BLACKOUT MISERY FOR FAMILIES By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
SEE PAGE THREE
not vote to support Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis in a vote of no-confidence the Official Opposition has pledged to bring to the House of Assembly. He said he would abstain instead. Vernet Munnings, Pineridge Association chairperson, said: “He definitely should resign. That would be in the best interest of the people of the
‘MY FRIEND WAS NOT SUICIDAL’
SEE PAGE NINE
MCALPINE URGED TO RESIGN FROM FNM
By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
HOME
THAT FREEDOM FEELING HUNDREDS of people turned out yesterday in Fox Hill to celebrate Emancipation Day. More pictures - Page 2 Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
BAHAMAS Power and Light’s load shedding exercises continued throughout New Providence over the holiday weekend, with residents in various communities suffering three to five hour-long power cuts. BPL, in multiple statements between Sunday and yesterday, said many areas throughout the island, from the Fort Charlotte area to South Beach experienced power cuts. Residents in the Carmichael Road area in particular experienced fivehour long blackouts, as they and residents in portions of Fire Trail Road east and Cowpen Road east went offline due to “technical difficulties”. SEE PAGE SEVEN
‘POLICE OFFICER PUNCHED US IN FACE’ By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
WHAT began as a routine ticketing exercise for a broken headlight turned into a nightmare for two women in Exuma who claim they were brutalised on Sunday by one of the most senior officers on the island. Images of blood streaming from the gashed eyelid of one them, Dejah Laing, 19, were shared hundreds of
AALIYAH, left, and Dejah. times on social media over the weekend, attracting the ire of horrified users. The
women and their families are now demanding that the officer responsible be fired. Ms Laing, mother of an 18-month-old baby, was travelling home from the Rolleville Homecoming Festival & Regatta around 4.30 on Sunday morning along with her two cousins, Aaliyah Bain, 20, and Samuel Humes, 26, when their day took a turn for the worst. Mr Humes, the driver,
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
SEE PAGE FIVE
FACE-TO-FACE HOW BOB MARCHED TO HIS OWN BEAT
SEE PAGE EIGHT
PAGE 2, Tuesday, August 6, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
FOX HILL FUN
BAHAMIANS gathered at Fox Hill Park yesterday to celebrate Emancipation Day and Fox Hill Day Festival. Pictured right are Savannah Minnis, Selena Minnis and Breanna Minnis. Left is Justin Pratt, winner of the pineapple eating contest. Top right, Jameka Symonette. Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, August 6, 2019, PAGE 3
ABOVE: MP Renward Wells; right: Cabrio Wells with an unnamed friend
Renward Wells’ brother gunned down from page one
Ridgeland Park shortly before 4am on Sunday when he was shot multiple times to the body. Paramedics responded to the scene but were unable to revive him and he was pronounced dead. Yesterday, Ms Glinton said the house where Wells was shot was his home. She said she got a call around 3.20 that morning from Wells’ girlfriend who told her he had been shot. Ms Glinton said at that time, Wells’ girlfriend said he was still breathing. However, Ms Glinton said when she arrived on the scene some time later, police officers told her that her son was dead. She said by that time, they had already placed a white sheet over his body. Ms Glinton said the last time she talked to him was the night prior, when he went out at around 10.20pm. She said one of the last things he asked her for was a Maltonic beverage in her fridge. “…He asked me if he could have it,” Ms Glinton told The Tribune. “I said ‘yeah man, go have it man.’ He said he going out, I said ‘okay then, be safe.’ That was always my words to him, be safe.”
Fast-forward to just hours later when she got the call from his girlfriend, Ms Glinton said: “To be honest I don’t know what went wrong.” “He had his share of stuff,” she explained. “My child is a no nonsense person. If you get on his bad side, yes, it could be a problem. “Cool guy, like I said, (once) you cool, he cool,” she continued. “You rub him the wrong way, yes you’re going to feel his reaction from it if you get him to that point. But other than that he’s a cool fella. “Like I said, he had his ups and downs. He went to jail, he came out, he turned his life around. I ain’t gone hide that from you. Because if you dig deep enough, you would know those things anyhow.” Ms Glinton did not disclose any specifics about her son’s troubled past. However, in 2013, police reported how Wells was shot after being hit by a stray bullet intended for another man, Aaron “AJ” Thurston. At the time, reports were that Wells was just passing by when he was struck by the bullet, which was fired because of an after-work game of backgammon gone
ONE MAN DEAD, TWO IN HOSPITAL A MAN is dead and two men are in hospital after they were shot and stabbed in separate incidents in New Providence on the weekend. Shortly before 1pm on Sunday, a man was sitting outside a home on Lucky Hart Corner off East Street when he was shot by an assailant. Paramedics were called but could not revive the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene. He was one of two men killed on Sunday. A man was stabbed on Saturday shortly before 11pm. He was at a location on East Street South when he got into an argument with another man who stabbed him, police said. He was taken to hospital
and was listed in stable condition at last report. The first incident occurred on Friday shortly before 8pm when a man was walking on Spence Alley off Wilson Track. He was approached by a group of men, one armed with a firearm, who shot him multiple times in his body before running away. The injured man was taken to hospital and is listed in serious condition. Police are appealing to members of the public who may have information that can assist with this investigation to contact the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991/2, Crime stoppers at 328-TIPS (8477) or the nearest police station. Investigations continue.
wrong between Thurston and the gunman. Wells was shot in the stomach and was listed in critical condition. Thurston died at the scene. Bamboo Town MP Mr Wells told The Tribune at the time that the bullet went “straight through” his brother’s body and “nicked several of his vital organs”. After surgery however, Mr Wells said his brother was safely “out of the woods”. The Bamboo Town MP could not be reached for comment yesterday. Concerning Sunday’s shooting that claimed the life of her son, Ms Glinton said she was holding up fine, though she said she is unsure of how well she’ll fare when she goes to the morgue today to identify Wells. “I come to grips with what happened,” she said. “The hardest thing in life is acceptance, and I accept what happened. I accept what people say because that’s life. I’m not going to be the only person they say things about. That’s my
child. I still love him all the same. “Like I said he had his share of ups and downs, you know? Jail problems. He came out, he turned his life around.” She also said the two shared a “very good relationship”. “I have six kids, three boys and three girls,” she said. “He’s my baby boy. (We had a) very good relationship because I still cook (for him) and wash his clothes. He didn’t live with me but I cooked his food and I washed his clothes. But we had a very good relationship. “If there was something I didn’t like I would tell him about it. One thing with him, when it comes to his mother, he would tell his mother. If I say I hear certain things, he would say ‘yes I did that’ and ‘this is why I did that.’ He was open with me. “One thing I could say, we had a very good relationship.” Wells was one of two men killed on Sunday.
PAGE 4, Tuesday, August 6, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
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Power to the people THE holiday weekend was a welldeserved break for many. People packed up work on Friday, and headed home ready to enjoy the three-day break – ready to relax and unwind. It’s a shame Bahamas Power and Light had other plans for Bahamians. Off went the power, all weekend, three hours at a time, as the company continued its ongoing load shedding. Parties planned for the holiday were plunged into darkness, plans made quickly became plans unmade. That’s not the worst of it. People relying on power for medication were left abandoned. Food defrosted and had to be thrown away. That’s not even taking into account any equipment damage from the on again-off again supply. It wasn’t the weather – it was relatively cool compared to recent weeks so people weren’t likely to be burning air conditioning excessively. Then of course a number of businesses will have been closed for the weekend, so they won’t have been consuming power at a significant rate. No, the simple truth is this – BPL can’t generate enough power to meet demand. It is not up to the job. Worse still, while the company’s social media spat out statements saying which
areas were going to be out of power, all with a standard line of “BPL apologises for the inconvenience” at the bottom, it seems the company expects people to accept this. Where is the chairman to explain why the company isn’t up to the task? Where is the chief executive? Let’s look further up the ladder – where is the minister whose portfolio covers BPL, Desmond Bannister? Where are those charged with providing power to explain to the people of the Bahamas why they have failed? Have we reached a stage where they no longer feel they have to answer to the people? For that matter, why isn’t the prime minister assuring the people that he’ll sort the matter out or fire those responsible? People will return to their jobs today having not had power for hot showers or baths, or to be able to iron clothes. The spirit of the holiday has become a disgruntled one, all because the power company can’t supply what is needed. Those in charge should step forward and apologise to Bahamians for the ongoing power shortages – this needs to be taken seriously. Or else people will exercise their own power when the next election comes around.
Who does McAlpine really support? WHAT game is Frederick McAlpine playing? The maverick MP hardly seems like a member of the FNM party. Last week, he said he wouldn’t vote to support Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis in a no confidence vote – saying he would abstain. It’s the latest in a string of curious choices for a man often distanced from his party. There was Labour Day when he walked arm-in-arm with PLP members and supporters. In the budget debate, he criticised the FNM, saying he has been victimised and excluded from party meetings in Grand Bahama. Last year, he voted against the rise in VAT. And in today’s Tribune, we find
unsurprisingly that his local constituency association wants him to resign from the party. After all, he doesn’t seem to be representing them. We are all for strong MPs who say what needs to be said, backbenchers who hold their party to account – but Mr McAlpine has hardly ever seemed to be a good fit for his party. It seems he might have been better running as an independent – but would he have been elected then? It seems odd to have run in a red shirt only to change his colours once he secured his seat – maybe the time has come for him to live up to his convictions and declare what he really stands for. Your move, Mr McAlpine.
Attracting the sharks EDITOR, The Tribune OVER the past month much has been written about the subject due to the brutal attack of a young woman snorkeling off Rose Island, along with several other attacks last month. While it may seem farfetched, I think shark feeding has become a tourist attraction in The Bahamas. Why do I say that? I will give you two examples that I know of first hand. About six years ago, I was visiting my family in Freeport and one night we all went for dinner at the Pier 1 restaurant, down at the Freeport harbour. On a nightly basis the restaurant feeds the shark for its customers to see. At the designated time the floodlights were put on the water and the staff started throwing food into the water. In no time at all there were many sharks arriving and they stayed until all the food was eaten. Do they
still do this? Probably. Fast forward now to the present. On Sunday night (July 28, 2019), I was watching a programme on HGTV, called “Caribbean Life” and it featured a man and wife who were visiting The Bahamas, for the purpose of buying a house/condo in Treasure Cay, Abaco. As a side trip the realtor took the couple to Man Jack Cay, located north of Green Turtle Cay, so they could feed the rays and SHARKS. To my amazement this couple was seen on TV, sitting in two feet of white water (sandy bottom) HAND feeding the rays, along with juvenile sharks, I found this absolutely insane, that we would allow visitors to our country to do this. I am told that this happens on a daily basis (feeding of rays and sharks) at Man Jack Cay. In fact several years go, I visited this Cay and fed the rays. I have also been told that there are residents, on the
eastern end of New Providence, who regularly feed sharks. How many other places on New Providence and the Family Islands, is this now taking place on a daily basis? What are the vendors at Montagu and Potters Cay, throwing into the water on a daily basis? What do the marinas in Bahamian harbors, throw into the water on a daily basis? In countries of the world that have many kinds of wild animals, residents and tourist alike are prohibited from feeding the wild animals. Why is the shark any different? They are a predator and will eat almost anything, including us. Unless The Bahamas takes action to stop the feeding of shark in populated areas, where people swim, we are going to have more of what happened last month. JEFFREY M. ALBURY Nassau July 29, 2019
Follow Britain’s lead EDITOR, The Tribune
I AM becoming more and more discouraged about the direction of our country and, of course, the world. The suggestion that the gaming houses should have a say in running a national
lottery as expressed by Dionisio D’Aguilar has caused me to send you this note. Is there any way he could be directed to the way the National Lottery in Britain is run? I believe companies are invited to bid on
the exercise and, of course, the gaming houses already make a fortune and do not need any other avenue to increase earnings. ORRY SANDS Nassau July 31, 2019
Fritzie ran good race EDITOR, The Tribune THE passing of Dr. Cleveland “Fritzie” Eneas Jr. made me reflect on old fashioned values that make The Bahamas so special. This reflection was amplified by the gospel reading in church, this past Sunday morning, from Luke Ch. 12 about the foolish man who, rather than sharing his blessings, gathered his riches in bigger barns and never lived to enjoy them. Fritzie gave every day. No storing his talents in barns. He used every opportunity to serve. I can remember the days when our elders would mention certain family names, like Eneas, while saying, “that’s a family with a legacy that Bahamians should emulate”. Why? Because that family, for generations, has a legacy of service. Bishop Eneas, Fritzie’s grandfather, was an iconic leader in the Bain Town community. He is the person after whom Eneas Jumper Corner is named and it is he that started his own church, a landmark, on East St. Bishop Eneas’ son, former Senator, Dr. Cleveland Eneas Sr., was one of the first black dentists in The Bahamas (along with Dr. Jackson Burnside Sr.). He attended Tuskegee and Meharry Universities, at a time when few black Bahamians attended university. After qualifying as a dentist, he came back home with his wife, Mrs. Muriel Eneas, to help build The Bahamas, then a colony. I feel so proud when I see the picture of Dr. Eneas, and so many other men, including my Father, as Directors of the People’s
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net Penny Savings Bank, chartered in 1951. These were black men who knew that “pennies make pounds” and that black people could come together to create a strong economy. They were visionaries and trailblazers. Mrs. Eneas moved from being a teacher, to the Headmistress of St. Anne’s School. She also helped to develop Bahamians through her involvement in numerous charities, including The Bahamas Girl Guides’ Association. Most people who passed through her hands recount wonderful stories of how she encouraged them and gave them unforgettable life lessons. Their children are doctors and all serve in the Church and in the Community. Their legacy is one of service - love of God, service above self, patriotism and loyalty. Fritzie was very proud of his heritage. This enabled him to honour and develop, for the next generation, his family legacy. Just like his forebears, Fritzie, a welleducated man, was able, wisely, to relate to and serve all people. Like his parents and grandparents, he served, without seeking reward. He gave many people dental care although they could not afford to pay for his professional services. Many of his fraternal brothers attest to how Fritzie quietly guided, mentored and encouraged them. The Bahamas Dental Association can speak of his
commitment to excellence. When I was in frontline politics, someone told me, “girl, I have new respect for you. I was someplace where people were complaining about the PLP. Fritzie Eneas told us about you and your community service. He made it clear that nothing negative about you could be said in his presence because you are a family friend”. I was so happy. I’ll never forget it. In today’s world, people far too often allow artificial barriers like politics, religion, skin colour, etc. to get in the way of relationships. Our parents taught us to treasure friends. Fritzie, by example, taught us how to respect people and be a loyal friend and brother. He had a big heart and an enormous capacity to love. This is a part of his legacy. As people will continue to say, Fritzie gave everything he had to serving his community. Simply put, “he would give you the shirt off his back”. This was the message of the above-mentioned gospel passage. This what Maya Angelou meant when she said, “… people will never forget how you make them feel.” As we honour Fritzie, we also honour the Eneas family, one of the many Bahamian families to whom we can point and say to our children, “they are role models”. Thank you, Fritzie. You ran an excellent race and stayed the course. Take your much deserved rest. ALLYSON MAYNARD-GIBSON Nassau August 5, 2019
Far too much speeding EDITOR, The Tribune I HAVE never seen on TV, or otherwise, The Queen of England being raced through the streets of London, with a siren blaring and I am wondering why it is that her designated representative in the Bahamas, Our Governor General, should feel the need himself, to be raced
around our streets as has been the case since his ascension to this high office. It is so undignified. As the Governor General now resides in the east, one can never be sure if the screaming vehicle is some unfortunate soul needing urgent medical attention, or dangerous prisoners being rushed to have their day in court, or now indeed, if it is
the Governor General on his urgent way to some very important event of State. Other than the Medical Ambulances on an Emergency call, I really see no need for all of this unnecessary speeding along our very tiny and congested roads. BRUCE G. RAINE Nassau August 5, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, August 6, 2019, PAGE 5
MCALPINE URGED TO RESIGN FROM FNM
from page one
constituency. We don’t think he would be offered the nomination again. In the House of Assembly, all you hear from him is bashing of the party. Would you expect for people to want that person to represent them? I don’t think so. I have no idea what he is holding out for now. He needs to decide what he wants because right now we don’t understand it and he doesn’t understand it.”
Earlier this year the Pineridge Constituency Association moved to remove its executives, a group of people said to be mostly loyal to the MP. The association held new elections last month and Ms Munnings was among those elected. “We don’t hear or see anything from the member of Parliament,” she said. “Only time we hear from him is when someone call and tell us he’s on social media. As it stands now, it’s as if we don’t have an MP.” FNM chairman Carl
Culmer said the party has not received a formal request from the Pineridge Constituency Association to remove Mr McAlpine from the FNM. “Until the association comes to the party, there’s nothing we can do,” he said. “He’s the MP for the area and until we or he makes a move there’s nothing that we can do. Like any other complaint, we would have to take it to the executive body of the party who would then investigate the complaint and then it would
Women claim police officers punched them in the face from page one said he was about to be ticketed when he told the senior officer his two cousins were in the car. “He rushed to the car like he had a demon,” he told The Tribune yesterday from inside a relative’s house off Carmichael Road. “He shouted for them to come out the car and the girls didn’t come out the car. He started putting his hand through the window to open the door. He eventually got the car door open and when he did he slapped Dejah in her
chest and yucked her out the car. The reaction from him yucking her is that she accidentally fling her hand and miss and hit him in his face or whatever. He then put her in a headlock and just started punching her in her face.” Ms Laing did not readily comply with the officer’s demands, she admitted. She cited his aggression and discourteous demeanor as justification. Ms Laing, who is about 5”2, said the “6”2” officer punched her five times in the face, the first knocking her to the ground. She struggles, she said, to
go to the council for their decision.” Mr McAlpine defended his performance in the constituency yesterday, citing his works, including recently giving money to students who received the highest GPAs at Sir Jack Hayward, St Georges and Tabernacle Baptist schools. “At first they said I was too involved in the association and now they’re complaining even though I’m allowing them to do what they choose to do,” he said. “I am representing
MP McAlpine. the people of Pineridge, not a group of people that may have a special interest or ulterior motive. My responsibility is to the people of
DEJAH Laing’s gashed eye and, inset, Samuel Humes who was driving.
come to terms with the fact that a man, particularly a police officer, would punch her so hard and so repeatedly. Her friend, Aaliyah Bain, said she attracted the officer’s rage after willingly accompanying her arrested friend to the police station. She said: “I went with her in the police car because I didn’t want her there with three male officers and while I was in the car I was speaking freely, saying ‘y’all wrong, ya’ll wrong, how y’all could do this to a female who way smaller than y’all. That’s when the guy who was
driving literally turn back and punch me in my mouth three times, directly in my face. My face was bruised, my lip has a cut under it and my teeth is cracked in the back.” The women said they were initially taken to a police station cell, then to the clinic and then back to the station where they were interviewed, processed and allowed to leave without charge. The trio were recently hired at Sandals Resort in Exuma and they fear the incident has disrupted their lives so much that they could lose their jobs.
Pineridge and the people of Pineridge are not only FNMs. They are PLPs, DNAs and independents. My concern is not about a small group of people who wish to manipulate the representative at their will and fancy. I will continue to speak out and speak up on behalf of the good and gracious people of Pineridge and I will make my decision when it comes to the party along with the people of Pineridge when necessary.” Editorial View - Page 4
Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff
“We ain even supposed to be taking days off right now,” Ms Laing said. “We don’t even know if we will have a job when we get back to Exuma.” Sinte Roker, 19, visited them at the clinic and took the photos of Ms Laing’s bruised face which were circulated on Facebook. One of the things she remembers most from the incident are the laughs of two of the officers present. “When they were in the clinic sitting down they were there laughing and getting off so nonchalantly, two of the same set that were involved in all this,”
she said. “It was like they were in their own little land, like nothing happened or as if my cousin eye didn’t just get beat in.” Police Commissioner Anthony Ferguson told The Tribune yesterday that the matter is under active investigation. “A team flew into Exuma yesterday evening to conduct investigation into the circumstances,” he said. RBPF officials, however, rarely reveal investigation findings surrounding matters involving police conduct to the public, despite persistent questions from the press.
PAGE 6, Tuesday, August 6, 2019 By FARRAH JOHNSON IN the wake of a spate of armed robberies in the capital, Chief Superintendent Solomon Cash of the Central Detective Unit urged residents to be vigilant and to take all necessary precautions to remain safe. Police are investigating six weekend armed robberies – one Sunday, two that occurred on Saturday and three on Friday. A man robbed a business on John F Kennedy Drive shortly before 3pm Sunday. The armed man robbed a cashier of an undetermined amount of cash before escaping. Police said shortly after noon on Saturday, a woman was at a residence on Blyden Road off Cowpen Road when she was approached by an armed man who robbed her of her handbag, containing cash and other items, before getting into a grey coloured Nissan Sylphy with another man and speeding away. In the second incident, shortly before 1pm, a woman was at a residence on Boatswain Hill Road, when she was approached by an armed man, who robbed her of her hand bag containing cash and other items, before getting into a blue coloured Nissan Sentra, licence #AP5466, and speeding off. Police on New Providence said they took a man into custody and are seeking assistance in locating other persons responsible for a number of armed robberies on Friday, August 2. The first incident took place shortly before 7am when a woman was at a residence on Jasmine Drive off Prince Charles Drive. She was approached by two
THE TRIBUNE
Police chief urges vigilance following armed robberies men, one armed with a firearm, who robbed her of her handbag and a red coloured 2007 Nissan Note, licence plate #AH0045. A short time later officers of the Central Detective Unit intercepted this vehicle while on Bernard Road and took a 24-year-old man into custody in connection with this incident. Then shortly after noon on Friday, a woman was at a residence on Cowpen Road when she was approached by an armed man who robbed her of her handbag, containing cash and other items, before running away. In the third incident, shortly before 2pm two women were at a residence on Ocean View Drive, West Ridge, when they were approached by an armed man, who robbed them of their handbags, containing cash and other items, before running away. When contacted on Friday about the spate of armed robberies, CSP Cash said while there is no need for alarm, the public should ensure they are aware of their
CHIEF Superintendent Solomon Cash surroundings at all times. “There has always been armed robberies,” he told The Tribune. “But we would like to advise people that in their movements throughout the communities to be cognizant of who may be targeting them.” CSP Cash said police
have responded to the spate of robberies by “mobilising additional resources” to areas where such incidents frequently occur. “We have noticed several armed robberies, one or two occurring in the eastern district of New Providence and that was a concern to us.
“The last armed robbery that happened in that area around 6am where a young lady was held up and robbed of her vehicle, those teams that we put in place there were able to make an arrest, also recovering that vehicle that was taken in the armed robbery,” he said. CSP Cash also had this advice: “What I would want to say to members of the public who are travelling home is if they are taking the normal route that they usually take, we would ask them to be more cognizant of how they drive. “If they see vehicles following them, or if they have to stop at dark junctions, (we ask them) to be aware of their surroundings and proceed with caution.” CSP Cash also advised businesses to hire security firms that can monitor their establishments and encouraged people to “leave their lights on” to ensure that their residences are well-lit when they are away from home. “We also noticed a trend arising where one or two persons making deposits were held up and robbed,” he added.
“We want to say to business persons who are making these deposits... to engage private security firms who do that type of work with transporting large sums of cash – the armoured car services.” CSP Cash also noted that surveillance cameras can act as a “deterrent” to persons who wish to target a home or business establishment. Still, he said, one of the most important things the public can do to decrease the frequency of armed robberies is to report the whereabouts of any illegal firearm by calling police anonymously via the Crime Stoppers hotline at 328-TIPS (8477) or the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991/2. “It’s not a regular occurrence that we’ll have persons just walk through communities and rob people at random,” CSP Cash said. “Some of it are crimes of opportunity, but those ones that trends arise from, we (from) a police perspective go and we put additional resources in these communities and we target those incidences,” he said.
JOINT OPERATION OVER MARIJUANA BUST
AN American man found in possession of suspected marijuana was arrested with 12 Haitians during a joint operation in northern Abaco on Thursday. The operation happened at 7.30am near Grand Cay. It was a combined effort between the Departments of Immigration, Customs and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force. The group was taken to Grand Bahama on RBDF patrol craft P-126 coxswained by Petty Officer Bernard Miller and turned over to immigration and police officials. This follows a Department of Immigration operation staged early Wednesday
morning. In operation ‘Rising Sun’, 28 Haitian migrants were picked up with the assistance of Southwestern Division police and K-9 units. After further processing, 16 people were committed to the Carmichael Road Detention Centre for various immigration offences, including illegal landing and overstaying, a press release said. The operation began at 4am, the release continued, and covered Flamingo Close, Jubilee Gardens, Venice Bay, Area 51 Haitian Village, Carmichael Road, Sir Milo Butler Highway, McKinney Drive and Bedrock Haitian Village off Bacardi Road.
GUNSHOTS AND STAB WOUNDS IN GB FIGHT THREE men, including an American, were taken to hospital after an altercation in Grand Bahama on Monday left one with a gunshot wound and two with stab wounds. Police said shortly after midnight, officers responded to reports of a shooting at a resort at Silver Point Drive. Officers met an
American man with gunshot wounds to the hand, who told them he had been in a physical altercation with a group of men. He was taken to the Rand Memorial Hospital for treatment. A short time later, two Bahamian men appeared at RMH with stab wounds about the body, police said. Both are in hospital and are in serious but stable condition.
MINISTRY OFFERS CONDOLENCES OVER MASS SHOOTINGS IN US THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement offering condolences over the two deadly mass shooting incidents that occurred in the United States over the weekend which left more than 30 people dead and many injured. The ministry’s statement also condemned any form of violence, especially violent acts sprouted from racial supremacy. “The government and people of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas are deeply saddened to learn of two mass shootings that occurred in the states of Texas and Ohio over the weekend,” the statement said. “We convey to the government and people of the United States of America our profound condolences on the tragic loss of life and the assurance of our
continued prayers for the recovery of those injured. Moreover, we stand with all right-thinking individuals in condemning all forms of violence, especially such acts that are founded in hatred and race supremacy.” At least 31 people were killed over the weekend in mass shootings in Texas and Ohio. According to CNN, 22 people were killed in El Paso during a mass shooting on Saturday. “Police said they found an anti-immigrant document espousing white nationalist and racist views, which they believe was written by the suspect,” CNN reported. Nine people were killed in a shooting in the Oregon District of Dayton, Ohio. The suspect in that shooting was shot dead by police.
TWO BAHAMIANS HELD AMONG MIGRANTS STOPPED BY CUSTOMS TWO Bahamians were among a group of migrants apprehended by US Customs and Border Protection officials on Thursday. According to the Miami Herald, US officials spotted a 27-foot boat off Government Cut, a Florida shipping channel, on Thursday without the proper lighting. With the help of the US Coast Guard, the boat was intercepted about seven miles east of the channel between Miami Beach and Fisher Island. When officials went
on board the vessel, they found seven migrants, a suspected smuggler and 67 packages of marijuana, according to a Coast Guard news release. Of the seven migrants, five were men from Jamaica, one was a man from the Bahamas and one was a man from Italy. There was also a suspected smuggler from the Bahamas, the Coast Guard said. The migrants were taken into custody by US Customs and Border Protection officials.
THE TRIBUNE
Doctor dies in traffic accident
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
ABACO police are investigating a traffic accident that claimed the life of a woman who was a passenger on Sunday. Although her identity was not released by police, she has been identified by loved ones on social media as Dr Katrice Maycock. Assistant Superintendent Terecita Pinder reported that shortly after 1am, police were called to Don Mackey Boulevard where two vehicles – a Toyota Passo and a silver Jaguar – were involved in a head-on collision. According to reports, both vehicles were extensively damaged. Three people were injured, including the drivers of both vehicles and a female passenger. They were all transported to the
Marsh Harbour Health Centre. ASP Pinder said the female passenger in the Toyota Passo succumbed to her injuries, while the male driver was treated for non-life threatening injuries, and later airlifted to New Providence for further medical attention. The driver of the Jaguar was also treated for minor injuries and later discharged. In late 2013, when she was still in medical school, Dr Maycock told The Tribune she always wanted to become a doctor, believing it to be her life’s purpose. “I always loved science and received top awards in biology and chemistry in high school so I gravitated towards the field of medicine,” she said in 2013. “However, when I graduated from Bellarmine University, I questioned if I really wanted to pursue
Blackout misery over holiday from page one Other customers in the areas surrounding Stew Fish Drive and Carmichael Road west experienced a temporary outage due to a “faulty transformer”. It is unclear how long that blackout lasted. Various areas in the Yamacraw constituency, inclusive of Palm Cay, St Andrews Beach Estates, Port New Providence and Winton Meadows also experienced blackouts on Sunday. Areas like Garden Hills #1; Yellow Elder; Blue Hill Road South; Pinewood Gardens; South Beach and the surrounding areas also went offline for approximately an hour and a half due to “technical difficulties”. Yesterday, BPL said numerous locations in and/ or near the Fort Charlotte community would experience some load shedding at 4:30pm for some three hours. Over the weekend, numerous consumers took to BPL’s official Facebook page to express their frustration with the blackouts, which have been a common yet vexing occurrence this summer. “This load shedding crap is getting way outta hand but yet we still have to be paying high bills for crappy service (sic),” one consumer wrote. “It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt due to these frequent power outages.” Another person said: “BPL this is utter foolishness…excuses after excuses man…this is irritating and sickening. It’s like y’all have no care for the poor people who struggling to make
BPL’S Donovan Moxey ends meet. Pay their bill just to be kept in darkness.” “Y’all so full of it… and still have the nerve to drive around disconnecting people. Worst power company ever!” another consumer ranted. Meanwhile, another user questioned why BPL never included Lyford Cay in its disconnection notices, stating: “They off the grid aye (sic)?” New Providence residents have suffered through almost daily load shedding since June 19. This despite BPL Chairman Donovan Moxey proclaiming earlier this year that officials did not expect load shedding this summer. The load shedding exercises came as a result of problems experienced with its generating assets at the Blue Hills Power Station, the company said previously. Due to increasing temperatures, customer demand on the network in New Providence spiked. The loss of generation coupled with the increase in demand resulted in a shortfall of generation and the need for load shedding, BPL said. Company officials have said the situation may not improve until the fall. Editorial View - Page 4
medicine as a career. ‘What school would I apply to? Which one would accept me? Where was the money coming from?’ These were questions that frequently ran through my mind. I thank God for my parents because of their encouragement and prayers, I am in medical school today. I am a firm believer in the saying, everything in life happens for a reason and every decision I made ultimately brought me to where I am today.” Dr Maycock attended high school at St Augustine’s College in Nassau. The school’s Class of 2005 released a statement on her death, calling her a “beacon of light to our class.” “Intelligent, ambitious, humble, funny and a steadfast Christian. Katrice exemplified the best in all of us,” the statement said. Investigations are continuing into the accident.
Tuesday, August 6, 2019, PAGE 7
POLICE are investigating a traffic accident that claimed the life of Dr Katrice Maycock.
PAGE 8, Tuesday, August 6, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
ABOVE: Bob with his niece, Lindsay; right: Bob with his wife Linelle, children Ronelle, Christopher, David, X (Jeremy), Jewel and grandchildren; top: Bob with his children, grandchildren and some extended family members; left: Bob photographed by his friend, Derek Smith
T
HE value of life and the value of this weekly column was put into deep perspective for me as I prepared this edition – a dedication to media pioneer Bob Thompson. Bob is the one who recommended I interview his elder cousin Garth Reeves, founder of the Miami Times, when he was 99. Garth and Bob’s wife, nurse Linelle Thompson, became two of my first interviewees for Face to Face. I told Bob I would feature him one day, but then he gave me an entire big bag full of articles, photos and clippings of the early days at ZNS from the 1970s and it was just too much information to sift through by myself. I said: “Bob, this is so much information, you need to write a book… I only have a onepage column!” We agreed to do an interview in the future, but I knew I would have needed an entire day to spend with Bob; he is that type of person. I called Linelle some time ago and asked her if I could speak to Bob about his interview. She informed me he had travelled to the United States to undergo treatment. He and I both were in Princess Margaret Hospital at the same time in April – I was having a baby and he was being treated after the discovery of a brain tumour. When Bob returned to Nassau, I intended to visit him at his home on the very top of Baillou Hill, but the baby was still young. I was shocked to learn of his passing, because I always viewed him as a giant of a man, so strong and yet so humble, one who could surmount any obstacle in his way. He died on July 16 at the age of 72. I was not able to attend his memorial but I received a copy of the booklet. I noticed that Dr Cleveland Eneas III was his dear friend and there was an audio reflection played at the memorial for Bob.
Bob marched to his own drum and enriched my life So, my intention was to call Dr Eneas’ daughter, Leah yesterday and ask her to get a quote from her father for my tribute to Bob. The background story here is Leah and I had been liaising so that I could interview her father for Face to Face. He was undergoing chemotherapy, so the opportunity had not come up as yet. Once again, it was shocking to learn that Dr Eneas passed this past weekend. Two men with so much history and knowledge to share; lives well lived and worth documenting. In this way, I found even more purpose in writing my column and documenting in this small way, the lives of great and ordinary people so that it could stand as a testament for the benefit of others. Bob meant a lot to me. During my years at ZNS, he was a constant source of encouragement. He saw something in me and took every opportunity to let me know that he was on my side, rooting for me. Bob lived The Tribune’s motto – he was ‘Bound
BOB with his wife, children and grandchildren
to Swear to the Dogmas of No Master’. He always marched to his own drum and seemed to have found contentment in life by living out this motto. Even after I left ZNS, we kept in touch. When I got married on August 4 last year, he and Linelle attended my wedding. It was my cousin Sheila who first informed me of Bob’s passing. She met him at my wedding and sat next to him. He made an impact on her with his jovial spirit and she enjoyed many laughs with him. My husband Victor and I visited him on the hill and one day, he surprised my husband with an 8 by 10 photograph of him and his groomsmen at the wedding. I loved sitting on that breezy hill and talking to Bob about life. He and I had an agreement. His home was my ‘rotating library’, he told me. I would borrow books from him, return them and get new ones. We would always chat about the contents during the exchange. In this way he enriched my life. He always talked about
the ‘good ole’ days of media’ and people like him, Clunis Devany and P. Anthony White, all now deceased, made indelible marks on my life as they shared so much wisdom and knowledge with me. Bob’s memorial booklet states he was born in the quaint settlement of Roker’s Point, Exuma as Robert “Bob” Newton Thompson II. His parents were legendary hotelier Wesley “Rusty” Thompson and his wife Enid. They lived in Exuma for a short time before moving to his paternal grandmother Lillian’s home in Mason’s Addition, now called Father Marshall Cooper Park. They later moved to 47 East Street at Rusty’s Guest House. He spent every childhood summer in his beloved Exuma and never missed a regatta. His initial schooling included Sands School, Eastern Junior and Senior, St. Thomas Moore and Aquinas College. He went on to attend Miami North Western, then Ryerson Polytechnic Institute and finally the University of the West Indies, Jamaica. Bob’s experience touched various aspects of journalism, photography and broadcasting. He started in Nassau in the Linotype and Photography department at the Nassau Guardian. He worked
briefly at Bahamasair and at the National Insurance Board as an inspector. He even worked with Glamour Studios in Miami. He joined the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas and was sent to Toronto to further his knowledge in cinematography. Bob was one of the pioneers of the television department at ZNS as a producer along with Ed Bethel, Charles Carter, Kelsey Johnson and Mike Smith. During his lifetime he was a member of several organisations including the BCPOU (Bahamas Communications Public Officers Union) and the Vanguard Party. Of his life his memorial booklet also reads: “After having lunch at the famous Lum’s on Bay Street, in his Castro hat and long pants he crossed the street to talk to the pretty girl in coveralls and a red striped shirt, Linelle Burrows, whom he would marry the following September. This union produced three boys, Christophe, David and X (Jeremy) sandwiched between two girls, Ronelle and Jewel. He also fathered another daughter, Vanessa.” “He will be remembered for his strong philosophies and ability to provoke thought. He was an avid reader and to the end amassing a library of diverse literary gems. The exposures from his ‘dark room’ can be viewed in the lighting of all our faces. He has left his print in every echelon of society. We continue to pose in perfect lighting for your shot.” Bob was a person who would always greet you with: “Peace, blessings and love.” He had many nicknames in the various aspects of his life including “Bob”, “Beagle”, “Beeki”, “Bobbi Shafto”, “Digital”, “Oppy” and “General”. After his passing tributes were paid by many in media, including Vaughn Albury, who said Bob was one who always thought outside of the box and was “way before his time” at ZNS. “Bob taught me to never to look at a picture just front on; not from one angle alone, but from all sides… and he was talking about life,” Vaughn said. “He was quietly strong,
helping the BCPOU at ZNS. He would walk around to each of us saying ‘stand up for your rights’, even if management was not too pleased. It was first BaTelCo’s union, but ZNS joined in 1979 or 1980. Charlie Bethel was the president, then Keith Archer and Idena Burrows. Bob was a key person in getting the union started at ZNS.” The Bahamas Press Club president Antony Capron recalled warm memories of Bob during their formative days in media: “Bob, fondly called Beagle, was one of those persons who could make you laugh even when he was being serious. In being ordinary, he was extraordinary. He was an excellent photographer and was among the first cameramen for the fledgling television operation with the Bahamas Broadcasting Corporation (ZNS).” “Although the profession of journalism and mass communications has lost a trailblazer and ultimate professional, it is certainly the better for having Thompson adding to its growth and development,” he added. A Facebook tribute from Bob’s former colleague at ZNS Paul Fernander reads: “Robert “Bob” Thompson, former Secretary General of the BCPOU, with others, was extremely instrumental in forming the BCPOU’s alliance of ZNS and Batelco. Bob inspired scores of ZNS employees to stand up for their rights in the face of unprecedented consequences. With a sly smile and a twinkle in his eye, Bob galvanised the unity of the men women as well as budding broadcasting teenagers of Radio Bahamas as well as ZNS TV. During the early 1980’s, Bob was the booming voice of strength for the nervous, the weak and not so strong. I think I can speak for the budding TV and radio production, programming, administrative and custodial teenage employees at ZNS and say the broadcasting industry in The Bahamas is better today because of men like Robert Bob Thompson. May Bob’s soul and the souls of all the faithfully departed rest in peace and rise in glory.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, August 6, 2019, PAGE 9
from page one Ms Burke said her friend was “super excited” about swimming with dolphins because she was a “massive animal lover”. Ms Burke also said that prior to Ms Van Eeden’s death, they both spoke about her future plans and her career. Ms Burke said: “…I was talking to Carla for the whole two days (after she checked into Atlantis) and I know what mindset she was in, and she wasn’t in a suicidal mindset. There is nothing about Carla that could ever condone that. She was there to swim with the dolphins and you know, just have fun.” Ms Burke noted that Ms Van Eeden had broken up with her boyfriend Tom the month before, and also expressed some unhappiness in working on the yacht both she and her exboyfriend worked on. Ms Burke also conceded that the break-up with Tom was one of the reasons Ms Van Eeden attributed to her unhappiness on the yacht, and suggested that it would have probably helped to ease the break-up if she didn’t work and live with Tom and see him every day. However, Ms Burke suggested that the break-up was not all that damaging, as the two continued to speak and were still friendly towards each other. Ms Burke was the one whose persistent calls into the Atlantis resort on May 16, 2018 because of her concerns about Ms Van Eeden’s whereabouts ultimately caused hotel officials to investigate her room and find her hanging from a green and white cellphone lanyard around her neck, which was in turn hanging from a garment hook on the back of the bathroom door. According to the evidence, Ms Van Eeden, formerly a stewardess on a private yacht, checked into the Atlantis resort on May 14, 2018. Tanackia Tinker, a front desk employee at the Royal Towers, checked her in.
Woman found dead in hotel room was not suicidal, insists her close friend Ms Burke said she had spoken with Ms Van Eeden “all day” on both May 14 and 15. She said the last time she saw Ms Van Eeden online was around 4pm on the latter date. The last time she actually saw Ms Van Eeden was months prior in January of that year. Ms Burke said she sent Ms Van Eeden a message on the morning May 16, a Wednesday. At the time, Ms Burke said she was approximately six hours ahead of Ms Van Eeden, and figured her friend would still be asleep. Thus, she said she wasn’t expecting Ms Van Eeden to respond right away. Ms Burke said it just so happened that she ended up having a busy day at work that didn’t end until 9.30pm her time. However, she said when she got back to her cabin, she realised Ms Van Eeden hadn’t responded. Ms Burke said she and Ms Van Eeden primarily communicated via WhatsApp. However, she said she realised her message to Ms Van Eeden hadn’t been delivered, which was automatic red flag for her because it would mean that either her phone was off all that time, or she wasn’t online.
And that was out of character for Ms Van Eeden, according to Ms Burke, who said her friend was very organised and would have got back to her “straight away” had she seen her message. Thus, she said she knew right away that something wasn’t right. Ms Burke’s testimony came after veteran American homicide detective John Buhrmaster doubled down on his previous assertions that Ms Van Eeden’s death “only happened one of two ways”, by suicide or accidental death. Mr Buhrmaster said her hanging death was “definitely” not a homicide, much less a natural death. Mr Buhrmaster also rebuffed suggestions by South African forensic pathologist Dr Linda Liebenberg, who conducted the second of two autopsies on Ms Van Eeden at her family’s request, that the young woman was embroiled in a “violent struggle” prior to her death. He said besides the fact that there was nothing in Ms Van Eeden’s room indicative of a fight—nothing had been knocked over, and the bedspread still being in place, Mr Buhrmaster said there was one detail that
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CARLA Van Eeden struck him as being “very much important”. He said that if a person is strangled by someone else, their natural reaction would be to use their hands to try and remove the garrote. Thus, he said if Ms Van Eeden was in fact strangled to death, there would have been scratch marks on her neck from her trying to get her long, acrylic fingernails underneath the strangling device. However, Mr Buhrmaster said he saw no such injuries based on the photographs he saw.
Mr Buhrmaster also testified how he was “denied” every time he requested to speak with the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) officers involved in investigating Ms Van Eeden’s death. Based on the evidence, the officers Mr Buhrmaster wanted to interview were the investigating officer Corporal Cyril Walkes; Corporal Ashley Black; and Detective Corporal Navar Neely, a crime scene investigator, and the one who
placed Ms Van Eeden’s body into a body bag. Mr Buhrmaster said as he did not have the benefit of viewing the crime scene himself, and was retained by Atlantis to investigate the matter some 10 months later, he wanted to know “what they found, what they saw”. Mr Buhrmaster said he first asked a former officer, Rory Saunders, to try and reach out to the officers involved so he could interview them, however, he said that never materialised. As a result, he said he went “knocking on the door”, and went to police headquarters in a bid to speak to the officers, but was “turned down” at every opportunity. Mr Buhrmaster also said his attempts at reaching out to Police Commissioner Anthony Ferguson were also futile, as he claimed the police chief never responded to an email he sent him about the matter. “Still to this day I’ve never seen anything that the officers have done, so I don’t know,” Mr Buhrmaster said when asked what his assessment of the local investigation is. “I’ve never seen a report or anything.” The matter continues.
PAGE 10, Tuesday, August 6, 2019
A
FTER a long and eventful summer visit to England to see family and friends, my wife and I returned to Nassau last week with mixed emotions. While sad to say goodbye to loved ones yet once more, how comforting it was also to come back to familiar surroundings, to sleep in one’s own bed again and to be welcomed ecstatically by our ever-faithful pooch whom we had been missing. What a pleasure it is, as well, to return to this weekly column. The summer months are a precious and rewarding time for Britons seeking, after an endlessly gloomy winter, to enjoy the increasingly warm and settled weather of recent years and the opportunities for outside activities during long days that stretch into long evenings. July, in particular, is a busy time for most – not least for friends engaged in grand parenting duties during the school holidays - so we were fortunate to be fitted in by those already heavily committed elsewhere as we put hundreds of miles on a rental car to see as many people as possible. But, leaving aside such narrow personal preoccupations, July this year seemed to be an unusually busy time in England in a variety of ways, with significant developments in different fields of activity. During a heatwave with record-breaking temperatures, in the sporting sphere there was the customary wonder of the Wimbledon championships culminating this year in an epic men’s final that went down to the wire; the cricket World Cup on home soil with the England team victorious for the first time ever; the women’s
THE TRIBUNE
Oh to be in England now summer’s here The Peter Young column football and netball World Cups which attracted an unexpected new following; and then a hugely successful Open golf championship held in Northern Ireland and won dramatically by an Irishman – other than Rory McIlroy – in a fairytale ending. On a broader political front, the news was dominated by Iran’s seizure in international waters of a British registered oil tanker and the leaking of diplomatic cables from the British Ambassador in Washington that were critical of President Trump and led inevitably to the former’s resignation. But I was surprised, when observing developments on the spot, the extent to which Brexit totally dominated
ENGLAND winning the cricket world cup was one of the highlights of the summer.
the domestic debate. The extended departure of Theresa May after failing to deliver satisfactory terms for the UK’s exit from the European Union seemed endless as did the long drawn out selection of her successor as Tory leader and Prime Minister, with Boris Johnson the ultimate winner. These
dramatic events have produced an unprecedented political upheaval in the UK and have overshadowed everything else. So, as the October 31 deadline for its EU departure is fast approaching - and with a newly-installed British Prime Minister taking a new tough line and preparing to leave without a
deal - an epic autumn for British politics is coming for sure, with some foreign observers now judging that Brexit is one of the hottest international news stories. Aside from this, however, the immediate question is whether Boris Johnson is simply all about armwaving bluster with little real substance or whether
his energy, enthusiasm and optimism is grounded in reality and can be backed up with solid programmes. I propose to analyse the latest developments in future columns as the clock winds down to the UK leaving the EU by Halloween. Meanwhile, amid the joy of reconnecting with friends, I found myself reflecting on two things about my home country. First, the beauty and colours of the Kentish countryside in southeast England in all the glory of high summer that I observed during various train journeys to London from our base in the town of Tunbridge Wells: its hills and valleys, its woodland and orchards and golden fields of corn, healthy looking livestock in rich pastures and its farmsteads - evidently all well cared for and managed and constituting that ‘green and pleasant land’ aptly described by the famous poet William Blake. Secondly, while walking in London, I was struck once again by the antiquity and beauty of its buildings which, with its ancient institutions, are so important in underpinning the strength, stability and continuity of a country like Britain. It is comforting, as well, to be reassured that, anchored as it is by its long, eventful and at times tempestuous history, the country continues to maintain a strong and lasting national identity.
Police must not turn into a force of oppression DESPITE being overwhelmed by the bucolic charms of deepest Kent, it was during those same train journeys that I also read press accounts of a truly shocking event involving the police that is so out of keeping with the good reputation of Scotland Yard as to be barely credible. It seems to be a warning about what can happen even in an ordered democracy like Britain with
a justice system that is the envy of the world. The episode has been described as the catastrophe of the Metropolitan Police’s sex abuse probe that shattered the reputations of various VIPs who were publicly and falsely accused of paedophilia, the abuse of children and even murder. The gullibility and incompetence of the police – or at worst their determination to discredit and
destroy the lives of prominent people in society - has precipitated a huge row and a major debate about modern policing in Britain. Following unsubstantiated claims several years ago by a man known as ‘Nick’ about being a victim of a Westminster-based paedophile network of so-called Establishment VIPs, the police failed spectacularly to investigate the matter properly. They accepted
the credibility of his accusations about named high profile individuals in public life despite the lack of corroborating evidence and the fact his claims appeared inherently untrue, if not ludicrous in light of the fine reputations of those accused. As well as naming them publicly, the police then, over a period of months and years, hounded and harassed people like a retired head of Britain’s armed forces,
prominent former politicians and heads of the intelligence agencies – as well as defaming a deceased former prime minister – by raiding and ransacking their homes supposedly looking for evidence to support the claims. A High Court judge investigated the case in 2016 and accused the police themselves of perverting the course of justice, not least because of suggestions that false evidence was used to obtain search warrants to raid the homes of those concerned. Eventually, following a 10-week trial, ‘Nick’ was found guilty last week of fabricating his allegations and of fraud and perverting the course of justice. He was jailed for 18 years. He turned out not only to be a fraudster but also a fantasist and a paedophile himself who had lied to the police on a massive scale. Now, with a no-nonsense Home Secretary in the new Tory government, a fresh investigation of the senior officers involved in what became known as ‘Operation Midland’ seems likely even though they were earlier cleared of wrongdoing by an independent disciplinary board. All this could have
profound implications for the future of policing in the UK. There is growing pressure for a full inquiry into the overall role of the police and what powers they should have. Of course, they need to be tough and adequately equipped to fight crime. But it is grotesque that in the case of the fantasist ‘Nick’ the police should have ignored the basic tenet of British law that a person is innocent until proven guilty by an impartial jury and that the burden of proof is on the prosecution. It is equally disturbing they could have publicly humiliated prominent citizens of impeccable character in the way they did on the unsubstantiated word of a single individual. The public has the right to insist credible allegations are properly investigated by the police – and, for a rules-based democracy to function effectively, the public should be able to have confidence in them as the allies and protectors of law-abiding citizens. But society should also be on its guard against the police assuming excessive powers and turning into a force of oppression.
Turkish bee with a tale to tell THE silly season is defined as a period lasting for a few summer months typified by frivolous news stories in the media. In Britain, it is normally in August when many people are on holiday and there can be a shortage of solid news. But in July the story of the furtive Turkish bee captured public attention since it was claimed in the press this bee had sparked an international argument The said bee had arrived in Britain – presumably unwittingly and reluctantly though it might have been a stowaway – via the suitcase of a returning tourist who had been holidaying in Istanbul. He was allegedly unaware of transporting the bee from its homeland but it was suggested by the head of Turkey’s beekeepers union that he might even have kidnapped it since foreign tourists had been known to remove Turkish wildlife. Unfortunately for the bee, after its arrival it was condemned to death by the UK government on
the grounds that it posed a serious, if not lethal, threat to the native species. This prompted a headline in a Turkish newspaper “Don’t kill the Turkish bee”. It was reported that, when operatives from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) visited the house of the tourist in question in order to carry out the death sentence, the bee had somehow caught wind of its threatened execution and simply flown away. The general view is the bee is unlikely to return to its new home, so it has in effect secured a permanent reprieve and DEFRA has closed its file. To the relief of all, an international incident has been avoided. With due deference to beekeepers everywhere, the silly season came early this year. • Peter Young is a retired career diplomat and former British High Commissioner to The Bahamas where he is now a permanent resident.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, August 6, 2019, PAGE 11
GENERAL POST OFFICE WORKS THROUGH WATER HAZARD By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net
TRANSPORT Minister Renward Wells said on Friday that operations at the General Post Office continued with minimal impact after a broken valve caused mail and employees to be showered with water. In a statement, officials from the Ministry of Transport and Local Government said at 9.45am Friday a fault in the pipeline of the newly upgraded fire prevention system resulted in water being released in the mail sorting area of the General Post Office at Town Centre Mall.
“Prior to the GPO occupying the premises, the sprinkler system was successfully tested for adequacy and integrity,” the statement said. “Subsequent to that test, it was determined even though the existing system was acceptable, a more modern and reliable sprinkler system was desirable. With the new installation, the contractor today (Friday) advised that, upon conducting hydrostatic tests, the pressure caused the two pipes to separate at its coupling,” The breach did result in water damage to a limited amount of mail and wet some of the employees.
“The pressure valve was immediately shut down. The landlord and contractor worked fastidiously to repair the fault and the integrity of the system has now been assured. The affected mail has been dried. It is critical to note that members of the public whose mail has been affected are being notified individually. At inspection, there is superficial damage to the packaging of items; however, it is unlikely that contents have been damaged.” The statement noted the facility was functioning with little impact to operations. Bahamas Public Services Union President Kimsley
Ferguson said his main concern was “why they chose to test the line while persons were in the work environment?” Mr Ferguson, in an interview with reporters inside the General Post Office, said: “The only concern that we have moving forward is that the lines that represent the fire extinguishers are going to be operational in the event that there is some sort of fire. We are satisfied that all is well. “No one was injured, and we are satisfied that the situation is going to be corrected. When I went into the back, I saw some persons wiping down the walls
and other persons that were painting to remove the stains from the substance or the water that would have come from the pipes and so that since has been rectified.” He added: “I would have advised if there is going to be any testing that it’s done while persons are not at work to minimise any chance of anyone being injured. I asked one of the maintenance persons whether or not (the water) was sewerage and he advised that is was not sewerage. However, there was a concern that the water coming from the extinguishers are so black, so I don’t
know but I didn’t smell a stench coming from anything I saw in the back.” Mr Ferguson said he intends to get an update from management about “aspects of this operation that have not been fully completed” to ensure the occupancy certificate is “covering everything”. A video of the incident’s aftermath went viral across social media on Friday, attracting dozens of responses and reactions. In a nine-second video clip, envelopes can be seen wet in a bin on the floor, dark water is seen on the floor and on the walls of the mail sorting room.
LET THEM EAT CAKE
DEPUTY Prime Minister Peter Turnquest was one of the guests when the newly chartered Rotary Club of Grand Bahama president, Christine Van der Linde, was installed
PAGE 12, Tuesday, August 6, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
COMPASS POINT WILL LIKELY CLOSE ON THE NEXT ELECTION DAY, WHEN IT IS SCHEDULED. WHY IS THIS GOING TO HAPPEN? The FNM administration promised voters that it would be the leaders that made all changes possible to make it easier to run a business in The Bahamas. The Compass Point owner believed that promise. For the two years the FNM has been in power, the Compass Point owner has made what he thinks is a simple request. Set up a small group that would be tasked to make a list of recommended changes to existing laws and regulations, include the Compass Point owner as one participant in this group, have as chairman of the group a government person chosen, who if he/she recommended changes, the lawmakers would listen. The top leaders of this country, Dr. Hubert Minnis, Hon. Dionisio D’Aguilar, Ex Prime Minister Hon. Hubert Ingraham and others have been made directly aware of this request by the Compass Point Owner. To date they have not acted upon this reasonable (in the opinion of the CP owner), request. If the FNM wins the next election, without acting upon the promise they made when they were elected 2 years ago, the Compass Point owner does not want to continue to do business in this country and will therefore close his business. This paid for advertisement will be the only thing Compass Point has to say publically regarding this matter. If the leadership of this country resorts to publically distorting this request into derogatory statements, the owner of CP will not respond. The CP owner is not interested in making this a public spectacle, he is not running for office. He simply wants to make some positive changes that will benefit everyone in The Bahamas. Compass Point has chosen to run this Ad, so if the property does close, and 60 jobs disappear, the voters will have an accurate understanding of why Compass Point closed, should that unfortunate event occur. This Ad has been paid for personally, by the Compass Point Owner.
THE TRIBUNE CARIBBEAN people interacting with British tourists, apart from the super-rich, should be mindful that if these visitors appear reluctant to part with their money, or demand better value, it’s because they’re spending a much-devalued UK currency. In the first week since Boris Johnson took the reins of the British government on July 24, the pound dropped 1.3 percent against the US dollar, bringing its value to $1.22. In July alone, the sterling lost 4.3 percent of its worth, making it the worst performing major currency in the world. Fortunately for Caribbean countries whose tourism industry is reliant on British visitors, holidays for this summer and the winter of 2019-2020 have already been booked and paid. Therefore, there is unlikely to be a major decline in numbers for these periods. However, there will be an immediate drop in the amount of money that is spent. Traditionally, UK and European visitors spend a longer time on vacation and spend more than tourists from the US and Canada. But, with the value of their money reduced, British visitors will spend less this summer and next winter. This will have an impact on all Caribbean countries, particularly those that have a great dependence on UK holidaymakers. This situation is a direct result of the uncertainty that surrounds Britain and the other 27 nations of the European Union (EU) reaching a mutually satisfactory deal on BREXIT - the UK’s divorce from the EU - by the deadline of October 31. The prospect of such a deal has grown more remote since Mr Johnson became Prime Minister. He has made it clear that he expects the EU negotiators to compromise. If they don’t, he will take Britain out of the EU with no deal on cross-border access for goods, services and people and no settled arrangements for how Britain will meet costs arising from
Tuesday, August 6, 2019, PAGE 13
Brexit’s effect on Caribbean tourism treaty obligations. The latter costs have been estimated at £39 billion. However, the EU negotiators have shown no sign of relenting from the deal they settled with Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May, that the UK parliament rejected for varying reasons, including a “back stop” on the border between Ireland (a EU member) and Northern Ireland (part of the UK). The back stop is meant to make sure that the Irish border remains open whatever the outcome of the negotiations between the UK and the EU over their future relationship. The hard line Brexiteers, including Johnson, want the back stop scrapped for fear that it could become legally permanent. Representatives of several sectors of the UK economy have expressed alarm at the prospect of no deal with the EU. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has warned that neither the UK nor the EU is ready for a no-deal BREXIT on 31 October. “Although businesses have already spent billions on contingency planning for no deal, they remain hampered by unclear advice, timelines, cost and complexity,” the CBI says. Without a deal, Britain would have to trade with the EU on World Trade Organisation terms, making its exports and imports
more costly. The UK would render itself distinctively uncompetitive with the EU and others, including the US and China that are concluding trade deals with other nations. This nervousness over no deal has shown itself in the currency markets in Britain. The pound has plunged to its lowest value since the 1980s. British middle-class consumers are certainly concerned about the increase in costs of holidays, but, more broadly, the entire population is troubled by the increase in their cost of living. The costs of imported goods will rise, as will the price of British manufactured goods and agricultural production that are reliant on imported inputs. Of course, the British tourist industry should benefit. The greater value of every major currency against the pound would make it cheaper for persons worldwide to visit Britain. But increased tourism earnings might not be enough to compensate for higher costs generally, including for hotels and restaurants. After all, travel and tourism contribute only 11 percent of Britain’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Tourism planners in several Caribbean countries have been aware of the adverse impact of a looming and actual BREXIT. In Antigua and Barbuda, for
IN the first week after Boris Johnson took the reins of the British government, the pound dropped 1.3 percent against the US dollar.
instance, while the numbers of UK visitors increased in 2018 over 2017, the percentage of total tourists declined from 28.59 percent to 26.52 percent. This BREXIT-induced decline has led Caribbean countries to increase their marketing efforts in other countries, particularly the US. The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Minister, Charles Fernandez has initiated a strategy with the hotels on the island to settle arrangements with US carriers and tour operators to boost the numbers of US visitors to compensate for any further decline in UK tourists arising from a “no deal” BREXIT. A more intensive approach to getting tourists from other markets is also required by those Caribbean countries where UK tourists comprise the largest single number of visitors. But, since almost all their economies have a high reliance on tourism, they should also maintain an active marketing presence
in the UK which, even after BREXIT, will still be among the top 10 economies in the world. The World Data Atlas shows eight Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries among the 15 countries in the world whose GDP are significantly reliant on travel and tourism receipts. St Kitts-Nevis tops the list at number 4 in the world, followed by Grenada (5), St Vincent and the Grenadines (8), Antigua and Barbuda (10), St Lucia (11), Bahamas (12), Barbados (14) and Jamaica (15). Given this reality, however smaller the number of UK tourists might become over the next few years as Britain comes to grips with being outside the EU with or without a deal, Caribbean countries should strive, in their own interest, to retain a share of it. In the short-term, Caribbean governments and hoteliers should create a plan to keep the region attractive to UK visitors,
including ways in which they can incentivise their visits. The longer-term solution rests with the UK government and parliament, both of which should recognise that, stripped of all emotional considerations, the British economy cannot recover and prosper in splendid isolation from its closest neighbours and, presently, its biggest trading partner – the EU. Britain can retain sovereignty over its affairs but settling the EU relationship on predictable terms is crucial to progressing anything else. The writer is Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the United States and the Organisation of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and at Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own. Responses and previous commentaries: www. sirronaldsanders.com
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THE TRIBUNE
NEW MASSACRES A JOLT FOR CLERGY WHO COPED WITH PAST ATTACKS Associated Press AS AMERICANS reel from back-to-back massacres in Texas and Ohio, religious leaders who have experienced violence in their houses of worship are venting their anger at the persisting violence and trying to help their congregants persevere. At the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, where a gunman killed 11 worshippers during services last October, emotions ran high on Sunday as trustees
of one of the synagogue’s three congregations held their monthly meeting just hours after the shootings in El Paso and Dayton that claimed more than 30 lives. “Some people were very unnerved, crying and needing to be comforted,” said Rabbi Jonathan Perlman of the New Light Congregation. He said the trustees discussed plans to donate funds to survivors of the new massacres. “We really need to stop the madness,” Perlman said. “We need to identify
people who are extremists around this country and hold them under a microscope.” At First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, where more than two dozen people were killed by a gunman in 2017, Pastor Frank Pomeroy sought to boost his followers’ resolve with upbeat remarks at Sunday’s service. He urged them not to live “in a spirit of fear.” “Especially those of us who were here and know what happens in the midst of such a tragedy,” said
Pomeroy, whose daughter was among those killed. “We didn’t politicize, we didn’t say, ‘Oh poor me.’ ... The pain is always going to be a part of who we are, but we chose to look up and look out and look beyond ourselves.” In Charleston, South Carolina, the Rev. Eric Manning said he did not evoke the new shootings during Sunday’s service at Emanuel AME Church, where eight black parishioners and their pastor were killed in a racist shooting
attack in 2015. Manning said yesterday that he and the church would be responding forcefully this week, likely with calls for tighter gun control and restricting hate speech “The country is always expressing thoughts and prayers. I believe it’s time we allow our actions to match our words,” Manning said. “After events such as this, we have a meaningful pause but then a few days later we go back to business as usual. We can’t afford to keep doing that.”
A PROTESTER throws back a tear gas canister in Hong Kong yesterday.
STRIKES SOW CHAOS ACROSS HONG KONG HONG KONG Associated Press
PEOPLE grieve during the Hope Border Institute prayer vigil in El Paso, Texas, after the mass shooting at a Walmart store.
Trump vows action but gives few details WASHINGTON Associated Press PRESIDENT Donald Trump yesterday condemned weekend shootings in Texas and Ohio as barbaric crimes “against all humanity” and called for bipartisan cooperation to respond to an epidemic of gun violence. He blamed mental illness and video games but made no mention of more limits on sales of firearms. Trump said he wanted legislation providing “strong background checks” for gun users, though he has reneged on previous promises after mass attacks. He offered few details. “We vow to act with urgent resolve,” Trump said, speaking from the White House about shootings that left 31 dead as the count rose yesterday. His remarks came after two days of muted response to the shootings, and included a solitary denunciation of white supremacy, which he has been reluctant to criticise. “In one voice, our nation must
PRESIDENT Donald Trump condemn racism, bigotry and white supremacy,” Trump said, adding that he had directed the FBI to examine steps to identify and address domestic terrorism. “These sinister ideologies must be defeated. Hate has no place in America,” he said. Democrats, meanwhile, reacted viscerally to Trump’s handling of the shootings, angrily renewing their calls for his defeat. Trump suggested earlier
yesterday on Twitter that a background check bill could be paired with his long-sought effort to toughen the nation’s immigration system. But he didn’t say how or why he was connecting the issues. Both shooting suspects were US citizens, and federal officials are investigating anti-immigrant bias as a potential motive for the El Paso, Texas, massacre. He did not elaborate on that proposal during his 10-minute address from the Diplomatic Reception Room. But Trump has frequently sought to tie his immigration priorities — a border wall and transforming the legal immigration system to one that prioritises merit over familial ties — to legislation around which he perceives momentum to be building. Trump’s proposed responses attempt to shift blame away from the heated rhetoric coming from the White House and his own campaign rallies and mostly leave it to Congress, which is on recess, to sort out his solutions.
He signaled he would oppose large-scale gun control efforts pushed by Democrats, saying, “hatred pulls the trigger, not the gun.” Trump called for law enforcement and social media companies to do more to combat extremism and spot warning signs of violence online. He also called for a reduction in the “glorification” of violence in American culture, laws to make it easier to commit those with mental illness and “red flag laws” to separate such individuals from firearms. He directed the Department of Justice to seek and prioritize the enforcement of the death penalty in cases of hate crimes and mass shootings. Congress has proven unable to pass substantial gun violence legislation this session, in large part because of resistance from Republicans, particularly in the GOP-controlled Senate. And Trump himself has reneged on previous pledges to strengthen gun laws.
Obama: Americans must not let racist views become normalised WASHINGTON Associated Press
FORMER President Barack Obama said yesterday, in his first public statement since a pair of mass shootings in Texas and Ohio, that Americans must “soundly reject language” from any leader who “feeds a climate of fear and hatred or normalises racist sentiments.” The statement, which did not mention President Donald Trump directly, also reminded Americans that “we are not helpless” in the face of the nation’s high frequency of mass shootings compared to other countries. “And until all of us stand up and insist on holding public officials accountable for changing our gun laws, these tragedies will keep happening,” Obama wrote. Obama, like many presidents before him, has exerted caution as he avoids pointed criticism of
his successor. But his comments yesterday left little doubt that his urging to reject the normalisation of racism referred to Trump — who has spoken disparagingly about immigrants, calling them rapists and murderers, and has decried an “invasion” at the southern border. The former president noted that the El Paso shooting followed a trend of “troubled individuals who embrace ideologies and see themselves obligated to act violently to preserve white supremacy.” Obama advised Americans to also denounce the language of “leaders who demonize those who don’t look like us, or suggest that other people, including immigrants, threaten our way of life, or refer to other people as sub-human.” Such language has “been at the root of most human tragedy throughout history,” Obama added, and has “no place in our politics and our public life.”
FORMER President Barack Obama • DAYTON, Ohio — High school classmates of the gunman who killed nine people in Dayton, Ohio, say he was suspended years ago for compiling a “hit list” and a “rape list,” and questioned how he could have been allowed to buy the military-style weapon used in this weekend’s attack. The accounts emerged after
police said there was nothing in the background of 24-year-old Connor Betts that would have prevented him from purchasing an AR 15-style rifle with an extended ammunition magazine that he used to open fire outside a crowded bar early on Sunday. Police on patrol in the entertainment district fatally shot him less than a minute later. The former classmates told The Associated Press that Betts was suspended during their junior year at suburban Bellbrook High School after a hit list was found scrawled in a school bathroom. That followed an earlier suspension after Betts came to school with a list of female students he wanted to sexually assault, according to two of the classmates, a man and a woman who are both now 24 and spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern they might face harassment. “There was a kill list and a rape list, and my name was on the rape list,” said the female classmate.
A GENERAL strike in Hong Kong descended into citywide mayhem yesterday as protesters started fires outside police stations and hurled bricks and eggs at officers. After disrupting traffic early in the day, they filled public parks and squares in several districts, refusing to disperse even as police repeatedly fired tear gas and rubber bullets from above. While previous large rallies over the past two months of anti-government protests have generally been held on weekends, yesterday’s strike paralysed city operations in an effort to draw more attention to the movement’s demands. Hong Kong is on “the verge of a very dangerous situation,” said Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who insisted that she has no plans to resign. Lam said at a news conference that the protests had “ulterior motives” that threaten Hong Kong’s prosperity and security. “I don’t think at this point in time, resignation of myself or some of my colleagues would provide a better solution,” she said. Protesters challenged law enforcement in at least eight districts, responding to continuous rounds of tear gas with practiced swiftness. They lobbed the canisters back at police and yelled invectives.
BOY THROWN FROM TATE MODERN WAS FRENCH TOURIST LONDON Associated Press
THE six-year-old boy grabbed from his mother and hurled 200ft off the Tate Modern viewing platform is a French tourist visiting London with his family. The 17-year-old suspect was punched in the face by one irate man who saw him throw the child over a barrier on the tenth floor. The boy landed 100ft below on a flat roof.Police said the boy is in a critical condition but is ‘no longer in a lifethreatening situation’. The teenager arrested on suspicion of attempted murder has blamed social services for his actions - and was stalking other children seconds before the attack.
UNREST FEARED AS INDIA REVOKES KASHMIR STATUS NEW DELHI Associated Press
INDIA’S Hindu nationalist-led government moved yesterday to revoke the special status of Muslimmajority Kashmir, cutting off communications and deploying thousands of troops amid fears the action could lead to uprisings. Home Minister Amit Shah announced the revocation amid an uproar by opposition lawmakers in Parliament over the move. It comes as Kashmir is under a lockdown that has kept thousands of people in their homes and in the dark about the change, which would strip them of longheld hereditary rights to jobs, scholarships and land ownership in the disputed region along the mountainous India-Pakistan border.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, August 6, 2019, PAGE 15
SOME cool cars were on view at Fusion over the weekend for the new Fast and Furious movie. Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff
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