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MOM, 73, TO FACE DOG ATTACK CHARGE • Elderly woman taken into custody by police • Family claims she suffers from dementia By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net A 73-YEAR-OLD woman whose son’s dog mauled a three-year-old girl was taken into police custody for a second time this week and is expected to be charged with a crime, with her family claiming dementia caused her to leave the gate open and accusing officers of questioning her despite
knowing she was not mentally coherent. Rachel Morley was taken to Wulff Road Police Station on Wednesday over the September 9 attack that left three-year-old Skyla with head injuries requiring surgery. Her nephew, Charlton Morley, said police interviewed his aunt without a relative or attorney present FAMILY - SEE PAGE THREE
JUSTICE CONDEMNS ALLEGED CONDUCT OF CONSULAR OFFICER By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net A SUPREME Court judge has strongly condemned a Jamaican consular officer who, while also acting as the lawyer for a Jamaican man facing deportation, allegedly advised him not to sign a document authorities
needed to remove him from The Bahamas. Justice Joyann Ferguson issued the rebuke in a ruling dismissing Fitzroy Edwards’ bid to be released from immigration detention and blocking his removal from The Bahamas. Edwards, a Jamaican national married to a CONSULAR - SEE PAGE FOUR
PRIME Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis at the Lying in State for former Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Neville Wisdom yesterday. See PAGE 12 for more. Photo: Nikia Charlton
Officer told brother it was the ‘worst pain’ he had ever felt By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net CORPORAL Steven Duncombe was conscious and talking after the motorcycle crash that would claim his life two days later,
telling his younger brother from his hospital bed that he was enduring the “worst pain” he had ever felt. “He was talking when I spoke to him,” Ramon Burnside said. “He said he don’t wish this pain on anyone. He said this is the
worst pain he had ever felt.” Corporal Duncombe, 37, a Royal Bahamas Police Force Traffic Division officer, never regained consciousness after undergoing surgery, according to BROTHER - SEE PAGE THREE
CORP. STEVEN DUNCOMBE
Davis rejects FNM’s NIF fraud allegation By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
PRIME MINISTER PHILIP ‘BRAVE’ DAVIS
PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis yesterday rejected the opposition’s allegation of fraud over the government’s handling of the National Investment
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Fund, insisting the transactions were transparent even as he did not address demands for an accounting of more than $400m. Mr Davis, breaking his silence on the matter, defended Finance DAVIS - SEE PAGE FIVE
PAGE 2, Friday, September 18, 2026
THE TRIBUNE
Grand Bahama Junkanoo groups get funding boost By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net GRAND Bahama Junkanoo groups will receive more than $100,000 in increased seed funding for the 2026/2027 season, although the National Junkanoo Authority acknowledged yesterday that funding has not yet reached parity with larger groups in New Providence. The newly established authority signed contracts with ten groups competing in this year’s parade at Explorer’s Way, including five A Groups, four B Groups and one Fun Group. The larger A Groups will receive $15,000 each, up $3,000 from the $12,000 previously provided. National Junkanoo Authority chairman Dr Christopher Curry said the increase was a deliberate attempt to bring greater equity to Junkanoo outside New Providence. He told Junkanooers that the authority was “striving towards parity” and working towards an “equal and fair spread of the seed funds”. However, Dr Curry acknowledged when questioned by reporters that Grand Bahama groups are not yet receiving the same
amounts as larger groups in Nassau. The additional funding was welcomed by group leaders, who described the cost of participating in Junkanoo as a longstanding burden that has forced leaders and members to finance preparations themselves. Chauncey Gray, leader of the Superstar Rockers, winners of last year’s parade, said the creation of the National Junkanoo Authority was something groups had been seeking. “It is something we had been asking for,” Mr Gray said. “It's taxing on the on the leaders to have to go out there and look for funding. And so, with the Authority it is going help out a lot with the funding.” He said the expense of participating in Junkanoo has also contributed to groups losing members. “We need for the members in the groups to stop digging in their pockets to put the parade on,” Mr Gray said. “So more people now will get involved because we lose a lot of people every year because people just can't find the funding and Junknaoo is very expensive.” “So this is a move in the right direction,” he said, “and we all welcome it with open arms.”
FROM left: National Junkanoo Authority chairman Dr Christopher Curry, Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage Leslia Miller-Brice and Minister for grand Bahama Ginger Moxey attend an event to sign contracts with ten Grand Bahama Junkanoo groups and provide seed funds for this year’s Junkanoo. Photos: Vandyke Hepburn Mr Gray said groups were pleased that the authority had already increased funding only months after coming on board. Thomas Curry, leader of the Platinum Knights Junkanoo Group, also described the additional funding as “a step in the right direction”. He said his group had spent the past four months preparing for the parade using members’ personal
money rather than waiting for government funding. He welcomed the increase from $12,000 to $15,000 and expressed hope that Grand Bahama groups would eventually receive funding on par with their counterparts in Nassau. Dr Curry acknowledged concerns about how late the funding was being provided but said the authority only held its first board meeting about four weeks ago. He said a more deliberate funding timeline is expected in the future. The groups have now
been commissioned and contracted to proceed with preparations, including advancing costumes and pieces in their shops, he said. The contract signing at Kingdom Worship Center marked the official launch of the Junkanoo season on Grand Bahama. Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage Leslia Miller-Brice said her ministry had begun by listening to group leaders and gathering information about the sustainability of groups and the condition of their shops
so that government policy could reflect their needs. She outlined five commitments for the season: “to listen, to protect, to professionalize, to expand, and to empower.” Mrs Miller-Brice said those commitments include protecting Junkanoo shacks as creative centres, expanding Junkanoo beyond a single parade and season and empowering the people who have carried the culture for generations. She said Grand Bahama has “its own sound, its own talent, its own Junkanoo story, and its own stage”, arguing that Junkanoo extends beyond the Boxing Day and New Year’s Day celebrations traditionally associated with Nassau. Minister for Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey said the seed-fund distribution marked the official start of the season and praised Grand Bahama’s Junkanoo community for continuing despite storms and difficult economic conditions. Mrs Moxey said the creation of the National Junkanoo Authority provides a regulatory framework and organisational structure to “protect, support, and advance” Junkanoo. Dr Curry said the authority, which only recently became fully operational, will continue consultations and listening sessions with groups as it develops its approach.
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, September 18, 2026, PAGE 3
Family questions police handling of elderly woman
FAMILY from page one
even though the family had already told officers that she suffers from early-stage dementia and Alzheimer’s. “It was completely wrong, especially if you’re informed,” Mr Morley said. “When you have that diminished mental capacity, they are like children because they still do those same things.” He said Ms Morley does not understand the significance of what has happened. “It hasn’t dawned on her to me, the magnitude of what is going on,” Mr Morley said. “She doesn’t even know about it.” The family does not dispute that the dog escaped from the Ida Street property and attacked the child. Mr Morley said his aunt was home alone when, as part of her longstanding routine, she went outside to sweep the yard. Because of her condition, he said, she left the gate open without realising it, allowing her son’s Belgian Malinois-German Shepherd mix to escape. “Because of her condition, she’s already set in her ways and what she was doing for a long time,” Mr Morley said. “She’d
come down every morning, sweep the yard. There’s nothing there sometimes, and she still goes out and sweep the yard. In doing that, she left the gate open. That is how the dog got out.” Mr Morley said the property has an enclosed gate, a six-foot fence with barbed wire and a lock on the gate. He argued that it was unrealistic for relatives to be present 100 percent of the time to supervise his aunt. Wednesday was the second time police took Ms Morley into custody over the attack, according to her nephew. Mr Morley said that on September 9, his cousin — the dog’s owner — called him from hospital and asked him to check on his mother after learning she had been taken into police custody. He said he initially received little co-operation when he contacted the police station. He later called again and informed officers that his aunt had early-stage dementia and Alzheimer’s and told them about the medication she was taking. Ms Morley was released without charge after spending about four hours in custody, he said. On Wednesday,
neighbours called the dog’s owner to tell him police had returned and taken his mother into custody again. Mr Morley said he contacted police and explained that he was at work but would arrange for a relative to accompany his aunt to the station. He later went home to change before travelling to the station, but had to return home after realising he did not have his identification. When he eventually arrived, he said, police asked whether he was signing his aunt’s bail. Mr Morley questioned why officers had already interviewed her when the family had told police someone would accompany her. He said officers responded: “We already took care of that.” “It’s just frustrating,” Mr Morley said, “and they’re supposed to be professionals. They’re supposed to be able to use discretion and see and hear.” He argued that police should be able to recognise when someone cannot provide coherent answers because of their mental state. “Everybody’s entitled to representation, and the police-they know that,” Mr
Morley said. “That’s their way of manipulating the system.” Skyla’s mother, Bentika Lightbourne, however, doesn’t believe the family’s portrayal of Ms Morley’s mental state at the time of the attack. Ms Lightbourne said she believed Ms Morley was in her right mind that day and recalled her hailing Skyla as mother and daughter walked past the house. Asked about police action against the family, Ms Lightbourne said: “I wouldn’t say I’m happy, but I’m satisfied.” “I can’t worry about them. I got to worry about my child.” Ms Lightbourne said Skyla remains traumatised and suffers nightmares. She also said no member of the family has apologised to her over the attack. Ms Lightbourne previously said she fought the dog with her bare hands to save her daughter. Mr Morley said the dog’s owner was in hospital with congestive heart failure, kidney failure and fluid retention when the attack occurred. He claimed police knew about his cousin’s hospitalisation despite publicly calling for him to turn himself in. Mr Morley said his cousin was subsequently discharged
SKYLA LIGHTBOURNE from hospital because of a lack of bed space. The dog’s owner turned himself in to police on Monday and was released on police bail because of his serious medical condition, according to Mr
Morley. Mr Morley said he had expected the matter to settle once his cousin, as the dog’s owner, turned himself in and did not anticipate further police action involving his aunt.
Brother remembers officer who lived to ‘protect’ others BROTHER from page one his brother. He died early Monday from injuries sustained when his motorcycle collided with a car on Prince Charles Drive on Saturday while he was reportedly escorting a funeral. “He didn’t show signs of losing his life,” Mr Burnside said, “but he was able to express and explain how it happened.” An urgent appeal for blood donations circulated on social media as Corporal Duncombe remained hospitalised over the weekend. Mr Burnside said his mother called him after the crash and urged him to get to the hospital. The family is currently seeking clarity surrounding the circumstances of Corporal Duncombe’s death. “After the surgery, he never woke up,” Mr Burnside said. A Doctors Hospital representative declined to comment, citing patient confidentiality regulations. Police said their preliminary investigation found that Corporal Duncombe was travelling west along Prince Charles Drive when the driver of a Suzuki reportedly turned right onto Garden Road, resulting in the collision. Officer-in-Charge of the Traffic Division, Chief Superintendent Sybrina Porter, stated that police will issue a definitive statement once the official investigation is complete. As police investigate the circumstances of the crash, Corporal Duncombe’s family is confronting the loss of a man Mr Burnside said he had spent his life looking up to. “Steven and I shared a childhood, shared experiences, and shared the bond that only brothers can truly understand,” Mr Burnside said. He described his older brother as hardworking and principled; a man
mattered.” “He was not simply someone who wore the uniform,” he said. “He was someone who understood what that uniform represented.” Mr Burnside said people would approach the family
CORPORAL STEVEN DUNCOMBE committed to doing what was right. “As his younger brother, I am proud of Steven,” Mr Burnside said. “I am proud of the man he became. I am proud of the service he gave to the Royal Bahamas Police Force. I am proud of the way he carried himself, the people he encouraged, and the lives he touched.” That pride, he said, now exists alongside an emptiness that has changed the meaning of memories the brothers accumulated over a lifetime. “Losing a brother changes you,” Mr Burnside said. “There is an emptiness that cannot simply be filled, and there are memories that suddenly mean more than they ever did before.” The family now finds itself returning to conversations, laughter and other seemingly ordinary moments that have become precious since Corporal Duncombe’s death.
“There is something especially difficult,” Mr Burnside said, “about losing someone who still had so much more to give.” Corporal Duncombe had no children. Mr Burnside said his brother’s decision to join the Royal Bahamas Police Force was partly inspired by a close group of friends, several of whom decided to become officers because of their love for police work. Corporal Duncombe would tell his family: “I’m a protector and I’m here to keep my family safe.” His brother said one of the clearest measures of the man Corporal Duncombe became was the respect he earned from colleagues, friends and members of the public. “Steven was the kind of person who encouraged others,” Mr Burnside said. “He supported his colleagues and made those around him feel that they
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to praise his brother’s work, while officers, friends and members of the community spoke about him with genuine respect. “That meant a great deal to our family,” he said, “because it showed that the
person we knew at home was the same person others experienced in their lives.” “Steven touched many lives,” Mr Burnside said, “sometimes in ways he probably never fully realized.”
PAGE 4, Friday, September 18, 2026
THE TRIBUNE
Judge condemns alleged conduct of Jamaican consular officer CONSULAR from page one Edwards, a Jamaican national married to a Bahamian citizen, has been detained since August after pleading guilty to overstaying. Immigration authorities are seeking to deport him while an application for a Resident Spouse Permit remains pending. But Justice Ferguson devoted a postscript to what she described as troubling circumstances surrounding efforts to obtain travel documents needed to remove Edwards from The Bahamas. During the proceedings, the court was told that Edwards declined to sign a document required to facilitate his removal and attributed that refusal to instructions allegedly given by his attorney, who was also identified as a Jamaican consular officer. The attorney was not before the court to respond to the allegation, and the defendants did not refute it. Justice Ferguson therefore made no finding on whether such instructions were actually given. However, she said the circumstances raised serious concerns because the functions of an attorney advising a client and a consular officer are separate and should remain so. “Such circumstances are also
relevant in assessing whether any delay is properly attributable to a lack of reasonable diligence and expedition on the part of the Defendants,” Justice Ferguson said. “Further, this action may potentially compromise diplomatic relations.” She said the alleged conduct and apparent conflation of the consular officer’s role with that of Edwards’ counsel was “egregious and wholly inappropriate”. “Such a conflict of roles should not be countenanced,” Justice Ferguson said. “The Court strongly condemns this conduct and makes it unequivocally clear that it must not be repeated.” The unusually sharp rebuke came after Justice Ferguson rejected Edwards’ argument that his continued detention was unlawful. Edwards was arrested on August 8 for overstaying, pleaded guilty and was fined by the Magistrates Court. After paying the fine, he was handed over to the Department of Immigration for processing under the Immigration Act. He was served with a deportation order on August 9 but refused to sign it, according to evidence from Superintendent Carnie Gibson. Immigration officials also relied on a detention order as the
legal basis for holding him while arrangements were made for his removal. Edwards sought a writ of habeas corpus and interim injunctive relief preventing Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell and Immigration Director Stephen Laroda from removing, deporting or repatriating him while his immigration application remained outstanding. His case was that he had lived in The Bahamas for a considerable period, was married to a Bahamian citizen and had been trying since about 2022 to regularise his status. His wife argued that removing him before his application was decided would substantially prejudice those efforts. Justice Ferguson found, however, that paying the fine imposed for overstaying ended Edwards’ criminal punishment but did not prevent Immigration authorities from detaining him under separate statutory powers for the purpose of deportation. She found there was evidence of a deportation order and detention order dated August 9 and that authorities had been trying to obtain the travel documents needed to facilitate his removal. The judge said she was satisfied there was a significant intention to deport Edwards and was not
JUSTICE JOYANN FERGUSON satisfied that his detention so far had exceeded what could reasonably be considered necessary to remove him from The Bahamas. There was also insufficient evidence to conclude that there was no realistic prospect of deportation within a reasonable period, she found. However, Justice Ferguson stressed that the existence of a deportation order does not give the government an indefinite power to detain someone. She said continued detention could become unlawful if there ceased to be a realistic prospect
of deportation within a reasonable period or authorities failed to act with reasonable diligence and expedition. Justice Ferguson also rejected the argument that Edwards’ pending Resident Spouse Permit application entitled him to remain in The Bahamas while it was being considered. She said the Immigration Act allows the spouse of a Bahamian citizen to apply for such a permit, but the decision is ultimately within the Immigration Board’s discretion. A pending application, she found, does not itself amount to the granting of a permit or confer lawful immigration status while a decision is awaited. Justice Ferguson consequently dismissed Edwards’ application for release and refused the injunction seeking to prevent his removal. Her order does not prevent the Immigration Board or another competent authority from considering and determining his pending Resident Spouse Permit application, and Edwards remains free to return to court if circumstances materially change so that his continued detention becomes unlawful. The judgment was dated September 15.
Bahamas plans tax residency certificate for investors By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net THE government plans to introduce The Bahamas’ first Tax Residency Certificate for qualifying permanent residents, but the initiative will require legislation that has yet to be presented to Parliament. Economic Affairs Minister Senator Jerome Fitzgerald announced the
proposed certificate during a keynote address at the STEP LATAM Conference in São Paulo, Brazil, along with plans for a concierge service to help high net worth investors navigate government approval processes. The certificate would give eligible holders of Bahamian permanent residence formal documentation identifying The Bahamas as their tax residence jurisdiction for use
when dealing with authorities in other countries. Applicants would have to spend at least 90 days in The Bahamas during a calendar year, although the days would not have to be consecutive. The Ministry of Economic Affairs said the certificate would be available only to existing permanent residents who meet requirements established by law. Draft legislation has
been completed and will be presented to Parliament. The ministry did not say when the legislation would be tabled or when applications for the certificate would open. Mr Fitzgerald also announced preparations for the Bahamas Invest Concierge Service Unit, which would provide qualifying high-net-worth investment projects with a single government contact from the initial enquiry
through the relevant application and approval stages. The service would be restricted to high net worth projects, which could include investments in real estate and government bonds and the establishment of substantial family offices in The Bahamas. “The Bahamas is building on its strengths while it evolves to meet the changing needs of global investors,” Mr Fitzgerald
said. The ministry said the initiatives build on The Bahamas’ longstanding ties with Latin America, including Brazilian families and advisers who use Bahamian financial services. Further information about the certificate application process and the concierge service will be released as the legislation and preparations for their launch progress.
Grid company turns to infrared scans to curb outages By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net BAHAMAS Grid Company will conduct infrared scans of its entire transmission and distribution network within weeks as it races to find electrical faults before they trigger outages and prepares to bring in additional skilled workers to bolster repairs. The move comes after weeks of electricity
interruptions across New Providence, including an outage that forced students to leave early at Anatol Rodgers High School yesterday. BGC chief executive officer Dareo McKenzie said the company would use infrared scanning across the network to detect potential problems before they result in failures. He said BGC also plans to increase its workforce and use its international
partnerships to bring in additional skilled workers for overhead and underground lines within the next eight to ten weeks. “That will definitely put us in a much better place,” Mr McKenzie said. Mr McKenzie outlined the measures in a video posted to BGC's social media page, where he apologised for electricity interruptions over the past few weeks and acknowledged their impact
BAHAMAS Grid Company work on power lines in New Providence. on quality of life and businesses. “We have a very short time in which we want to deliver the results that's required and that Bahamians deserve,” he said. The latest interruption affected Anatol Rodgers High School yesterday, where an outage forced the school to dismiss students early. In a notice, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology asked parents and guardians to collect their children immediately and advised that classes would resume as normal today. The disruption followed months of repeated electricity interruptions across New Providence, including an island-wide blackout on July 30 after a transformer exploded at the Blue Hills Substation. Bahamas Power and
Light attributed the explosion to a suspected underground cable fault, with some communities left without electricity for seven hours or longer. Three generators at BPL's Clifton Pier Power Station also tripped offline on September 4, causing widespread outages. Electricity interruptions have affected commercial activity as well. Prolonged outages in August forced businesses in downtown Nassau to close or operate without power, with operators reporting lost sales, spoiled food and additional expenses. Mr McKenzie described BGC as being at a “turning point”, having completed foundational projects and now shifting its focus towards improving the reliability and resiliency of the system. He said the immediate
priority is to normalise the electricity network by addressing existing faults involving underground cables and equipment. Resolving those faults, he said, would give BGC greater operational flexibility and allow it to use contingency arrangements already built into the network when new problems develop. Overseas cable specialists, known as splicers or jointers, were already working in the field this week to repair underground faults, Mr McKenzie said. The Tribune reported on September 10 that BGC had reduced its backlog of known underground cable faults from 50 to 27 since taking over management of New Providence's transmission and distribution network in April 2025. Mr McKenzie said at the time that an international specialist team had been deployed to tackle the remaining faults, some of which could require extensive excavation and replacement work. Once the normalisation programme is completed, BGC plans to reconfigure, relocate and reuse existing assets, he said. The company is also examining further modernisation measures, including supervisory control and data acquisition technology and system analysis designed to provide predictive information for future capital investment decisions.
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THE TRIBUNE
Friday, September 18, 2026, PAGE 5
Davis defends government handling of investment fund DAVIS from page one Minister Michael Halkitis’ explanation to Parliament after FNM leader Michael Pintard said the minister accounted for only $310.9m of roughly $700m the government previously said had been transferred to the NIF as excess borrowing receipts. Mr Davis said Mr Halkitis had explained “very thoroughly” why money was transferred and where it went, and maintained there was nothing untoward about the government’s actions. “Our priority and our choices could be different from theirs,” Mr Davis said, “and because our choices and our priorities are different from theirs doesn’t
PRIME MINISTER PHILIP ‘BRAVE’ DAVIS
make it any no malfeasance.” He questioned why the opposition would allege wrongdoing simply because it would have made different spending decisions. “Why would you want to attach malfeasance or any untoward conduct on our part because they would have done it differently, or they would have chose differently,” Mr Davis said. “That’s why they remain where they are.” Mr Pintard has accused the government of committing “fraud with public money” and instructed attorneys to examine whether its handling of the fund breached criminal, constitutional or statutory law and what legal remedies may be available. Mr Davis rejected the fraud allegation and argued that the controversy itself arose because the government disclosed the transactions in its fiscal reports. “The irresponsible characterisation of this matter as fraud, without even knowing the facts,” Mr Davis said, ignored “the fact that this is a transparent transaction”. “The concerns raised by them about the transfer of the
funds,” he said, “was because we reported it. Isn’t that transparent?” “If it was not reported and contained in our reports, they would not have been able to raise it,” Mr Davis said. “It wasn’t hidden. It said what we did.” Mr Halkitis told Parliament on Wednesday that $310.9m in NIF proceeds had been used for public infrastructure, including $210.6m on buildings and roads and $100.3m on aviation infrastructure. He said the government relied on parliamentary borrowing authority and the Public Finance Management Act to administer the money through the Ministry of Finance and Treasury while the NIF’s governance arrangements were still being developed. But Mr Pintard said the explanation left more than $400m of the roughly $700m unaccounted for and called on the government to provide a full breakdown of the money and identify where it is held. Mr Davis did not address that issue yesterday. The controversy intensified after Central Bank Governor John Rolle confirmed that the NIF’s Board of Governors had never formally convened, despite an account bearing the fund’s
name being maintained at the Central Bank and government fiscal reports recording hundreds of millions of dollars moving through the fund. Government reports showed the NIF held $265.3m at the end of December 2025 but just $200,000 at the end of March, a reduction of about $265.1m. The National Investment Funds Act assigns the Board of Governors responsibility for managing the fund and establishes its role in the fund’s governance and oversight, including its banking and investment arrangements. Opposition members contend that transactions undertaken through the fund while the board had never convened were unlawful. Mr Halkitis has rejected that position and insisted the government acted within the law. Mr Pintard said the opposition has instructed attorneys to examine the government’s handling of the NIF and advise whether any laws were breached and what legal remedies may be available. The FNM has not yet decided whether to launch a court challenge. Mr Davis said yesterday he welcomed continued scrutiny from the opposition. He said he welcomes “whatever political antic they think will get the answers.”
PM says aviation oversight remains robust By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis yesterday defended the country’s aviation safety oversight amid a series of recent crashes, saying he is satisfied the regulatory regime is robust enough to ensure safe public air travel. Mr Davis expressed confidence in the Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas, saying the agency conducts robust inspections to ensure aircraft comply with safety regulations. His comments come after two fatal crashes involving aircraft in the North Andros area since July and lingering questions surrounding a May 12 crash involving a Panamanian-registered aircraft whose documentation Panamanian officials later said had expired. “I’m satisfied that our regime is sufficiently robust enough,” Mr Davis said, “to ensure that just
traveling publicly is safe on the aircrafts that are under the remit of our aviation authority.” The Prime Minister acknowledged that accidents can happen because of factors such as pilot error and bad weather, and cautioned against treating every crash as evidence of deficiencies in Bahamian oversight. “Unfortunately, things do happen,” Mr Davis said. “I mean the the last aircraft that crash was not a Bahamian aircraft; it's a foreign aircraft so that has so nothing to do with our oversight so it's not it's not right just to think that we are deficient in our oversight.” On July 10, ten people aboard a Flamingo Air flight were killed when the aircraft crashed into bushes near San Andros. Four American relatives died on September 7 when their aircraft crashed into waters off North Andros after departing Great Harbour Cay for Florida.
Questions have also persisted over a Panamanian-registered aircraft involving drug suspect Jonathan Eric “Player” Gardiner that was forced to ditch into the sea on May 12 after departing Marsh Harbour, Abaco, for Freeport. Panamanian officials later confirmed that the aircraft’s documentation expired on June 4, 2025, and said it should not have been flying after that date. They also identified multiple regulatory breaches, including expired airworthiness and registration certificates and insurance coverage that lapsed on April 1, 2026. Panamanian officials also raised concerns about co-operation with local authorities and access to critical documents related to the crash. Mr Davis’ comments also followed false reports on Wednesday of another possible aircraft crash on Cat Island. He said his office was briefed about a potential
Davis: ‘No alarm’ over $1bn rise in national debt By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Philip Davis said there is “no alarm” over the country’s national debt increasing by more than $1bn in the final year of his administration’s term before the election, pointing to economic growth and a lower debt-to-GDP ratio. “When you talk about debt, you have to look at what the ratio of our debt is to our to our GDP,” Mr Davis told reporters yesterday after viewing the body of the late Neville Wisdom. “When we took office, our debt to GDP was over 100 percent. Our last year in office, when they say we borrowed a billion dollars, our debt to GDP was about 72 between 60 and 70 per cent so there's no alarm by that.” Mr Davis said his government was still operating within internationally accepted fiscal standards, and urged the opposition to remember
that the country’s fiscal position is also scrutinised by international agencies. His comments came after the Central Bank reported that the national debt increased by $1.071bn during the 2025-2026 fiscal year, pushing the total above $13bn. The increase included a $697m rise in the government’s direct debt and a $373.5m increase in contingent liabilities. The latter represents debt the government may have to repay because it has guaranteed loans for state-owned enterprises. Despite the increase in national debt, the Davis administration’s April 2026 fiscal report showed a deficit of $121.2m. “If you were mishandling the economy, if there was challenges with our concerns about our fiscal position, would we have been upgraded, not just once but twice?,” Mr Davis charged. However, FNM leader Michael Pintard disputed his assessment yesterday, calling the debt surge
concerning. He said the increase was troubling because questions remain about how much more than $1bn was spent. “It is worrisome, especially since we have multiple islands with no ambulance, no fire trucks, incomplete clinics, lack of diagnostic equipment for MRIs, CAT scans, including Grand Bahama, where weekly we are paying to help residents go and get scans or exploratory interviews off island, because the facilities are not available on island,” the opposition leader added. “We have families right now whose power is off? Because there's a transformer issue, or some other piece of equipment, or there's a staffing issue, and and all of these, when you take $700 million and divide it by ambulances and fire trucks and diagnostic equipments and crime-fighting tools, it is a big deal, and the prime minister has to feel the pain and frustration of the people that he has been elected to serve.”
crash, but investigators subsequently found no evidence that an aircraft had gone down. Mr Davis said officers became concerned after
seeing smoke in northern Cat Island shortly after a low-flying aircraft disappeared from view. A report was subsequently received of a possible crash in the
southern part of the island. Investigations determined that the smoke came from a fire believed to have been caused by a lightning strike, he said.
PAGE 6, Friday, September 18, 2026
THE TRIBUNE
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Housing crisis needs more than another development For thousands of Bahamians, the dream of owning a home is steadily moving further out of reach. A newly released Inter-American Development Bank assessment estimates that The Bahamas accumulated a housing deficit of nearly 11,000 units between 2010 and 2022. Annual demand exceeded completed homes by approximately 900 units, while construction subsequently fell to only 607 new units in 2023. These figures confirm what many families already know from experience. House prices have risen while wages have struggled to keep pace. Mortgage requirements have become more difficult to satisfy, rents consume an increasing share of household income and too many properties are deteriorating through age and inadequate maintenance. The Government’s proposed $50m housing programme, supported by the IDB, is therefore welcome. Plans include new lots and condominium units in New Providence, the rehabilitation of potentially 420 units in Freeport’s Garden Village and additional serviced lots in Central Pines, Abaco. These projects could provide meaningful relief to the families who eventually occupy them. But the scale of the deficit makes one point unavoidable: no single subdivision or government programme can solve this crisis. The problem exists throughout the housing system. The Bahamas Mortgage Corporation reportedly has the capacity to originate only $2m to $3m in new mortgages each month, despite having nearly $12m in applications from qualified borrowers. Commercial banks have also become more cautious, requiring larger deposits and financing a smaller proportion of property values. Meanwhile, the Government has constructed no new public rental housing in approximately three decades. The existing stock consists of only 148 units, many affected by deferred maintenance. Housing policy must therefore address supply, financing and regulation together. The Government should begin by publishing a five-year housing plan showing how many homes and rental units it expects to facilitate each year, where they will be located, what they will cost and which income groups they are intended to serve. That plan should include serious reform of the Bahamas Mortgage Corporation. Strengthening its
finances and improving the collection of delinquent loans are necessary if it is to lend responsibly to more working families. Public-private partnerships should also be expanded, but with clear safeguards. Developers may be offered government land, infrastructure support or planning incentives in exchange for producing homes within genuinely affordable price ranges. Those agreements should be transparent and should prevent subsidised units from being quickly resold for speculative profit. The rental market requires equal care. The Government is right to pursue minimum habitability standards and protect tenants from unsafe properties and abusive landlords. No family should be expected to pay rent for a home with defective plumbing, dangerous wiring or serious structural problems. However, regulation must be designed carefully. Excessive costs, uncertainty or delays could encourage more property owners to leave the long-term rental market for short-term accommodation, further reducing supply. Tenant protection and incentives for responsible landlords are not incompatible. Faster dispute resolution, clearer leases, targeted repair assistance and tax incentives for bringing vacant homes back into use could benefit both sides. Land-use policies should also encourage well-designed townhouses, duplexes and apartment buildings where infrastructure can support them. The traditional single-family home will remain desirable, but limited land and rising construction costs require more varied options. None of this will produce immediate results. Homes take time to finance, approve and build. That makes urgency, consistency and measurable targets even more important. Affordable housing is not merely a construction issue. It affects family stability, retirement security, labour mobility and whether young Bahamians believe they can build a future in their own country. The proposed programme is a useful beginning. The challenge now is to turn it into a sustained national housing strategy equal to the size of the deficit.
Grand Bahama and the rot economy EDITOR, The Tribune. GRAND Bahama should exemplify the economic potential of The Bahamas. Its harbor, industrial base, land, coastline, and proximity to the United States provide a foundation that many competing destinations would envy. However, the central question for residents remains painfully simple: When these advantages lead to investment and commercial value, how much translates into lasting prosperity for the people who live here? This is the core issue I call the Rot Economy: a development model where impressive investment announcements and commercial activity coexist with the decline of essential household security, such as affordable living, productive local enterprises, reliable infrastructure, and meaningful ownership. The term refers to a structural risk. Grand Bahama exemplifies why The Bahamas must take this challenge seriously. Consider the scale of recent developments. In July 2025, Carnival opened Celebration Key, a $600 million venture. Separately, Grand Bahama Shipyard has outlined a $600 million transformation involving two major floating docks. Together, these announced projects exceed $1 billion. While they represent significant investment, they do not provide evidence of equivalent household income, local wealth, or profits extracted from the island. These distinctions are crucial. A billion-dollar investment announcement is not a statement of household prosperity. Capital expenditures may fund imported equipment, overseas engineering, and construction services. Subsequent revenue must cover operating costs, financing, and returns for investors. The critical question is how much lasting value remains in Bahamian wages, business earnings, public infrastructure, and locally owned assets. Without that critical analysis, discussions of transformation can outpace the evidence. Job creation is a genuine benefit. In July 2026, Carnival reported that Celebration Key supported approximately 1,000 year-round jobs and opportunities for local businesses. These livelihoods deserve recognition. However, even meaningful employment at one development cannot guarantee economic uplift for an entire island. We also need data on wages, career advancement, job security, independent business growth, and household purchasing power. Employment becomes an insufficient development strategy when it is viewed as the only compensation for access to valuable land, resources, and markets. Residents must have the opportunity to engage as suppliers, entrepreneurs, professionals, and owners, with opportunities extending beyond the confines of a major employer. Grand Bahama’s debate on resource extraction makes this issue especially urgent. The Bahama Rock proposal, which includes a published environmental impact assessment from October 2024 and consultation materials from July 2026, directly places the use of resources and the island’s future in the hands of the public. The economic assessment must evaluate the entire lifespan of the operation and the land, not just the short-term employment that comes with extraction.
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net Limestone is a finite resource. Excavation alters the options available to future generations. Any plans for harbor expansion must be evaluated alongside environmental risks, alternative land uses, infrastructure costs, and the financing needed for future rehabilitation. When extraction results in useful maritime infrastructure, the benefits must be clearly demonstrated through credible demand, identified users, and a financially viable development plan. A potential future use does not equal a funded project. Workers deserve a future beyond the depletion of resources. Protecting their livelihoods necessitates transition planning, transferable skills, and alternative employment opportunities. Relying repeatedly on the next permitted extraction area leaves families vulnerable to the limitations of this resource. Cruise enclaves present a related concern. The expansion of these enclaves throughout The Bahamas calls for scrutiny as a form of aggregate economic extraction, the cumulative capture of value from beaches, location, culture, visitor access, and spending. Here, “aggregate” refers to the combined economic effect; it does not imply that every cruise destination operates like a mining operation. The process is straightforward. A company that controls both the voyage and the destination can influence where visitors eat, shop, book excursions, and spend their limited time on land. This commercial integration creates a risk that the surrounding economy will receive only a small portion of the opportunity. Carnival markets Celebration Key as an exclusive destination with extensive dining, entertainment, and paid upgrades, while also offering excursions elsewhere on Grand Bahama. The critical question is how much business actually flows to independent enterprises across the island. How many passengers visit existing commercial districts? What do independent operators retain after commissions and operating expenses? Can a local entrepreneur reach customers on commercially reasonable terms? Does supplier participation facilitate the development of businesses’ own clientele, or does it leave them dependent on a single purchasing gatekeeper? A Bahamian business operating within an enclave may provide significant local value, but its location alone tells us little. Factors such as ownership, profit margins, contract terms, and opportunities for growth are what matter. The danger lies in the possibility that while visitor numbers increase, the wider island remains commercially disconnected from this growth. A successful destination within Grand Bahama does not automatically lead to a thriving economy throughout the entire island. This dynamic creates what is known as the Rot Economy: activity expands, yet residents’ capacity to build independent economic lives remains restricted. Are any current investment models capable of bringing about change? Yes, but their contributions must be demonstrated. For example, ship repair can
support technical careers, apprenticeships, and specialist suppliers. The development value will depend partly on whether Bahamians acquire increasingly sophisticated skills and whether local firms become competitive participants in the supply chain. The expansion of the shipyard presents an opportunity; however, its announced cost alone cannot guarantee success. Grand Bahama needs an ‘Opportunity, Ownership, and Access Economy’ built around measurable outcomes. An ownership economy would establish credible pathways to productive assets through employee participation, cooperatives, well-governed investment vehicles, and commercially justified partnerships. Participation must include enforceable rights, transparent costs, and clearly understood risks. Tokenization could facilitate some transactions, but it cannot compensate for weak economic conditions or create ownership rights. A productive economy would enable Bahamian firms to supply maritime services, construction inputs, food, maintenance, and digital services where they can compete. Procurement commitments require practical support such as training, working capital, quality standards, and prompt payment. A regenerative AquaMarine Economy would treat healthy coastal and marine systems as productive assets. Restoration, research, fisheries value chains, and environmental services would be assessed for both ecological benefits and sustainable revenues. Their viability requires evidence and customers, just like any industrial project. Affordable, reliable energy and resilient housing must be central to this strategy. Lower operating costs will improve prospects for many enterprises simultaneously. Affordable housing allows wages to support savings and ownership. Demographic trends underscore the urgency of this matter, although the facts require careful consideration. The population of The Bahamas grew between the 2010 and 2022 censuses, while Grand Bahama’s population fell to 46,740, approximately nine percent below its 2010 level. The island must cater to the needs of existing residents while creating incentives for people to remain, return, and build families there. The government and relevant Freeport authority must mandate a public development account for major projects, detailing permanent employment and wages, Bahamian ownership, independently verified local procurement, public concessions and costs, environmental obligations, and results versus promised milestones. This assessment must be conducted honestly, without counting the same expenditure multiple times as it circulates. Grand Bahama cannot afford another generation of evaluating success primarily based on what investors build and visitors consume. Its economic strategy must be assessed based on what residents can earn, afford, create, and own. The island’s wealth must benefit its people beyond merely allowing them to work alongside it. Eden Merry Johnson, Member - Exploratory Committee, Bahamas Economic Council. EDEN MERRY JOHNSON Freeport, Grand Bahama September 15, 2026.
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THE TRIBUNE
Friday, September 18, 2026, PAGE 7
Prosecution and defence clash over evidence in Exuma rape trial By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net PROSECUTORS accused Khethino Cadet of inventing an argument about his son to explain away allegations that he raped and assaulted the child’s mother in Exuma, while his lawyer attacked the police investigation as “hasty and sloppy” and urged jurors to reject the woman’s account. The sharply conflicting versions of what happened on August 17, 2024, were put to the jury during closing submissions in Cadet’s trial before Justice Jeannine Weech Gomez on charges of rape and aggravated assault. Prosecutor Eucal Bonaby said Cadet wanted to have sex with the then 33-yearold complainant against her will, allegedly ripped off her clothes and forced his finger into her anus. Defence attorney Keith Seymour maintained that no sexual assault occurred and said Cadet and the complainant instead argued after she said she was leaving with their son.
Mr Bonaby attacked that account as a “recent fabrication”, saying the claim about the couple arguing over their son was never put to the complainant when she testified. The prosecutor also questioned how Cadet could give a detailed account of the conversation when he testified nearly two years later despite being unable to recall details of a conversation with the complainant during his police record of interview hours after the alleged incident. Mr Bonaby accused Cadet of blatantly lying on the witness stand and described him as combative and defensive during cross-examination. He also accused Cadet of fake crying when he expressed concern on the stand about the complainant taking his son away. Mr Bonaby argued that Cadet’s decision to testify ultimately strengthened the prosecution’s case, claiming he took the stand to lie to the jury. Cadet, who was present for the late-afternoon submissions, had his head down at several points
and occasionally shook his head. Mr Seymour, however, argued that the prosecution’s case rested almost entirely on the complainant’s testimony and lacked corroborating evidence. He called the complainant “spiteful and deceitful”, told jurors that false allegations occur and said the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. The defence denied the allegation that Cadet inserted his finger into the complainant’s anus and challenged several aspects of her account of a violent struggle. Mr Seymour pointed to testimony that no blood was seen inside the house or on the complainant’s clothing. He also said no torn clothing was submitted into evidence despite her allegation that Cadet ripped off her clothes and cut off her underwear. The defence also questioned the absence of documentation showing damage to a bathroom door. The complainant alleged that she barricaded herself inside the bathroom
and Cadet broke down the door. Mr Seymour said an officer testified that there was no DNA evidence implicating Cadet. He also relied on medical evidence, saying a doctor found no visible bruising on the complainant despite her account of a struggle. The defence acknowledged that blood was detected on an anal swab but said the doctor offered three possible explanations for its presence. Mr Seymour attributed tenderness to the complainant’s forehead recorded in the medical report to her own account of falling down the stairs that night. He argued that the evidence was conspicuously absent and the complainant’s account was inconsistent. The prosecution countered that the physical evidence was consistent with her account. Mr Bonaby referred to medical testimony concerning tenderness on the left side of the complainant’s face and anal bleeding. He maintained that
Cadet slapped the complainant and tore off her clothes, which the prosecution said amounted to aggravated assault, and that Cadet’s actions led to her falling that night. The prosecutor said the complainant resisted Cadet’s sexual advances and locked herself in the bathroom. Addressing the absence of physical evidence from the residence, Mr Bonaby argued that Cadet had a 72-hour window in which he could have cleaned up blood, burned the complainant’s clothing and removed the bathroom door. The prosecution also relied on evidence about the complainant’s condition after she left the house. Mr Bonaby said she slipped out after Cadet fell asleep and went at about 3am to the nearby home of Fredricka Dames. The complainant was crying when she arrived, he said, arguing there was no reason for her to be in that condition over merely an “disagreement”, as the defence contended.
Although Ms Dames did not witness the alleged assault, the prosecution argued that her evidence about the complainant’s distressed condition corroborated that something had happened. Mr Bonaby also challenged the defence’s portrayal of Cadet’s relationship with the complainant. The defence emphasised that the two had previously been intimate, shared a child and were co-parenting at the time of the alleged incident. However, the prosecution said the complainant testified that she and Cadet had separate rooms and were only co-parenting. Mr Seymour said Cadet had denied the allegations from the outset and had nothing to hide. He also said the complainant had not informed Cadet of his son’s condition since the allegations were made. He urged the jury to acquit Cadet. Mr Bonaby maintained that the prosecution had proved its case. Cassie Bethel also served as a prosecutor.
Attempted murder accused Man accused of exposing held in prison over libel charge himself outside primary school By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A MAN already on bail for attempted murder was remanded to prison yesterday after being accused of posting sexually explicit and defamatory images and videos targeting a woman on Facebook and TikTok. Prosecutors allege Charles Brown, 29, published a nude photograph of female genitalia attached to a photograph of the woman, along with
a video showing used hygiene pads with fluids on them in the woman’s bathroom, on August 10. The material was allegedly published with the intent to shame the woman. Brown pleaded not guilty to libel before acting Chief Magistrate Ancella Evans. Inspector Deon Barr, the prosecutor, objected to bail, citing the seriousness of the offence, Brown’s antecedents and the fact that he is currently on bail for attempted murder. Brown is accused in that separate case of stabbing
and attempting to kill Daton Roker, 43, outside a bar after the two allegedly argued on the night of November 23, 2025. Brown allegedly fled the scene on foot afterwards. Defence attorney Levan Johnson relied on the presumption of innocence and submitted that Brown was a suitable candidate for bail. Magistrate Evans denied bail and remanded Brown to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until his trial on January 27, 2027.
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A MAN was accused of repeatedly exposing himself to two female students outside Carlton E Francis Primary School on consecutive days last week. Prosecutors allege Shawn Reckley, 24, wilfully and indecently exposed himself to the two
girls at the Faith United Way school on September 10. Reckley allegedly exposed himself to the same two girls again at about 3.45pm on September 11 after parking a green Nissan Cube across from the school. Reckley elected to have his case heard in the Magistrate’s Court and pleaded not guilty to four counts of a grossly
indecent act before Magistrate Abigail Farrington. He was granted $6,000 bail with one or two sureties and must sign in at the Carmichael Road Police Station every Friday by 7pm. He was also fitted with a monitoring device. Reckley returns for trial on January 26, 2027. Alphonso Lewis represented Reckley. Reserve Inspector Deveaux prosecuted the case.
Joint law enforcement operation Amputee denies gun assault leads to 22 arrests in Abaco and death threat charges By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A LEG amputee was accused of hitting a man in the head with a handgun and threatening to kill him outside his Sequoia Street residence last week. Prosecutors allege Ian Farrington, 41, assaulted Dino Ferguson with a handgun on the night of September 12, striking him in the head and causing him to bleed. Farrington allegedly threatened Mr Ferguson with death that same night and was later found
with a .38 revolver. Farrington pleaded not guilty to assault with a deadly weapon, threats of death, causing harm and possession of an unlicensed firearm before Deputy Chief Magistrate Shaka Serville. Farrington, whose left leg is amputated, appeared in court using crutches. Inspector Cordero Farrington, the prosecutor, objected to bail, citing the seriousness of the offences and saying Farrington had previous similar convictions. Farrington submitted
that he was a suitable candidate for bail and would comply with any conditions imposed by the court. He also said he worked as a landscaper. Magistrate Serville granted Farrington $7,500 bail with one or two sureties. He must sign in at the East Street South Police Station every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday by 7pm. The magistrate spared Farrington from wearing a monitoring device so it would not interfere with his employment. Farrington returns for trial on March 2, 2027.
TWENTY-two people suspected of being in the country illegally were arrested in Abaco on Wednesday during a joint law enforcement operation. Police said the operation involved the immigration, fisheries, Customs and the Port Department and targeted immigration violations, maritime offences and
breaches of the Customs Management Act. The operation was conducted in two phases, with the first targeting Hope Town and surrounding cays and the second focusing on the Farm shantytown in Treasure Cay. The suspects were arrested and handed over to immigration officials for
processing. “The Royal Bahamas Police force together with its partner agencies remains committed to conducting coordinated operations to address suspected violations of the laws of The Bahamas to maintain safety and security throughout The Bahamas,” police said.
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Parole bill heading for fresh public consultation after years of delays By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net ATTORNEY General Wayne Munroe said the long-delayed parole bill will soon be released online for another round of public consultation, as Commissioner of Corrections Doan Cleare urged the government to pass legislation he said has been 11 years in the making. Speaking at a town hall meeting at CR Walker Secondary School on Wednesday evening, Mr Cleare said probation and parole were the missing elements of the country's correctional system and called for any remaining obstacles to the legislation to be removed. “Whatever the impediment, let us remove it,” Mr Cleare said. “If it ain't perfect, pass it. That's the approach I'm taking now.” Mr Munroe said he expects the Conditional Release of Offenders (Parole) Bill 2026 to be uploaded to Bahamas Laws Online shortly, giving the public another opportunity to comment before it is tabled in Parliament. The Attorney General confirmed that he has the proposed parole bill as well as legislation dealing with suspended sentences, which will form part of the government's legislative package. His predecessor, Ryan Pinder, committed during the opening of the legal year in January to introducing parole legislation in 2026. Mr Munroe said he intends to honour that commitment before the next
opening of the legal year. The latest push follows years of delays spanning two administrations. The Christie administration appointed a Parole and Re-entry Steering Committee, chaired by former Commissioner of Police Paul Farquharson, in May 2016 to develop a policy framework for parole and the reintegration of offenders. In January 2021, then-National Security Minister Marvin Dames said a committee was reviewing proposed legislation but could not say when it would be tabled. The government again anticipated introducing parole in 2023, when Mr Cleare announced that town hall meetings would be held that July to sensitise the public before legislation reached Parliament. A draft bill was eventually released in March 2024, outlining eligibility requirements and proposing a 20-member parole board, but the legislation remained under consideration. The government has most recently anticipated passage before the end of 2026. Mr Cleare criticised how long the process has taken and said the legislation is essential to completing the correctional system. “You cannot say you have corrections if you don't have probation and parole,” Mr Cleare said. “Probation and parole are the last key elements to complete the correctional process. It is key. It must come.” He said the original committee had urged him not to abandon the legislation and
that he contacted chief legal counsel Paul Jones to revive work on the proposal. He said he is determined to see it brought before Parliament during this legislative year. Mr Cleare said the proposed system would involve psychiatric and re-entry assessments and require inmates to remain drug-free and participate in educational programmes before applying for parole. He also argued that parole could reduce crime, pointing to a conversation with the Turks and Caicos Commissioner of Corrections in Jamaica, who he said told him that 301 people were on parole under that jurisdiction's system with no reoffenders. Mr Cleare said sustained employment while on parole could also help offenders remain in the workforce after completing their sentences, arguing that two or three years of regular employment could establish habits that continue after supervision ends. He said The Bahamas is adopting the Canadian parole system, which he described as “one of the best systems in the world”. Earlier this month, Ministry of National Security officials sought international technical assistance in anticipation of the proposed system's implementation. Under the proposed parole system, qualifying offenders would be allowed to serve part of their sentences in the community under supervision, with breaches of their conditions potentially resulting in their return to prison.
ATTORNEY GENERAL WAYNE MUNROE Ministry of National Security officials have said the existing remission system, which allows eligible inmates to receive a one-third reduction in their sentences for good conduct, would be abolished when parole is implemented. Mr Munroe stressed that the government wants further public input before the
circumstances would have to be considered when parole conditions were determined. He said the proposed board's structure was changed in response to that feedback. Previous consultations on the legislation were held in New Providence and the Family Islands in July and August 2023.
Mystery letters sent to judge in cocaine trafficking case By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net A US federal judge has declined to place on the official court record several unsolicited letters sent from outside the United States about the sprawling cocaine trafficking case involving former senior Bahamian law enforcement officers and alleged drug traffickers. One letter purported to have been signed by “The Defendants”, however, prompting US District Judge Gregory Woods to send all of the correspondence to lawyers in the case and order defence counsel to determine whether any of it came from an accused person. The one-page order filed in the Southern District of New York on Wednesday did not identify the letter writers, their countries of origin or the views they expressed. It also did not disclose how many letters were received, which defendants purportedly signed one of them or whether the correspondence was sent directly by an accused person or by someone claiming to act on their behalf. Judge Woods said the court received “a number of letters from unidentified members of the public” earlier that day and that all originated outside the United States. “The Court does not believe that correspondence of this type expressing views regarding ongoing criminal proceedings are appropriately docketed, because they play no role in the case,” he said. However, because one submission claimed to bear the defendants’ signatures, the judge forwarded the correspondence to lawyers for the prosecution and defence. If any letter was submitted by or on behalf of a defendant, defence lawyers must notify the court in a publicly filed letter by September 30. Otherwise, Judge Woods said the court expected to take no action. The unusual filing
legislation is introduced. He pointed to previous consultations in Eleuthera, where residents questioned whether Family Island communities would be guaranteed representation on the proposed parole board. Mr Munroe said the concern was relevant because offenders could be released to Family Islands and local
FORMER Royal Bahamas Police Force Chief Superintendent Elvis Curtis. came as five men await a March 1, 2027 trial over an alleged international cocaine trafficking network that US prosecutors say moved drugs through The Bahamas with protection from corrupt government officials. They include former Royal Bahamas Police Force Chief Superintendent Elvis Curtis, along with William Simeon, Luis Fernando Orozco-Toro, Ulrique Jean Baptiste and Lorielmo Steele-Pomare. The five are charged with cocaine importation conspiracy and firearms offences. They are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Prosecutors allege the wider conspiracy operated from at least May 2021 until late 2024 and relied on corrupt Bahamian officials to receive and protect cocaine shipments arriving by air before the drugs were moved towards the United States by boat. Curtis, who supervised police operations at airports across The Bahamas, is accused of accepting bribes to provide safe passage for cocaine shipments. US prosecutors allege Curtis and former police
sergeant Prince Albert Symonette each accepted about $10,000 in October 2023 as a downpayment for helping an anticipated 600kg cocaine shipment pass through Lynden Pindling International Airport for eventual distribution in the United States. Curtis is also accused of claiming that an unnamed senior Bahamian politician would authorise the involvement of armed police officers in drug shipments in exchange for a $2m bribe. The politician has not been publicly identified. Former Royal Bahamas Defence Force Chief Petty Officer Darrin Roker, another accused in the case, pleaded guilty to cocaine importation conspiracy and was sentenced in February to four years in prison. Prosecutors said he supplied traffickers with sensitive information about US Coast Guard and Drug Enforcement Administration operations. Eight other people named in the indictment, including several Bahamians, have not been arrested. The allegations against them remain unproven.
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, September 18, 2026, PAGE 9
Cyber criminals use AI to sharpen attacks By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net CYBER criminals are increasingly using artificial intelligence to launch sophisticated, personalised attacks against businesses at a speed and scale that would have been impossible just years ago, cybersecurity experts warned yesterday, with small and medium-sized companies emerging as particular targets. Frank Gomez, a cybersecurity specialist with Kaseya, said AI has dramatically expanded the capabilities of malicious actors, allowing people to overcome limitations in their own technical knowledge and even language barriers. “Now with AI and all these different models that are coming out,” Mr Gomez said, “the threats are rising, and the threats are rising exponentially.” He said the change over the past two to three years has made malicious activity harder to identify while allowing attackers to develop highly personalised campaigns much faster. “A bad actor a year ago is
almost ten years advance in simply one year,” Mr Gomez said, “simply because of the tools that are available to them and the threats that they now have access to.” The warnings came on the sidelines of the Fortify AI Cybersecurity Summit at Margaritaville, where technology and cybersecurity professionals discussed the risks of rapidly adopting AI and showed how organisations could better protect themselves. Mr Gomez cited one case in which all 300 employees at an organisation received individually tailored phishing emails. He said producing a campaign on that scale would have taken about a month several years ago. Small and medium-sized businesses are increasingly being targeted because attackers may assume they lack the security protections of larger organisations, he said. “As it stands right now, a lot of the targeted attacks, targeted attacks that I've been seeing have been straight to mid-sized and small businesses,” Mr Gomez said, “and the reason for that is mostly because these bad
MONTINO ROBERTS, Executive Chairman of Proficient Business Services; Emmanuel Oscar, Senior Systems Engineering Manager at Fortinet; and Frank Gomez, Technical Account Manager at Kaseya, were among the presenters at the Fortify AI Cybersecurity Summit on Thursday at Margaritaville. The summit focused on AI-driven cyber threats, digital security and strengthening cybersecurity defences. Photos: Shawn Hanna actors they assume that they don't have these guardrails in place.” Those businesses may lack email security platforms or applications that can analyse login activity and other
information moving through their systems, he said. Mr Gomez also said more than 50 percent of end users hit with ransomware ultimately pay because they have no other choice.
Emmanuel Oscar, senior systems engineering manager at Fortinet, similarly warned that the rapid development of AI is expanding the cyber threat landscape, with defenders increasingly having to use the technology against attackers who are also exploiting it. “Using AI to help the defenders defend against a very sophisticated threat actor that’s also leveraging AI,” Mr Oscar said. “They are more coordinated in their efforts than we are.” He said cybersecurity companies are examining how AI can be used to defend against AI-enabled attacks, assist cybersecurity professionals and protect AI models themselves against techniques such as prompt injection and jailbreaking. But Mr Oscar said vulnerabilities among Bahamian companies are not necessarily caused by shortcomings in technology. “Sometimes it’s not even a technical issue; it’s more of governance. It’s leadership,” he said. “Culture starts from the top and works itself down.” He called for leadership and collaboration between the public and private sectors to protect the country's continuing digital transformation. Montino Roberts, executive chairman and founder of Professional Business
Services, said the summit was intended to move organisations beyond discussing the risks posed by AI and towards understanding how attacks happen and how to respond. He warned that AI can be relatively easily weaponised and has the potential to cause significant disruption. “This entire environment today is about teaching those who are responsible,” Mr Roberts said, “from the higher executive level all the way to the IT professionals, on how to protect against AI.” Rather than relying solely on lectures, he said the summit included live demonstrations of different tools and allowed participants to try to attack an AI model themselves before learning how such attacks can be defended against. Mr Roberts compared the approach to the principles behind the construction of Fort Charlotte. “We could talk about Fort Charlotte, who had been sitting here for 200 years,” he said. “It wasn't built. It didn't last because no one attacked it. It was just built so it could support those attacks. In the digital world, we're trying to teach the same thing today” Noelle Russell, CEO of the AI Leadership Institute, which partnered with PBS, said organisations also need to rethink how they view AI itself. She said people frequently treat AI as a friend or co-pilot when it should instead be regarded as “a zero trust contractor”. Ms Russell compared governing AI systems to establishing rules and consequences for employees, arguing that organisations need similar policies and safety precautions for AI agents. “Can we even control it?” she said. “And the reality is, is you got to think of it kind of like your employees. We don't control humans, but we definitely give them guardrails.” She said organisations now need to apply the same basic principle to AI. “We just have to get everyone's mind focused on the same principles we apply to humans,” Ms Russell said. “We do now need to create the same policies and safety precautions for agents as well.”
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THE TRIBUNE
A global AI safety strategy depends on US-China cooperation. They each see the other as the problem By CHAN HO-HIM AP Business Writer AS concern rises over the risks of artificial intelligence, hopes for any kind of global approach depend on cooperation between the US and China — superpowers that seem only to be more sceptical of each other’s AI strategy. AI governance is expected to be on the agenda in a meeting planned for next week in Washington between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The topic has gained urgency in both countries, with American tech leaders saying that averting worst-case scenarios for rogue AI depends on a degree of cooperation with China. But both countries are vying for a decisive advantage on AI, with Trump warning that any efforts to regulate the technology would help China. That sets up a meeting in which any agreements might be superficial but a possible start to something larger. “A formal agreement or consensus may be near impossible, but they do not need to go that far,” said Samm Sacks, a senior fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies’ Institute for America, China, and the Future of Global Affairs. “Trump and Xi just need to create political space by acknowledging AI poses risks to both countries.” China and the US are increasingly at odds on AI Trump has pushed back on calls to strengthen regulation of the technology, claiming that doing so could cause China to eclipse America on AI. He has repeatedly declared that the nation that leads on the technology “wins.” “We are leading China, and all others,” Trump said
A VISITOR stands near a display about AI during the World AI Conference in Shanghai, China on July 17, 2026. Photo: Ng Han Guan/AP Monday on social media. David Sacks, a top AI balance?” The two countries are adviser to Trump, said American AI leaders moving the technology for- that China has “already call for keeping ward in different ways. US rejected” slowing down China in check — and companies are chasing AI the pace of developing the cooperating with China frontiers with computing most advanced forms of Two leading American AI power supported by cut- AI. He said on Fox News’ ting-edge chips and the “The Ingraham Angle” that companies, Anthropic and country’s rapidly expanding unlike the nuclear tensions OpenAI, each restrict access data centre infrastructure. with the Soviet Union during in China and have said the China is pursuing wide global the Cold War it would be US has a national security adoption of its open-source, impossible to verify whether imperative to protect its lead more affordable models. China honoured any AI on AI technology. But they also have called for cooperChinese AI models have commitments. made major advances and “In this case, we don’t have ation with China to manage gained traction with Amer- trust and we can’t verify,” safety. In his essay last weekend ican companies even as Sacks said. “So let’s not be US-led restrictions bar China foolish about this and just calling for a slowdown of from getting the world’s most hand the whole ball game to AI development for safety reasons, Anthropic CEO advanced AI chips. While China.” most American frontier Still, those with ties to Dario Amodei said the US models are closed-source, the Chinese government should slow China’s progress, with their design elements see coordination on AI as including keeping up US restrictions on China’s purkept secret, US Treasury helpful. Secretary Scott Bessent said At an annual security and chases of the world’s most Tuesday the US needs to defence conference in Bei- advanced AI chips. He also added, however, develop more open-source jing, Cui Tiankai, a former models to counter China. Chinese ambassador to the that “global pacing will The US has accused China US, said Tuesday that AI is require cooperation with of “aggressive, malicious” an area where “we should China, the autocratic counefforts to extract capabilities go ahead and build up” dia- try with by far the most from American AI systems. logue between Beijing and advanced AI capabilities.” His essay quickly drew China has hit back, accusing Washington. “Because there the US of trying to suppress is a need, a growing need, criticism from Beijing, with Chinese companies so it can for cooperation,” he told China’s Ministry of Foreign build a “monopoly of the AI the Xiangshan Forum. “So Affairs saying on Monday industry.” how can we manage the that “fearmongering,
confrontation and vicious competition will only disrupt the process of global AI governance which serves no one’s interest.” China’s state-run Global Times newspaper went further, calling his remarks “packed with containment provisions targeting China and is, in essence, a ‘Cold War playbook’ for the AI sector.” Trump has consulted with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, even calling the maker of the world’s most advanced computer chips in the middle of a Monday podcast interview. Nvidia has generally favoured some chip exports to China as a way to create an American ecosystem for the technology and a more open relationship on AI given the number of researchers in China. Both countries have been alarmed by emerging AI capabilities In both the US and China, AI’s increasingly powerful capabilities have alarmed top officials and policymakers. The head of China’s Ministry of State Security, its spy agency, warned in an article Sunday that AI poses many threats to the country, from political and ideological security to cyberattacks. In the article, Chen Yixin argued that AI could threaten China’s political and ideological security if used by those “with ulterior motives,” while singling out Anthropic’s and OpenAI’s powerful AI models. It said they could be used to “weaponise” cybersecurity vulnerabilities and threaten China’s critical information infrastructure. Several other recent AI-related events were also causing concern in China when it comes to AI governance. That includes a US security firm’s recent discovery of AI vulnerabilities in WeChat, China’s key messaging app that also offers payment services among other functions, said Paul
Triolo, a partner at DGA-Albright Stonebridge Group. While Chinese officials said after Trump’s Beijing summit with Xi in mid-May that China and the United States had agreed to pursue dialogue on AI development and governance, little progress has been made. At the same time, China and the US have been working to form AI alliances with like-minded nations. In July, China launched the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, a group with 29 initial founding member countries, including Russia and Pakistan, meant to promote global AI governance. This month, China’s Xi has called on BRICS member countries to accelerate the setting up of a global AI governance framework and establish an open-source AI community. Some political observers saw the China-led organization as a response to the US-led Pax Silica initiative, which launched last year focusing on strengthening collaboration with countries including Japan, the UK and Australia on AI supply chains. Asked about his expectations on AI from the Trump-Xi meeting on AI in an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Amodei said “the more long-term thing would be working together to put a speed limit on the rate of AI progress.” But he said it likely would be very difficult. In the run-up to the Trump-Xi meeting, a recent social media post by Yuyuantantian, a Chinese state media-linked account, was similarly circumspect. “Only after the United States first demonstrates that the safety rules are equally effective for its own model companies can substantive discussions between the US and China take place,” the post said.
S C A N
PUBLIC NOTICE
Cust Case ID
INVITATION TO SUBMIT WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS IN RESPECT TO RENEWALS OF CERTIFICATES OF REGISTRATION FOR LIST 17, LIQUOR ESTABLISHMENTS Pursuant to section 9A and paragraph 3, Fifth Schedule of the Business Licence Act 2023, as amended, the Department of Inland Revenue is inviting the general public and interested stakeholders to provide written comments in relation to applications for approvals for renewals of Certificates of Registration to the following Applicants -
Renewals Name of Business
Type of Business
Address
ID
Towne Hotel
Hotel
George Street, Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas
4826279000005077064
2 Thumbs Up Liquor
Liquor Store
Charles Saunders Highway & Buttonwood Avenue, Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas
4826279000004373009
Alliance Liquor Store
Liquor Store
#70 Nassau Street, Bahamas
4826279000002423092
Central Supercenter Company Ltd
Liquor Store
East Street North & Mason's Addition, Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas
4826279000005765013
In and Out Liquor store
Liquor Store
Wulff Road and Market Street, Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas
4826279000005468003
Abaco Sporting Club LTD
Members club
Winding Bay Road, Cherokee Sound, Abaco, Bahamas
4826279000005683005
Beach Club
Restaurant
Beach Lane, Ocean Club Estates, Paradise Island, Bahamas
4826279000005546003
Chef Annes Turtle Pond Restaurant and Bar
Restaurant
Queens Highway, Exuma, Bahamas
4826279000005647028
Island Horizon Restaurant & Bar
Restaurant
HANNA HILL, Eight Mile Rock, Grand Bahama, Bahamas
4826279000005556033
kifers Sporting Lounge
Restaurant
#74 Amos Ferguson Street, Bahamas
4826279000005693018
Leverage Sporting Lounge
Restaurant
Marsh Harbour, Abaco
4826279000005665003
The Cricket Club Resturant & Pub
Restaurant
HAYNES OVAL, Nassau, N.P., Bahamas
4826279000004157054
White Water Enterprise Restaurant & Bar
Restaurant
John Winder Causeway, Bullocks Harbor, Berry Island, Bahamas
4826279000005718012
Comments must be submitted to the Department of Inland Revenue in the prescribed form no later than 1st of October 2026. Copies of the Business Licence Act and Amendments are available on the DIR website inlandrevenue.finance.gov.bs. Forms for submitting written comments are also available on the DIR website (please enter the Business ID number at the top of the form before submitting) or you may simply scan QR Code next to the business name to be directed to the automatically filled form. Forms must be submitted by end of day on the date stated above. Forms submitted after this time will not be considered. For inquiries, please email liquorregistration@bahamas.gov.bs
PUBLIC CONSULTATION SESSIONS FOR NEW APPLICATIONS BY LIQUOR ESTABLISHMENTS FOR CERTIFICATES OF REGISTRATION – LIST 17 Pursuant to section 9A and paragraph 2, Fifth Schedule of the Business Licence Act 2023, as amended, the Department of Inland Revenue is inviting the general public and interested stakeholders to participate in public consultative sessions and/or to provide written comments in relation to applications for approvals for the grant of Certificates of Registration to the following Applicants -
New Applications Name of Business
Type of Business
Address
ID
YM Liquours
Liquor Store
Queens High Way, Eight Mile Rock, Grand Bahama, Bahamas
4826279000005269012
Comments must be submitted to the Department of Inland Revenue in the prescribed form no later than the 1st of October 2026. Copies of the Business Licence Act and Amendments are available on the DIR website at https://inlandrevenue.finance.gov.bs. Forms for submitting written comments are also available on the DIR website (please enter the Business ID number at the top of the form before submitting) or you may simply scan QR Code next to the business name to be directed to the automatically filled form. Forms must be submitted by end of day on the date stated above. Forms submitted after this time will not be considered. For inquiries, please email liquorregistration@bahamas.gov.bs
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, September 18, 2026, PAGE 11
LPIA travellers to get new VIP lounge options next month TRAVELLERS will soon have access to new upscale lounges at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA), with the facilities set to officially open to the public on October 1. Lounge Nassau officials yesterday led members of the media on a tour of the facilities ahead of next month’s opening. The company is operated by Global Lounge Network (GLN), a Miami-based company with more than 30 years of experience developing and operating VIP lounges, is behind the project. The company operates more than 80 lounges worldwide. GLN entered into an agreement with Nassau Airport Development in last March to develop and operate VIP lounges at LPIA and began work after receiving approval. The new facilities include a lounge in Terminal C for US departures and the Lignum Lounge in Terminal A, which serves domestic travellers. GLN officials said the lounges will be available
to business and first-class travellers, priority pass members and other passengers through a day-pass programme. Guests will have access to food and beverages throughout the day, including breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as soft drinks, wine, beer, spirits, tea and coffee. The facilities also include a children’s play area, private meeting space, in-house bathrooms and indoor and outdoor lounge areas, with seating for about 100 people. In her remarks, Aviation Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis said the lounges would enhance the experience for travellers departing from LPIA. “We've all been looking forward to this transformation, and I'm confident that the Lounge Nassau would significantly enhance the experience of our traveling public from its bright and vibrant decor, comfortable seating and meeting facilities to the children's play area, and the superb selection of food and beverage offerings.”
CEO Of Global Lounge Network, Jeffery Stern, gives brief remarks at The Lounge opening held at LPIA yesterday. Photo: Nikia Charlton
JOY JIBRILU, CEO of the Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board speaks to the media at The Lounge opening held at LPIA yesterday.
AVIATION Minister Jobeth Coleby Davis gives brief remarks at The Global Lounge Network Opening held at LPIA yesterday.
PAGE 12, Friday, September 18, 2026
THE TRIBUNE
Lying in State of Neville Wisdom
Former Minister of Youth, Sports and culture
PRIME MINISTER Philip ‘Brave’ Davis and former Prime Ministers Dr Hubert Minnis and Perry Christie, along with Leader of the Opposition Michael Pintard, along with other Ministers and govt officials, paid their respects to former Minister of Youth Sports and Culture Neville Wisdom, during his Lying in State yesterday. Photos: Nikia Charlton