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P. SUNNY, A SHOWER
The Tribune Weekend L ATEST NE WS ON TRIBUNE242.COM
Volume: 112 No.229
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016
PRICE - $1 (Abaco / Grand Bahama $1.50) The Tribune
Lift off for hip hop artist
Inside Weekend
Flowers: Too many numbers houses
art entertai nment soci ety culture Friday, Novemb film puzzles er 4, 2016 food fitne ss
Weekend
Lift off for hip
swim styles Pages 14&15
Taking flig ht
hop artist’s career
Music, page 13
TWO DEAD, THREE INJURED IN GRAND BAHAMA SHOOTING By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net TWO persons are dead and three others were injured in a shooting on Thursday in the quiet and peaceful community of McLeans Town, East Grand Bahama. Although police have not confirmed the identity of the deceased SEE PAGE SIX
FML head says gaming WOMAN JAILED FOR 18 YEARS FOR KILLING GIRLFRIEND industry’s loose ends need to be addressed By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net A YEAR after the Christie administration issued a provisional licence to eight web shop companies, one pioneer of the gaming industry said there is much to be concerned about, especially the “proliferation” of numbers houses. This is a common complaint from some Bahamians who feel that too many gaming houses have emerged within the last year. As the head of FML Group of Companies, Craig Flowers yesterday offered his perspective on the issue, questioning when the government will do more to regulate the problem. He added that the regulations the government has placed
on the sector meant his company has barely got by. His statements to The Tribune came a day after Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe confirmed that the Gaming Board is finally ready to issue official licences to the eligible web shops, although one company, Asue Draw & Spin, failed to renew its provisional licence and appears to have exited the industry amid rumours of unpaid taxes and fees. With respect to Mr Flowers’ criticism, Mr Wilchcombe yesterday said steps would be taken to further clamp down on the proliferation of web shops. For Mr Flowers, the government has not been as responsive on this issue as he expected or would like. “There is still a lot of SEE PAGE SIX
V ALFRED GRAY SHOULD RESIGN, SAYS FNM MICAL CANDIDATE
IF Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries V Alfred Gray had “a shred of honour left” he would resign from his Cabinet post immediately, Free National Movement MICAL candidate Walt Saunders said yesterday. Mr Gray, the MP for MICAL, has been caught in controversy over his contradictory remarks over a $2.1 billion agri-fisheries proposal that the Bahamas Embassy in China was given the go ahead to discuss with Chinese investors. Mr Gray has admitted he told newly appointed Bahamas Ambassador to China Paul “Andy” Gomez he could have SEE PAGE SIX
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CLOCKS GO BACK ONE HOUR ON SUNDAY MORNING AT 2AM FOR THE END OF DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME
KATRIONA Gilbert outside court yesterday. By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net A WOMAN who strangled her girlfriend and then lit her bedroom afire in a jealous rage was sentenced yesterday to 18 years in prison as part of a plea deal after she admitted responsibility for her role in a domestic dispute that turned fatal. Katriona Gilbert, 29, appeared before Justice Bernard Turner where she opted to forgo trial concerning murder and arson charges stemming from the February 23, 2015 discovery of the body of Ariel Lowe of Miller’s Heights. Gilbert’s lawyer, Tonique Lewis, asked for the charges to be read to her client again and when they were, Gilbert answered “not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter.” The answer drew audible expressions of shock from the back of the Ansbacher courtroom. Gilbert had made a plea agreement with the Crown in which the initial murder charge was reduced to manslaughter based on the circumstances that led up to the incident. She also pleaded SEE PAGE SEVEN
URBAN RENEWAL PLANS TO RELEASE REPORT ON PAC By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net URBAN Renewal CoChairs Algernon Allen and Cynthia “Mother” Pratt were on the defensive yesterday in the wake of the Public Accounts Committee’s damning report into the programme, with one of them revealing that there were plans underway to produce another report aimed at discrediting the work of the PAC. The PAC’s report, ta-
CO-CHAIRMAN of Urban Renewal Algernon Allan.
bled in the House of Assembly by committee Chairman Hubert Chipman, portrayed the initia-
tive’s co-chairs as “naïve” and confused about their roles and duties. The probe focused on the Urban Renewal Commission’s (URC) Small Homes Repair (SHR) programme. The report also found that the Small Homes Repair programme was overseen by an unqualified quantity surveyor who admitted to being used to “rubber stamp” completion certificates for unverified construction work. SEE PAGE SIX
MPS ‘OVERRULED’ URBAN RENEWAL SELECTION PROCESS By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net DESPITE having its own commission in place to make executive decisions, the Urban Renewal Small Homes Repair initiative was still subject to the influence of members of Parliament who “overruled” the standard process of selecting contractors. This, according to the Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) report on SHR, presented the opportunity for “victimisation, abuse and corruption.” In addition, the report noted that the permanent secretary approved several homes for payment in the absence of visu-
al evidence of satisfactory repairs. These and several other revelations pertaining to the SHR initiative were outlined in the PAC’s report, which was tabled in the House of Assembly on Wednesday after several delays. The report noted that Urban Renewal Commission Deputy Director Gregory Butler “indicated that some home repairs and most contractors were recommended by their member of Parliament and Urban Renewal Commission had little ability to overrule the nomination.” It added: “As a result, the quality and standards of the work can be inconsistent. This practice gives the opportunity for victimisation, abuse and corruption. SEE PAGE SEVEN