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VOLUME:117 No.19, DECEMBER 17TH, 2019
THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1
WOMAN: HOW TO COPE WITH A GRINCHY CHRISTMAS
Top officer defies ‘switch job’ order
By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
ASSISTANT Commissioner of Police Kendal Strachan, acting on advice from his lawyer Wayne Munroe, is defying an order to report to the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development for a new role as chief of security at the Willie Mae Pratt and Simpson Penn schools for girls and boys. His new appointment was to take effect on December 9 when he returned from a lengthy, forced vacation leave. This newspaper reported last week that he intends to fight the transfer. Mr Munroe, QC, said yesterday the officer will continue to report as normal to his office at
police headquarters on East Street. In a letter dated December 12, Mr Munroe responded on behalf of ACP Strachan, pictured, to a letter from Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson dated December 9. “We note the following with regard to the letter,” Mr Munroe wrote. “The first paragraph of the letter refers to ‘collaborative decision’ having been made to appoint our client to a post of chief of security. In the second paragraph it is indicated that the appointment is ancillary to our client’s present position. In the third paragraph (it is noted) that our client is to play an integral part of the executive team ‘under the protocol of the permanent secretary’. SEE PAGE TWO
MINISTER of National Security Marvin Dames signed a $17m contract with California-based Swift Systems yesterday for a multi-agency drone programme he said should lead to “record level” crime reduction. Flanked by heads of law enforcement agencies at a press conference at the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Coral Harbour base, Mr Dames said as a result
of the initiative, “The Bahamas can expect to see a record level reduction in crimes, in migrant smuggling, in drug smuggling, in firearm smuggling.” He added: “This contract is for about $17m and it’s for 55 short and medium range drones - we did that purposely because what that will allow for us to do, it will allow for us to accommodate all the law enforcement agencies. That is the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Royal SEE PAGE THREE
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
REGULATORS yesterday unveiled a proposed crackdown on gaming advertising carried by Bahamian TV and radio stations in a bid to protect “vulnerable” children and young adults from harm. The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA), unveiling proposed reforms to the “code of practice” that governs content provided by local broadcasters, revealed it plans to implement “a watershed period” when no gaming-related advertising can be shown or broadcast in The Bahamas. Its consultation document did not specify how much of the 24-hour day this “period” will cover, and Stephen Bereaux, URCA’s chief executive, could not be reached for comment before press time. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
‘BLAME GAME WON’T STOP THE VIOLENCE’ By LEANDRA ROLLE lrolle@tribunemedia.net
$17M DRONE DEAL TAKES CRIME FIGHT TO THE SKY By SYANN THOMPSON Tribune Staff Reporter sthompson@tribunemedia.net
REGULATOR EYES MOVE ON GAMING
MISSING CHIPPIE’S MAGIC
FACE-TO-FACE: Felicity Darville on why her Christmas won’t be the same without her friend John “Chippie” Chipman who died earlier this year. See Page 8
WITH the country’s murder rate having already surpassed last year’s count, a leading bishop is urging Bahamians to take a more “non-political, bi-partisan” approach to the crime problem in the country. Bishop Simeon Hall said the nation needs to be more unified in order to tackle the issue. “I think as a whole society, the police, the court system, the public we all need to conjoin our efforts and send a strong message to the criminal mandate so we could stop this crime. Family after family, on a weekly basis, (are impacted by crime) while we talk and make all kinds of rhetoric that satisfies some. SEE PAGE SEVEN
‘WE NEED BIGGER PROFIT ON EGGS’ By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
FOOD retailers are seeking “at least” a three-fold increase in the mark-up permitted on eggs by price control, with their association chief renewing calls for such regulations to be abolished. Philip Beneby, head of the Retail Grocers Association, confirmed to Tribune Business that the
group and its members have written to the government’s Price Control
department to arrange a meeting over their calls for the mark-up to be increased from 10 percent to around 35-40 percent. Revealing that this has been a long-standing “issue”, Mr Beneby said the fragile nature of eggs meant Bahamian food stores frequently lost product to damage and spoilage before they reached supermarket shelves.
FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
PETER YOUNG ALL HAIL TO BORIS’ BRAVE NEW BRITAIN
SEE PAGE NINE
PAGE 2, Tuesday, December 17, 2019 from page one “In the fourth paragraph our client is directed to report to a civilian in the person of the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development.” Mr Munroe said after reviewing the Police Force Act, the Constitution, the Public Service Commission Regulations and the Police Service Commission Regulations, his team believes it is “very likely that the commissioner’s directive in the letter may not constitute a lawful order.”
THE TRIBUNE
Top officer defies ‘switch job’ order “In order to properly evaluate your directive, and advise our client and in particular whether our client
ought to request that you submit the matter of your directive to the Police Service Commission, we would
request that you provide clarification of ambiguities and concerns on the four issues highlighted above,” he wrote. “The letter can be read as purporting to transfer our client contrary to the constitution. Our client does not consent to being transferred or seconded outside of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.” Mr Munroe asked Commissioner Ferguson to indicate which parties were involved in the “collaborative decision” to transfer ACP Strachan. He asked whether the chief of security post is newly created and whether a “vacancy was advertised pursuant to the relevant rules of the public service”. He wrote: “How is it envisaged that a substantive post can be ancillary to our client’s continuing to serve in the post of assistant commissioner of police? As you are no doubt aware no steps have been taken to initiate any process to remove our client from his post of assistant commissioner of police. “What is exactly meant by our client being subject to the protocol of the permanent secretary? Is this meant to mean that our client is to be subject to disciplinary control of a body other than Police Service Commission? Please explain how it is that our client can report to any civilian given his position as a member of a disciplined force?” He continued: “We would request that you provide the requested information on an urgent basis to prevent the need for us to move the court to construe
WAYNE MUNROE, QC
Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff
the contents of the letter and to provide any necessary remedy.” Commissioner Ferguson, when contacted yesterday, said he doesn’t believe this matter is one “a commissioner should be commenting on.” Told his signature appears on ACP Strachan’s transfer letter, he said National Security Minister Marvin Dames addressed the issue last week. Mr Dames told the press ACP Strachan’s transfer cannot be viewed as a demotion; he was not asked to comment on ACP Strachan’s decision to report to police headquarters or Mr Munroe’s legal position. ACP Strachan was directed to take vacation leave in March along with seven other officers. Four
of those officers will await news on their appointments when their leave ends. The Minnis administration has said its forced vacation leave plan reflects a desire to prevent officers from accumulating so much vacation leave that they have to be paid substantial sums of money when they retire. The application of the policy has been controversial this year, however, with officers on leave questioning why they were not summoned to return to duty after Hurricane Dorian and why officers with more accumulated vacation weeks or fewer years until retirement were not directed to take vacation instead or along with them. Editorial View - Page 4
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, December 17, 2019, PAGE 3
L-R are: Clarence Russell, Director of Immigration; Dr Geannine Moss, Comptroller of Customs; Eugene Poitier, Ministry of National Security Permanent Secretary; Charge d’Affaires Stephanie Bowers; Captain Raymond King, RBDF Acting Commander; Marvin Dames, Minister of National Security; Rick Heise, Swift Tactical Systems President and CEO; Alex Echeverria, Swift Tactical Systems VP of Operations; Anthony Ferguson, Commissioner of Police and Charles Murphy, Correctional Services Commissioner. Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
$17m drone deal takes crime fight to the sky from page one Bahamas Defence Force, Bahamas Department of Corrections. We also have the immigration, customs and as well as the other government ministries. It is expected that these drones will be used throughout the length and breadth of this country.” All law enforcement agencies will have use of the drones for various activities. From following suspects of a robbery, finding the location of illegal immigrants, having an aerial view of the prison or pinpointing a drug boat, Mr Dames is confident that the drones will change the landscape of law enforcement in the country. “No matter how much money you spend, no matter how much training you do, no matter how much equipment you purchase, if these agencies are not talking to each other
on a daily basis we are not going to get anywhere,” he said. “So we have made it our mission and our commitment to ensure that this technology will be multi-agency and shared between all of the agencies. And I am going to take it a step further, not only the agencies but there are other ministries in government that can benefit from this.” The Bahamas Unmanned Aerial System Solution contract will include training of law enforcement officers. According to Mr Dames, the programme is expected to be used on Family Islands as well. He said that the drones in addition to the ShotSpotter gun detection technology, will have a combined effect in tackling crime. “We did talk about the establishment of a drone academy and that is coming as well as we move forward and we talked about the
real-time crime centre and the Royal Bahamas Police Force is in the process of completing its real time centre as well as the defence force. It will have a large video screen and it can view any event anywhere in this country and that’s the objective there. And we intend to integrate all of this technology and so for example, we spoke about ShotSpotter, when ShotSpotter is triggered, the drones will be wired where it can respond to the gunshot,” he said. The Mount Moriah MP also said law enforcement is continuing to beef up its efforts including adding 130 new recruits to the Royal Bahamas Police Force. Several law enforcement contracts are expected to be signed in early 2020; they will include the installation of 500 new CCTV cameras and on January 3, body cameras for police officers.
MARVIN DAMES, Minister of National Security
THE MINISTRY of National Security Bahamas Unmanned Aerial System (BUAS) held a contract signing yesterday with Swift Tactical Systems at HMBS Coral Harbour Base. Eugene Poitier, Ministry of National Security Permanent Secretary and Rick Heise, Swift Tactical Systems President and CEO are pictured signing the contract.
TWO IN HOSPITAL AFTER SEPARATE INCIDENTS TWO men are in hospital following separate shooting and stabbing incidents, police said. The first incident occurred on Sunday, shortly before 6pm. Police said a man was involved in an altercation with another male on Newbold Street off Blue Hill Road which resulted in the male
producing a sharp object, stabbing him. EMS were called to the scene and transported the man to the hospital where he is listed in stable condition. Then shortly after 10pm on Sunday, two males who are known to each other were involved in an altercation on Francis Avenue, which
resulted in one of the men producing a knife stabbing the other, and the other male producing a firearm and shooting the other man. Both men were transported to hospital where they are listed in serious but stable condition. Investigations into both incidents are ongoing.
PAGE 4, Tuesday, December 17, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
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Our veteran officers deserve to be treated with more respect THE veterans of our uniformed services are not being respectfully treated. We have reported previously on the shoddy treatment of some of our senior officers - be it Captain Samuel Evans, who feels he was pushed out of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force he served as deputy commander, or his superior, Commodore Tellis Bethel, himself packed off on leave until next year, or Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean, who felt the government’s handling of his pre-retirment leave “hurt” and who wanted it done “with more respect”. Now we have Assistant Commissioner of Police Kendal Strachan, returning from enforced vacation leave only to be ordered to take up a new role as chief of security at the Willie Mae Pratt and Simpson Penn schools for girls and boys. He intends to fight the decision – and sharp legal mind Wayne Munroe has already raised several concerns over the legalities of the letter that ordered his transfer, such as ACP Strachan being part of a team to operate “under the protocol of the permanent secretary” rather than under the command of the police force. Four more senior officers are due to return from compulsory leave soon – and they will be waiting with trepidation to see if they too are to be shipped off
to a new role somewhere. The Minnis administration has been disingenuous in its treatment of senior officers, shrugging off the idea that officers might be being moved aside as if it’s ridiculous. Well, if it looks like a duck and it walks like a duck... For those in the lower ranks, too, this cannot be good for morale – as officers look at what might lie ahead for them, banished on leave and then dumped goodness knows where. If the Minnis administration wants to restructure the uniformed forces, then at least be honest about it, and forthcoming about the legalities of doing so. As for Police Commissioner Anthony Ferguson, whose officer this is, he first said it was an issue he shouldn’t be commenting on, then when told his signature was on the letter moving ACP Strachan, ducked behind Minister Dames’ coattails. Is this really the way we want to be treating officers who have given decades of their life in service to the Bahamian people? Do we not owe a debt of service to them in return? And that debt must begin at least with honesty. Give these men honest answers about what will happen to them and why they are being moved aside. It’s the least they deserve.
Why no clear response after yet another murder? ONE would think the day after widespread reporting of the murder of a mother of six that the police would put on a show of strength - or at least a show of concern. One would think that as people the nation could think to themselves “that could have been me” that the Minister of National Security, Marvin Dames, would be front and centre offering reassurance and determination that the culprit would be brought to custody. One would think that the police would hold a press conference, telling the country what they know about the crime, and asking the public to report what they know – to ensure that the killer is caught. One would think just over a week before Christmas that the police would want people to know they are safe, that they are secure - and that this killing, the
READERS have been posting their reactions to the stories making the news on tribune242.com. After BPL said its $95m, 130 megawatt power plant had been brought online, Sickened had this to say: “Well I am genuinely surprised that there were no issues. Phew!!!” Realitycheck242 said: “Great job BPL . . . that’s what you call progress and deliverance by the FNM government . . . Leave it up to the all talk no action PLP and the BPL crises would have been going on forever.” But there was this from Bahamianson: “Really, my electricity went off in the west around 6pm tonight.” Tribune Business reported that povertystricken families and taxpayers have received almost no value from a near-$5.4m investment in welfare reform that was halted by the Minnis
murder of Cleo Lockhart, is their top priority for investigation. Instead, no press conference. No press statement. No minister in front of the cameras. No police commissioner offering reassurance. Indeed, the murder has been met with barely an acknowledgement - a press release after the initial incident and a few words at the scene. One would think this ought to be something that should be met with little more than a shrug. Instead, this is where we are. Where murder is no longer shocking to our officers. Where outrage is lost to silence. Have the authorities reached the point where they think such a murder is acceptable? That this is how we should live –- and die –- now? That this is our everyday world? If so, then that is something that really should make one think.
administration. Sheeprunner12 posted this comment: “To end generational poverty . . . go to school and learn, finish school, get a trade or a job, stop looking for handouts, stop making unwanted babies, stop looking to own what you didn’t earn . . . that is how our grandparents were raised.” That prompted this response from ThisIsOurs: “Agree . . . but they need help . . . it’s like telling a man in a 20ft deep hole with his foot in a bear trap while water is rising to stop playing around and get out of there. What would help look like you say? Some incentive to learn, could be monetary. I liked
the RISE programme as it was explained ‘on paper’. The assistance was tied to various accountability measures. “I think the IDB needs to take more responsibility though, they hand out billions then write reports on how disappointed they were with the outcomes. After 10 years of bad reporting you either stop giving money or find a way to guarantee greater success . . .” And in The Tribune’s online poll, we’re asking readers if they have confidence in Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis. The results were close at the time of going to press, with 52 percent saying they do not have confidence in the prime minister and 48 percent backing him. Don’t miss your chance to vote in the poll and join the debate on tribune242. com.
A tempest in a political teacup EDITOR, The Tribune EVERYONE is getting their knickers in a twist about a conversation between the Prime Minister and St Anne’s MP Brent Symonette, who with his elder brother, is part owner of the property to which the current post office has been transferred. Contrary to everyone else who has made their opinions public, I find nothing sinister or wrong with that conversation, especially when the timing and the pertinent information needed about the property is considered . Government wanted a property to relocate the old post office. A property owned by the Symonettes was one of the properties selected as a possible location. This particular location was first chosen by the Christie government before it lost the election to the Minnis government. Whether the Christie government had changed its mind about the post office’s proposed new location before the FNM government came in, I am not certain. As I recall there was a delay, and a bit of confusion before the election which ushered
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net
in the FNM government. Whether the PLP government had decided against it or whether the final decision was inherited by the new government, I do not recall. However, it was a matter of some urgency that the Prime Minister get the matter before his Cabinet for consideration so that a post office could be opened and Bahamians returned to work. And so with Mr Symonette, his Cabinet colleague, as part owner of the proposed property out of the country, he called him in Mexico to get the information that he needed. The Prime Minister then took this information to Cabinet and later to the House of Assembly where the post office relocation was approved. Mr Symonette, as parliamentary rules required, was present for neither, and, therefore, did not participate in any of the decision making. In a statement the Prime Minister said that the
decision to relocate the Post Office to the Town Centre Mall was the best deal for the Bahamian people and that the “proposal was 50 percent cheaper than the plan approved by the PLP for the same capability and at the same location.” “Brave” Davis, a lawyer, knows the rules and customs of parliament. He knows that Mr Symonette, as parliamentary custom requires, was neither present for the Cabinet discussion about the property, nor did he participate in any decision making about government’s lease of the property. As usual, the PLP is exploiting the public’s ignorance. Mr Davis knows that under parliamentary customs and rules, Mr Symonette has done no wrong. But the public doesn’t know this — so as usual the PLP is playing them for fools. In my opinion, this is a tempest in a political teacup, and much ado about nothing! There is too much to be done to continue this foolish time wasting. TIRED OF FOOLISHNESS Nassau, December 14, 2019
Too much secrecy EDITOR, The Tribune NO SENSIBLE Bahamian who is politically tuned believed for one minute that the recent Motion of No Confidence brought by the Leader of the New Deal Progressive Liberal Party, the Hon Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, QC, MP (PLP-Cat Island) against the Most Honorable Prime Minister. With the absolute majority that the FNM has it was doomed to fail. It did not really fail, however, as the duplicity of the PM, politically, relative to the negotiations for the leasing of space for the General Post Office at the Town Centre Mall, was exposed as naked as a new born baby. We all conceded that a new location was necessary for the relocation. No
problem. In fact, in hindsight, the current location is ideal. The problem comes in when Brent Symonette (FNM-St Anne’s) blurted out that the PM had, in fact, telephoned him from New York while he, Symonette, was in Mexico to discuss minute details and terms of the proposed lease for the relocation. This is after Minnis told the House that he had no direct input in the negotiations. I had high hopes, not induced by marijuana, that this regime and its leaders had good intentions and that they would be accountable; transparent and fiscally responsible. So far, none of these traits have been demonstrated in a positive way. Instead they appear to operate in secret; slight of hand, politically, and, for sure they do not
ever tell us anything about their real intentions or what they are, in fact, about to do. In opposition they all cussed out Christie and the old PLP, as they were right to do. Now, in office, they make the old PLP look like saints. Yes, the Most Honorable and Renward Wells were able to turn the motion around but that is all right. They won the political battle, for now, but, more than likely, they will lose the overall war. The average Bahamian has long ceased to feel the Most Honorable and the FNM regime. It ain’t long now. To God then, in all things, be the glory. ORTLAND H BODIE, Jr Nassau December 12, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, December 17, 2019, PAGE 5
INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED INTO SCHOOLGIRL ‘HITTING’ VIDEO By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Hubert Minnis when he announced special economic recovery zones for Abaco and Grand Bahama
Unemployment in GB is not 50%, says govt By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net THE government yesterday denied a recent international report that claimed unemployment in Grand Bahama stood at a staggering rate of nearly 50 percent following Hurricane Dorian, insisting the data came from no state agency or entity. According to a joint statement released by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Social Services, no government official or representative prepared the information contained in the report. Additionally both ministries said the report was not the product of any government agency or entity and didn’t reflect an official national statistic. The information detailed in the report was published in The Nassau Guardian earlier this month citing the Department of Statistics as the source of the statistical
data. This report was initially posted on humanitarian site ReliefWeb – an information source on global crises and disasters. However the report has since been removed. “The Ministry of Finance is the supervisory agent for the Department of Statistics, which has the legal mandate to independently collect and report on employment rates in the country using globally recognised methodology,” the joint statement read. “The government is monitoring unemployment claims with the National Insurance Board and social assistance claims at the Ministry of Social Services, recognising the gravity of the situation in Grand Bahama and in Abaco and the blow to employment in the islands.” However, the statement said the underlying information in the report “is not a representative statistical sample of Grand Bahama and neither was it intended to be so”
It continued: “The data came from a survey of ‘impacted’ families that the Department of Social Services had canvassed on Grand Bahama in the aftermath of the storm. “The National Insurance Board (NIB) has advised the Ministry of Finance that between September and November of 2019, it has received 888 applications for unemployment benefits from Grand Bahama. “The labour force on the island was last surveyed by the Department of Statistics in May 2019 – with the number of employed persons equaling 29,235 out of a working population of 32,825.” The government said while the 888 applications for unemployment benefits does indicate an upward move in unemployment given the devastation of Dorian, it does not signal a spike in unemployment equal to 16,000 persons – which would represent an
unemployment rate of 50 percent in Grand Bahama. The Department of Statistics will conduct the scheduled national census in 2020, which will provide a comprehensive report on a range of statistical data for the entire country, the statement said, adding that a specialised labour force survey will not be conducted in the year of the census, as has been historical practice. In May, Grand Bahama’s unemployment rate was 10.9 percent, according to data from the Department of Statistics. The disputed report, “Post-Hurricane Social Trends in Grand Bahama”, detailed the unemployment situation as of November 5. It claimed that 47 percent of people in Freeport were unemployed. In East End, the report in question said 48 percent had no jobs and West End had the highest number of unemployment at 60 percent.
MARCHERS CALL FOR REFORM TO COUNTER GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
THE Ministry of Health in conjunction with the Violence Intervention and Prevention Working Group yesterday held a “March for Freedom” to advocate against gender-based violence in the country. Citizens supporting the demonstration gathered in Rawson Square where they called on the government to implement law reform to adequately address the issue. Speaking to reporters, Calae Philippe, senior medical officer in the Ministry of Health, said the organisation’s mission is to address the “underlying factors” that contribute
to violence against women in an effort to decrease its occurrence by 2030. “We have become aware that violence is not only an international public threat, but a national public threat to the well-being and progress of our country,” she said. “Everyone, the people, the government (and) the civil society must come together to eliminate violence in The Bahamas.” Mrs Phillipe insisted that for this to be a reality, certain laws must be revised. She explained that the Violence Intervention and Prevention Working Group has developed a “triple-A mandate” that seeks to combat the issue through the promotion of
MAN ADMITS ARSON By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
A MALE resident of West End was charged with arson in the Eight Mile Rock Magistrate’s Court on Monday. Michael David Russell, 51, of Bank Lane, appeared before Magistrate Gwendolyn Claude, and pleaded guilty to the charge of arson in connection with an incident that occurred on December 10. The judge ordered Russell to pay $3,000 as compensation to the complainant. He was also ordered to return to court on February 27, 2020. Failure to appear would result in a prison sentence.
“awareness, accountability and action.” “We want action (because) there’s a law that allows a 16-year old to consent to sexual intercourse. We say no to that,” she said. “We denounce the
culture of the economy of poverty and crime and demand that we the people and the government invest in developing a safer and better Bahamas built on the model of building opportunity for the majority.”
NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames yesterday confirmed that an official investigation has been launched after a woman was captured hitting a young schoolgirl with pots and pans in a video that went viral on social media. Earlier this week, Education Minister Jeff Lloyd released a statement condemning the woman’s “barbaric” actions. He also said that he would bring it to the attention of Mr Dames so that the incident could be thoroughly investigated. In an interview with The Tribune, Mr Dames said that he has since “followed up” with Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson who is aware of the issue. He also assured this newspaper that officials are currently “looking into the matter.” Addressing the contents of the video itself, Mr Dames added that a parent or guardian should never use excessive force on a child in the name of discipline. “The thing is, no matter what the circumstance is, your parent or anyone else doesn’t have the right to physically abuse someone to the point whereby it could cause serious injury,
VIDEO NASTY 1 grievous harm or even death,” he asserted. “There is a line, there’s no way in the world that anyone ought to attempt (such physical abuse), no matter how incensed or how appalled a parent may be.” He said abusing a child to the point where it causes severe physical harm should never be “justified” or “exempted” at any time or under any circumstance. When asked if the incident has prompted the government to consider revising current corporal punishment laws, Mr Dames added: “I don’t want to go there...the thing is you’re dealing with a situation where the police will have to investigate the circumstances around it. “You know again, you can’t have a parent, or an adult, or a guardian physically abusing a child to the point where it causes physical harm, or even mental harm or a combination of both.” Insisting that it is imperative to prevent children from enduring abuse that could potentially lead to trauma, Mr Dames said that the primary goal of officials in these cases is to collaborate with parents and guardians to find “more effective solutions” in regard to child discipline.
POLICE TO PROBE VIDEO OF YOUTH BEING ‘SLAMMED’ COMMISSIONER of Police Anthony Ferguson confirmed that a video showing a teenager being slammed on the ground by a police officer at the Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium was referred to the police force’s Complaints and Corruptions Unit. A short video which circulated last week showed a uniformed police officer pushing a male to the ground while storm victims on inflatable beds looked on. The officer is then seen picking the male up by his shirt and escorting him out of the building. The Tribune understands that the male in the video is an 18-year old shelter resident and that the incident occurred last Wednesday. The newspaper was told that there was a fight between two teenagers forcing police
VIDEO NASTY 2
to intervene. A source told this newspaper that the police officer, in disrupting the fight, allegedly hit 18-year-old, however these actions were not captured on the cellphone video or confirmed by police. Since the incident, the 18-year-old is said to be in need of medical attention. However The Tribune was informed that this was an isolated incident, as there have never been claims of police brutality at the shelter. Commissioner Ferguson said, “I saw a video circulating, that video was referred to the Complaints and Corruptions Unit to conduct an investigation, that is still pending.”
PAGE 6, Tuesday, December 17, 2019
THE TRIBUNE
DARVILLE CALLS FOR MORE SCRUTINY AT EQUINOR By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net
SAVE the Bays chairman Joseph Darville criticised the government yesterday for not being present to oversee the clean-up efforts at the Equinor South Riding Point facility in East Grand Bahama. Mr Darville told The Tribune there is still no government official stationed at the site to monitor the daily clean-up taking place. He said: “I don’t know why that is, but I think it’s
because…they gave Equinor permission to carry out the cleaning effort as they see fit. They do have a team there from Polaris as I indicated before and I have fairly good confidence in them that they would do the job as it should be done. I don’t think they will deceive us the environmental (groups) or deceive the government with respect to proper way to complete that cleaning. “It’s still (poor) that there isn’t anyone there from the government permanently overseeing the clean-up effort. Even if they visited
for one or two hours a day just to make sure they are monitoring the people’s property. That is Crown land and that belongs to the people. We have elected governments to take care of our precious environments and particularly our pine forest, that is a reserved area.” Mr Darville noted Equinor officials said it took them a long time to get permission from the government to commence the clean-up process in the pine forest. “...I guess because it’s Crown land they had to go
through some procedures but again that was very disconcerting that some two months after the spill they have yet to clean up into the forest proper. What they are doing now, they are having to carry out the procedure bit by bit, inch by inch. They are clipping the leaves that are saturated with oil,” he said. “The task is going to be a long and tedious one they do estimate in the last meeting that they had with Water Keepers Bahamas and Save the Bays that it’s going to take them at least six months to go through
JOSEPH DARVILLE that whole area hand by hand, cleaning and clipping all the things saturated in oil.”
After Hurricane Dorian pummelled the northern Bahamas in September, reports emerged of an oil spill from Equinor’s South Riding Point storage facility in Grand Bahama. The estimated volume of the oil spill is 55,000 barrels (2.3 million gallons). Equinor has said it is committed to cleaning up after the incident. The company has said it will establish a long-term monitoring plan of ground water and for the affected forest areas to be submitted to local authorities.
Most debris has now been taken from Abaco By LEANDRA ROLLE lrolle@tribunemedia.net THREE months after Hurricane Dorian struck the northwestern Bahamas, debris removal in the shanty town communities in Abaco are almost complete. However, operations are still underway to clean up the residential communities on the island, according to Works Director Melanie Roach. “The Mudd is 85 percent cleared. The Pigeon Peas is 100 percent cleared and Sand Banks 1 is completely cleared. The contractors are currently working on Sand Banks 2,” she said in an interview with The Tribune yesterday. The government awarded contracts to several companies to assist with the clean-up process in Abaco, after Hurricane Dorian ravaged the island in early September. Speaking on the cleanup efforts in Abaco, Mrs Roach said: “We have now completed all of the scopes of works for the school repairs…and we have seven contractors working in various sections of Dundas Town, Murphy Town, Central Pines, Marsh Harbour, Spring City, Treasure Cay and Blackwood. The smaller contractors, they are doing residential debris removal” But, as it relates to the Farm Road shanty town, Mrs Roach said occupants there are still posing as a challenge. “We can’t do anything (with the Farm Road shantytown) until it is resolved whether or not those persons are there legally or not, but that’s not for us
HURRICANE Dorian caused widespread damage in Abaco. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff to decide. So once, were advised with the situation, we will proceed,” she added. Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction Iram Lewis has previously said that his ministry will handle the matter humanely as officials are eager to begin clean-up. However, while significant clean-up has occurred in the three months since Dorian, a large amount of
debris remains due to the widespread damage caused by the historic Category Five storm. “One of the main concerns we heard in various places was that the debris removal process needs to speed up,” said Ms Katherine Forbes-Smith, managing director of the Bahamas Disaster Reconstruction Authority. “This is the largest cleanup in modern Bahamian
history. Hurricane Dorian caused widespread damage and destruction across the Abacos. In order for residents to be able to rebuild and for commerce to be fully restored, the mainland and cays have to be cleaned up.” Ms Forbes-Smith statement came after visiting mainland Abaco and Elbow Cay last Wednesday through Friday along with BDRA’S board members , meeting with residents and
stakeholders to assess their needs. One such need highlighted by BDRA includes more resources, which will be allocated toward a rapid and larger debris removal effort across the Abacos. On Elbow Cay, members of the community said they need small trucks, additional barge service, waste disposal equipment, workers and funding to finish clearing Hurricane
Dorian-related debris. “We had a productive meeting with the organisers of the Elbow Cay clean-up,” said Ms Forbes-Smith. “We took a list of specific items they require and will work with them to ensure their needs are met.” The Bahamas Disaster Reconstruction Authority was established by Parliament to spearhead the response to Hurricane Dorian in Grand Bahama and Abaco.
THE TRIBUNE By EARYEL BOWLEG ebowleg@tribunemedia.net FOUR armed men posing as immigration officers forced their way inside a home yesterday then assaulted a man and a woman before escaping with stolen items. The incident occurred shortly after 5am yesterday when the thieves gained entry to the home located on Balfour Avenue off Key West Street. They then robbed the residents - three men and a woman - of cash, work permits, cell phones and other personal effects, police said. During the robbery the assailants hit one of the men and the woman in the face before escaping on foot. The two injured were taken to hospital for treatment, however police reported they were later discharged. Yesterday Director of Immigration Clarence Russell said residents have a right to ask people presenting themselves as law enforcement officers for identification if in doubt of their truthfulness. “All crimes are of
Tuesday, December 17, 2019, PAGE 7
Armed robbers break in after posing as immigration officers concern for law enforcement. Impersonating law enforcement officers is a very serious issue and so we say to members of the public to make certain you dot all your Is and cross all your Ts, ask before you open your door for persons to in fact present proper identification. If you are in doubt, then 919 is your option, call and make certain that you verify the emergency services that there are official law enforcement officers at your door,” said Mr Russell.
Last week, the Department of Statistics asked residents to verify those claiming to be their staff, before opening their doors. This came after a WhatsApp voice note warning members of the public that persons conducting surveys might be criminals was circulated. Meanwhile, police in New Providence are also looking for suspects in connection with two armed robberies that occurred on Sunday. According to a police report, the first incident happened shortly after
11am when a man was driving in the Tropical Gardens area off West Bay Street when he was flagged down by a man hitchhiking a ride. After assisting him, the hitchhiker pulled out a gun and robbed him of cash and cheques before escaping. The next robbery happened in the evening shortly after 8pm. A female was outside of a residence on Jerome Avenue off Chesapeake Road when a man with a firearm robbed her of a Huawei tablet. In late November, Chief Superintendent Solomon
Cash urged residents and business owners to be vigilant and to take all necessary precautions to remain safe during the holiday season. “I wouldn’t say we’ve had a lot of armed robberies, but we are beefing up patrols,” he said at the time. “Beefing up patrols is a part of (our) strategy particularly in the shopping areas, the high-volume shopping areas so you will see more police moving closer to Christmas season. We don’t expect any crime to increase but we are in a
preventative mode, so we aren’t expecting the worst. We are expecting a good Christmas for all Bahamian citizens and in ensuring that you will see high volumes of police presence.” CSP Cash advised people making large bank deposits not to do so alone and urged business owners to use armoured car services. Police are appealing to anyone with information on these latest incidents to contact the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991/2, Crime Stoppers at 328-8477, or the nearest police station.
‘Blame game won’t stop the violence’ from page one “No, I think we need to all come together and say enough is enough,” Bishop Simeon Hall told The Tribune yesterday. “There’s a need to stop politicising crime and stop pointing fingers and there’s an urgent need for a national, bi-partisan approach to remove this nightmare and I believe that that’s where we can move forward.” The prominent bishop was speaking on the increase of murders this year compared with last year’s figure. In 2018, police recorded 91 murders for the year, which was a considerable decrease from 122 in 2017. But, according to The Tribune’s records, the country’s murder 2019 count is already up to 95 with two weeks left until the end of the year. The latest murder victim was 40-year-old mother-of-six Cleo Lockhart, who was shot dead and found in bushes in Nassau Village early Saturday. Officials have since noted the increase of homicides as a result of police resources being stretched thin in dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian. However, despite this, there are some Bahamians who are still blaming the Minnis administration for the high rate of crime in the capital, noting it as one of government’s many failures in living up to their
BISHOP SIMEON HALL, main picture, and, inset right, 40-year-old Cleo Lochart, the mother of six shot dead at the weekend promises to the Bahamian people. The Minnis administration has previously said officials want to reduce the number of murders in the country to at least 85 by 2021. In order to curb the escalating homicides, Bishop Hall is suggesting the country needs to stop “playing the blame game” and instead inspire more fear into the minds of criminals.
“As a society, we’ve done miserably in placing fear in the minds of criminals. Most hardened criminals in our country are not afraid of the police and believe they could beat the court system,” he added. “And, they are impervious to the best the church has to offer. Pronouncements about success and reduction in crime continue to be punctuated by our nationwide crime culture
with a low regard for the value of human life. “We must match this culture of death with a national approach where
the fear of crime by the public will be outdistanced by the fear to commit crime by criminals...We need to send a strong message that
if you do the crime, you will do the time. “ While Bishop Hall said he is not an advocate for capital punishment, he told The Tribune that he does believe stronger punishment methods needs to be implemented in the country. “Nobody is advocating for capital punishment, but whatever is next to capital punishment, I say we need to find the vehicle for persons who are convicted and found guilty of unequivocally taking the a should be put away for life. .. (We also) need a combined effort by all the political parties and other social stakeholders to come up with a crime plan.”
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THIS time next week it will be Christmas Eve. As quickly as that, the year… and the decade, is coming to an end. As I prepare for the traditional festivities that surround this holiday, it hit me… this will be my first Christmas in many years without Chippie. What is a Bahamian Junkanoo Christmas without John “Chippie” Chipman? It just won’t be the same. No one could beat the drum like Chippie. I remember the first time I saw him perform in concert. There is a point at which he transforms from the upbeat, jovial entertainer into something legendary. Chippie would go into a trance and it was as if something else took over. It seemed as if the light around him changed as he threw his head back and pushed all his passion through his arms on to the goatskin drum. Seeing him perform was something magical. His performances were so special and so stellar that Chippie was requested around the world. He performed all over the world representing The Bahamas, and he was proud to say so. He would perform at schools around the country and let the kids know that no matter their background and no matter their circumstances, if they combine passion with dedication to something like he
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Christmas won’t be the same without my friend, the amazing Chippie did, it could take them all around the world. I enjoyed visiting Chippie on John Chipman Street, formerly Lifebuoy Street, especially during Christmas
time. He may have been many years my senior, but he was my friend. It all started out when I, as a reporter, attended a small event he had, and I was the only member of the press who showed up. We talked and laughed for a time after the event. He invited me to come to his house and see how he makes the drums and how he lives. On the day I went, Chippie was under the big tree near his front door painting old paint cans in order to make a new set of drums. It was a daily ritual. He would go downtown on cruise ship days and play for the tourists in order to make money for himself and young adults in the neighbourhood who would accompany him and play other instruments. By afternoon, he was back home sitting under the tree making drums. As I sat there with him under the cool tree, so many people came to stop
by. As soon as school was out, the little children in the area flocked to his yard to be around him and to play – unconcerned with the fact that they were around a living legend. Chippie just had the kind of personality that made you take to him right away. He sent one of the little boys in the yard to buy me a “cup” (Bahamians know that’s frozen Koolaid in a plastic cup… and it’s oh so delicious if made correctly). I sat and ate my frozen cup as we talked and laughed for a long time. From that day on, I returned to Chippie regularly. I became his official photographer without even knowing it. He would call my phone and say, “Felicity, please come and meet me at (such and such a place) and take my picture!” Chippie didn’t have big funds to give but he always put something in my pocket for working so hard for him over the years. In turn, I had the opportunity to develop a friendship with one of the greatest cultural icons of the country. Christmas time was special with Chippie. That’s when drum production tripled. He taught the kids how to make the drums and play the drums, too. There isn’t a child through
his corner that doesn’t know how to at least play that one instrument, unless their parents did not let them come outside. Chippie was a talented man and could play other instruments as well, including the saxophone. Sometimes you would pull up to his home and hear the melodic tunes piping out of his horn before you could park the car. His family would be around at Christmas time. Kids off to college who grew up around him would hang out there. Old friends and new ones would drop by. Chippie’s house was always buzzing with activity, but especially around Christmas. Sir John Arthur “Chippie” Chipman, MBE, died at the age of 90. He was buried on Saturday September 28, 2019, at St Agnes Anglican Church, officiated by Bishop Drexel Gomez. A well-attended Junkanoo rush was held downtown in his honour. I was travelling at the time and unable to attend. When I saw the video of Chippie’s ‘final rush’, I was brought to tears. Everyone dancing through the street was filled with emotion. You could see it and you could feel it. It was a powerful home going service befitting of a Junkanoo king.
Chippie lived his life the same way he played the drum – bursts of powerful energy, filled with rhythm and soul. And when the performance was done…. Bam! That’s the end. Not a peep more. What I mean by that is, Chippie was full of life. Even in his old age, he was upbeat with the attitude of a teenager. He didn’t go down a slowlysliding slope. He stayed upbeat to the end. Ninety wonderful years lived to the fullest. This will be the first Christmas for many without Chippie. Where will all those people gather? They will find other places to go; they will gather at other homes. But it just won’t be the same. There is a special place in the heart of his lived ones. We have been marked indelibly with the ink of his strong character and jubilant personality. There is so much to be said about his life and his story, but you can search the internet and find that out. As a matter of fact, quite a number of them are written by me and can be found at tribune242.com and thebahamasweekly.com. But today’s tribute was more about emotion and passion than his history. I wanted to share with the world the kind of simple man that this world-renown, beloved public figure was. He was a simple Bahamian man who loved people. He was predeceased by his wife Rebecca “Becky” Chipman, an exquisite fire dancer and cultural icon in her own right. He was also predeceased by his children Philip and Arlene Chipman. His daughters include Alice Chipman-Dames; Darnell (Montgomery) Ward; Sonia Chipman-Godet; Donna Chipman; Mitzie (Wenzel) Neely; Selena Chipman; Naomi Chipman; Ruth Brown; Ebony Chipman; Rhonda Schroeter Cross; Delarese Chipman; and Latoya Chipman. His sons include David (Renee) Chipman; Harold (Jacqueline) Chipman; Shyan Chipman; and Arthur (Yasmine) Chipman. Enjoy the collage of photos – all taken by me – which I share for this week’s Face to Face.
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RITAIN’S historic General Election last week turned out to be nothing short of an earthquake that may have changed the political map of the nation for a generation. For the first time, Labour Party supporters in its traditional, working-class heartlands in the North-East and Midlands areas of the country have voted Tory. The Conservative Party, led by sitting Prime Minister Boris Johnson, routed Labour as the main opposition and secured an 80-seat overall majority. The Scottish Nationalist Party, which now dominates the political landscape north of the border, was the only one of the other opposition parties to make any gains. This was the largest majority for the Tories since the 1987 election won by former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher - and the result meant Labour won the lowest number of seats since 1935, with the British people clearly rejecting Left-wing extremism in a highly regulated socialist state. Mr Johnson, who gained two terms as Mayor of London and seems to excel in winning elections, pulled off a breathtaking victory in pulverising his Labour rival, Jeremy Corbyn, into ignominious submission. The unreliability of the preelection polls was shown up once more as they had been predicting a small Tory majority or even a hung parliament. Despite all their statistical analysis, it seems they failed to factor in a fundamental element which was becoming increasingly evident; namely, that the mood of the country had changed. Normal people dealing with real life outside the Westminster parliamentary bubble had become sick and tired of the political class who had failed to resolve the issue of Britain’s departure from the European Union after a majority - albeit a small one - had voted in the 2016 EU referendum to leave. Labour, in particular, was seen to be obstructing the will of the people by ignoring the referendum result which they had committed to honouring at the time of the 2017 election. The party’s call for a second referendum went down like a lead balloon and it paid the price for prevaricating over Brexit, with the people taking sweet revenge. Although this election was primarily about Brexit and the catchy phrase about getting Brexit done which, reportedly, Mr Johnson himself coined, resonated with many people - there were, of course, many other issues as well. So the Tory
Tuesday, December 17, 2019, PAGE 9
All’s well in the end as Corbyn & co are destroyed at the polls The
Peter Young column victory appears to have induced a feeling of relief across the country not only because the Brexit logjam of the last three and a half years has been broken, but because the danger of Britain being damaged by a hard-Left government - and bankrupted by its socialist policies - has been lifted. It also seems to have created a sense of stability, direction and certainty, though many will say it all depends on how this Tory victory is consolidated by real and effective action. The outcome of the election was a personal triumph for the Prime Minister but it was surely also a victory for freedom and democracy. It reflected the basic decency and common sense of British people who were unimpressed by Labour’s extremist policies. It showed there is a huge divide between the radical Left and - apparently - everyone else and that working-class voters, in particular, want a patriotic and competent government. They have rejected state control, nationalisation and a threat to free enterprise together with the danger of leaving NATO and giving up the nation’s nuclear deterrent. They seem to prefer the Tory economic policies of boosting small businesses, improving productivity, reducing regulation and lowering taxes. Moreover, they were not happy with Mr Corbyn whom, given his background as a terrorist sympathiser, people felt they could not trust with the nation’s security, and some also thought he did not possess the right qualities to operate as the leader of the nation on the world stage. In his election victory speech, Mr Johnson used his customary colourful language in saying “... this election means that
getting Brexit done is now the irrefutable, irresistible and unarguable decision of the British people” – classic Boris Johnson, but words matter and everyone can now be confident the Brexit crisis has been finally resolved because the people have spoken on the issue for the second time. Britain will formally leave the EU by January 31 next year. This means taking back control of the country’s laws, money and borders in the way the majority wanted in the referendum. What will follow is the hammering out of the terms of a future trading relationship between the UK and the EU with a view to completing a transition period by December, 2020 - and, in tandem, Britain will be able to negotiate new trade agreements with the rest of the world including, most importantly, with the US and countries like Canada, Australia and New Zealand among many others. In trade negotiations with the EU the UK’s hand has been significantly strengthened, and that is none too soon after Britain suffered from being very much the supplicant over the last few years. With its thumping majority and the possibility of ruling for the next 10 years, the new Conservative government has a chance to set Britain on a bold and radical new path, bringing about a social and economic overhaul. It is now being reported that, apart from Brexit, its priorities will be improvement of the National Health Service and social care, immigration reform, crime, education and new investment in infrastructure, particularly in the North where the Prime Minister has already made a whirlwind tour of what were a so-called impregnable “Red Wall” of formerly safe
From peace icon to pariah AN important international story that does not seem to be receiving much media attention is the current hearing at the International Court of Justice in The Hague in the Netherlands of accusations against the nation of Myanmar about its persecution of its Muslim Rohingya minority. Apart from publicity about the plight of the Rohingya refugees fleeing to neighbouring Bangladesh, the ICJ hearing is particularly significant because the person defending Myanmar against charges of genocide is none other than Aung San Suu Kyi who holds the post of State Counsellor and is the de facto head of government. The supreme irony of this is she is now defending the same military commanders who kept her under house arrest for some 15 years. Recently, there has been strong and damning evidence of a military-led campaign of ethnic cleansing amounting to genocide against the Rohingya people, including use of brutal violence resulting in the deaths of thousands. This has been confirmed by the United Nations which has labelled it a textbook case of such ethnic cleansing. At the ICJ hearing last week, Aung San Suu Kyi testified the genocide claims were misleading and she denied Myanmar’s armed forces were guilty
AUNG SAN SUU KYI of such persecution of the Rohingya ethnic minority. Specifically, she denied the army had killed and raped civilians or torched houses in 2017. She told the court the exodus of hundreds of thousands of refugees to Bangladesh was the unfortunate result of battles with Muslim insurgents. Meanwhile, despite the claims and evidence of atrocities against them, Myanmar has consistently denied violating their human rights and has maintained that any military operations are justified in response to attacks on security posts by Rohingya insurgents. Nonetheless, an investigation established by the UN recommended prosecution of Myanmar’s top military commanders on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for the crackdown on the Rohingya people. To many observers, it is not only ironical but also almost inexplicable
that Aung San Suu Kyi is trying to defend the indefensible when for so many years she was a figure who stood for democracy and human rights and was given a Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for championing these under Myanmar’s then-ruling military junta. She became an almost saintly figure revered and adored by the West and the country’s numerous ethnic groups. The transformation is astonishing. She has changed from being a celebrated human rights campaigner to failing to speak out against violence towards the Rohingya minority and is now actively defending it so that her reputation has been severely tarnished – so much so that Amnesty International, for example, has stripped her of a human rights award. Those seeking an explanation for this change note Aung San Suu Kyi has turned out to be an autocratic leader who, despite her history, has now become too much of an old Burmese nationalist to try to stop persecution of minorities in her country. But perhaps this is not really surprising after all. The sad fact is that it is simply an example among politicians of yet another whose motivation is less about the ideal of democracy and protection of human rights than her own sense of importance and national identity.
BORIS Johnson routed Labour as the main opposition and secured an 80-seat overall majority Labour seats and are now in Tory hands. He was there to thank them for supporting him. In doing so, he stressed the importance of One Nation policies and the need to heal the divisions of the last few years - and he is calling his new government “the people’s government” (perhaps he got the idea from the FNM!) Be that as it may, amid all the hullabaloo after this extraordinary election, I believe the most important factor in the success of the Conservatives was Mr Johnson himself. Despite his claimed privileged background, he managed to portray himself as a classless figure who was friendly and optimistic and could relate to a wide range of
people and make them laugh while convincing them he really cared about their concerns. He also displayed that vital quality for a politician of being able to speak directly to people without any hint of condescension. So, he is receiving all the plaudits while Mr Corbyn is being blamed for the debacle suffered by Labour which is now shellshocked and divided and will have to regroup by rejecting the hard-Left. I think deep down Britain remains a patriotic and conservative (with a small “c”) nation whose people overall are honest, pragmatic and tolerant. They do not like to be disregarded, patronised and told what to do by bigots and bullies - either
by their own politicians or by unelected bureaucrats in Brussels. As One Nation Tories, the new government will doubtless now seek to unite the country and pursue policies acrossthe-board that will meet the needs and concerns of as wide a cross section of people as possible. How the political landscape in Britain has suddenly changed. The Prime Minister has gained great power. But with that comes great responsibility. Let us hope this new power will be exercised wisely and that he and his colleagues will live up to their promise to bring the country together and to spread opportunity to every corner of the land.
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BOND GRANTED FOR MISSISSIPPI MAN TRIED SIX TIMES IN KILLINGS MISSISSIPPI Associated Press A MISSISSIPPI man whose murder conviction was overturned by the US Supreme Court for racial bias was granted his freedom for the first time in 22 years yesterday while prosecutors decide whether to retry him for a seventh time. A judge set a bond of $250,000 for Curtis Flowers, but told him he would have to wear an electronic monitor while awaiting a decision by the district attorney’s office to either try him again or drop the charges. Flowers was convicted four
times in connection with a quadruple slaying in the city of Winona in 1996: twice for individual slayings and twice for all four killings. Two other trials involving all four deaths ended in mistrials. Each of the convictions was overturned, but Flowers has remained in jail because the original murder indictment is still active. Circuit Judge Joseph Loper said it was “troubling” that prosecutors had not responded to a defence motion to drop the charges against Flowers. He said if prosecutors do not respond, “the state will reap the whirlwind” from him.
Flowers’ attorney Rob McDuff said after the hearing that a person who wanted to remain anonymous was putting up the standard 10% percent, or $250,000, required for Flowers’ release. Supporters who were among the more than 150 people packing the wooden pews of the 1970s-era courtroom hugged Flowers after the judge announced his decision. His father, Archie Lee Flowers, choked back tears. He said the first thing he would do when his son was released, was pray. The elder Flowers said he frequently visited his son in prison,
ACCUSED: Curtis Flowers
where they sang and prayed together. He said he has always believed in his son’s innocence. During his sixth trial in 2010, Flowers was sentenced to death. The US Supreme Court overturned that conviction in June, finding prosecutors had shown an unconstitutional pattern of excluding African American jurors in the trials of Flowers, who is black. After the Supreme Court ruling, Flowers was moved off death row at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman and taken to a regional jail in the central Mississippi town of Louisville.
Boeing to stop making 737 Max Associated Press BOEING Co. said yesterday that it will temporarily stop producing its grounded 737 Max jet starting in January as it struggles to get approval from regulators to put the plane back in the air. The Chicago-based company said production would halt at its plant with 12,000 employees in Renton, Washington, near Seattle. But it said it didn’t expect to lay off any workers “at this time”. The move amounts to an acknowledgement that it will take much longer
than Boeing expected to win approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration and other global regulators to fly the planes again. The Max is Boeing’s most important jet, but it has been grounded since March after crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed a total of 346 people. The FAA told the company last week that it had unrealistic expectations for getting the plane back into service. Boeing has missed several estimates of a return date for the plane, and the company didn’t give a date on Monday. Even if no employees are laid off, ceasing production still will cut into the nation’s economic output because of Boeing’s huge footprint in the nation’s manufacturing sector. Through October of this year, the US aerospace industry’s factory output has fallen 17% compared with the same period last year, to $106.4 billion, in part due to previous 737 Max production cuts. The shutdown also is likely to ripple through Boeing’s vast network of 900 companies that make engines, bodies and other parts for the 737, and layoffs are likely. Richard Aboulafia, an aircraft industry analyst at the Teal Group, said the shutdown would probably hinder the economy in the coming months and could worsen the nation’s trade balance. “This is the country’s biggest single manufactured export product,” Aboulafia said.
In a statement, Boeing said it will determine later when production can resume, based largely on approval from government regulators. “We believe this decision is least disruptive to maintaining long-term production system and supply chain health,” the statement said. Boeing said some of the Renton plant’s workers could be reassigned to 737 or other programmes elsewhere in the Seattle area. Some could also help to prepare the 400 Max planes Boeing has built and stored, so they’re ready whenever approval comes to return to the skies. Investigators have found that flight control software designed to stop an aerodynamic stall was a major factor in the crashes, and Boeing is updating the software, making it less aggressive. But regulators have yet to approve the changes. The FAA said that it wouldn’t comment on Boeing’s business decisions, and that it has no set time frame for when work to recertify the Max to fly will be completed. Jeff Windau, industrials analyst for Edward Jones, said the 400 planes that Boeing has built but can’t deliver likely were a major factor in the decision to halt production. This comes “both in consideration of storage space and how efficiently can you get them delivered once the plane is ready to return to service,” he said.
MOB KILLS TEEN AND STRINGS UP CORPSE BAGHDAD Associated Press
THE body of a 16-yearold boy was hung from a traffic pole in a central Baghdad square amid conflicting versions about how he was killed. Security officials said the teen was wanted by police on drug-related charges and was running from security forces. Other officials said the teen had fired a pistol in the air in an attempt to get protesters -- who he felt were causing a disturbance -- to move away from around his home. The Associated Press initially reported that Iraqi officials said the boy shot and killed six anti-government protesters before he was killed. The AP has found no evidence to support these initial claims. Some videos circulating on social media showed the young man being beaten and dragged across a street. Other videos showed security forces with pointed guns surrounding a house where the teen had purportedly taken cover. Dozens of people pointed their cellphones at the body dangling above them. The violence underscored the growing fears and suspicions swirling around the 8-week-old protest movement, which engulfed Iraq on Oct. 1 when thousands took to the streets to decry government corruption, poor services and scarcity of jobs. A string of mysterious attacks, including shootings and stabbings, by unknown groups has put anti-government protesters on edge and eroded their faith in the ability of state security forces to protect them.
PROTESTS GROWING IN INDIA OVER NEW CITIZENSHIP LAW NEW DELHI Associated Press
THOUSANDS of university students flooded the streets of India’s capital, while a southern state government led a march and demonstrators held a silent protest in the northeast yesterday to protest a new law giving citizenship to non-Muslims who entered India illegally to flee religious persecution in several neighboring countries. The protests in New Delhi followed a night of violent clashes between police and demonstrators at Jamia Millia Islamia University. People who student organizers said were not students set three buses on fire and police stormed the university library, firing tear gas at students crouched under desks. Members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party said opposition parties were using the students as pawns. Modi’s government says the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which was approved by Parliament last week, will make India a safe haven for Hindus and other religious minorities in Muslim-majority Bangladesh,
STUDENTS protest in New Delhi, India, yesterday Pakistan and Afghanistan. But critics say the legislation, which for the first time conditions Indian citizenship on religion, violates the secular constitution of the world’s largest democracy. At Jamia Millia Islamia University, thousands stood outside the locked-down campus. Inside, hundreds of students took part in a peaceful sit-in, holding placards denouncing the injuries of dozens of students the night before. Mujeeb Ahmad, a 21-year-old Arabic major, returned to campus Monday to join the sit-in and retrieve the book bag he lost fleeing the library, where he had been studying for exams. “We thought we were safe in the library,”
he said, adding that he and others had locked the library doors from the inside. Policemen broke them down, and at least one officer fired tear gas, he said, holding up an empty canister he said he picked up from the library floor. About 2,000 people gathered at New Delhi’s iconic India Gate memorial to protest the Citizenship Amendment Act and reports of students demonstrating against the law who were beaten by police at several university campuses. Priyanka Gandhi, a leader of the opposition Congress party, participated at a sit-in at India Gate for two hours. Police stood on the sidelines of the demonstration.
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DONATION FOR YOUNGSTERS THE CFA Society The Bahamas recently held a lunch at Luciano’s to discuss the economic impact of Hurricane Dorian. At the event, the society donated $5,000 to Ranfurly Homes for Children. pictured is Jerome Franks presenting a cheque to Alexander Roberts, Administrator, Ranfurly Homes for Children.