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CLASSIFIEDS TRADER

Transgender plea for rights Call to be treated equally

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net BAHAMAS Transgender, Intersex United (BTIU) yesterday launched its multi-level equality campaign, “Bahamian Trans Lives Matter”, which seeks to secure equal rights for transgendered Bahamians as the debate about the upcoming gender equality referendum continues.

During a press conference at the Hilton on Tuesday, BTIU representatives called on the Christie administration to ensure that the fundamental rights of all genders of Bahamians - male, female and transgendered - are protected. However, the group stressed that it is not trying to shift the focus of the gender equality referendum.

The group is calling for equal access to healthcare,

SOCIAL Services Minister Melanie Griffin said further investigations will be conducted into the damning revelations highlighted

by Auditor General Terrance Bastian’s report into the Department of Social Services which was tabled in the House of Assembly on Monday.

The report revealed weak internal controls in the de-

By KHRISNA VIRGIL Tribune Staff Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

WHILE the March 1 deadline for members of Parliament to file financial disclosures has passed, three more MPs have confirmed that they have yet to declare their assets, which is required by law.

Marco City MP Greg Moss, Mt Moriah MP Arnold Forbes and Central and South Andros MP Picewell Forbes told The Tribune they intended to file in the coming days.

Another elected official, South Beach MP Cleola Hamilton turned and walked away, refusing to answer questions about the status of her financial declarations when she was approached outside of the House of Assembly on Monday.

SEE PAGE SIX

MINNIS URGES PROSECUTION OVER LACK OF DECLARATIONS

By TANEKA THOMPSON Tribune News Editor tmthompson@tribunemedia.net

TORI CULMER, right, speaking yesterday at the Transgender and Inter Sex Community press conference at the British Colonial Hilton.

Also pictured is, left, Alicia Seymour and Phylicity Smith.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff education and employment without discrimination.

Lead spokesperson for the group, Alexus D’Marco

affirmed that members of BTIU, and to a greater extent those in the wider lesbian, bi-sexual, gay and

transgender (LBGT) community, are forced to live in unwarranted circumstances due to the confines of so-

cially accepted behaviours in The Bahamas.

SEE PAGE THREE

GRIFFIN: WE WILL INVESTIGATE AUDITOR’S FINDINGS

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THREE MORE MPS FAILED TO DECLARE THEIR ASSETS

partment that created opportunities for fraud and waste.

“I anticipate that there will be further investigations, but I don’t wish to preempt what is happening,” Mrs Griffin said when asked about the finding that millions of dollars were paid to vendors without apparent formal authorisation from the director of the department as is required.

While some employees are already facing punishment for engaging in food

coupon fraud, it is unclear if any senior management member will face repercussions for allowing as much as $3,682,636 in cheque requests to be processed without the director’s signature.

Pressed on the nature of the investigation she said would take place, Mrs Griffin didn’t confirm if it will be an internal or external investigation.

“I want to say that we have already began to implement the recommendations from the auditor general to mod-

ernise the system that we have been plagued with all these years and there will be an investigation, but I don’t want to preempt anything,” she said.

One of Mr Bastian’s more significant findings is that some staff members at the department participated in a fraudulent scheme in which they used food coupons intended for Bahamians on welfare to purchase groceries.

Asked about this, Mrs Griffin said officials found

the department’s reliance on food coupons overwhelming, hence their move to digitise the system through the creation of prepaid debit cards.

“Over the years, successive governments have known that the paper intensive system we have with food coupons was open to opportunities for fraud so that is why we would’ve ensured that we put in place social safety net reform SEE PAGE SIX

POLICE OFFICER IS LAST CROWN WITNESS CALLED IN BEC BRIBERY CASE

By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A JURY heard yesterday that Freddie Solomon Ramsey, accused of accepting a bribe, denied any involvement in the Alstom SA/Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) bribery scheme and was asked more than 100 questions during an interview in police custody.

Inspector Deborah Thompson, of the Central Detective Unit, was the last Crown witness called to give evidence of her role in the investigation of allegations that the French company Alstom SA allegedly paid more than $300,000 to a BEC board member to influence the awarding of the New Providence Phase Two and Three contracts between 1999 and 2003.

She was given the inves-

tigation on May 1, 2015 by Deputy Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson, the jury was told.

“A production order was served on (former BEC General Manager) Kevin Basden requiring him to produce board minutes, tender evaluations and anything related to the awarding of the contracts to Alstom,” the witness said.

SEE PAGE EIGHT

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

FREE National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis last night called on Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson to do her job and prosecute those members of Parliament who have not disclosed their assets to the Public Disclosure Commission.

On Monday, The Tribune revealed that at least ten MPs, by their own admission, had not filed their annual disclosures by March 1 as required by law. Yesterday, three more MPs admitted they had missed the deadline.

Two FNM MPs, Richard Lightbourn and Andre Rollins, last week revealed to The Tribune that they had not yet filed, however Dr Rollins promised the matter would be dealt with this week, while Mr Lightbourn SEE PAGE SIX

MAN WHO KILLED SON ASKS FOR PSYCHIATRIC HELP

By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN who admitted responsibility for the beating death of his two-yearson asked Court of Appeal judges yesterday to assist him in receiving psychological help.

David Alexander Stuart, 24, told Justices Dame Anita Allen, Jon Isaacs and Stella Crane-Scott in a preliminary appeal hearing that he has been haunted as SEE PAGE EIGHT

PAGE 2, Wednesday, April 27, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

AMY HEEMSOTH, of the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation and creator of the BAM programme, with the Camp Abaco students

Students reviving mangrove wetlands

By EDRINEKIA GIBSON

FORTY-FIVE students planted 135 baby mangrove trees in Camp Abaco last week after growing them in their classrooms throughout this school year.

The students, from Abaco Central High School and Forest Heights Academy, and their teachers, participated in a pilot programme called the Bahamas Awareness of Mangroves (BAM), a project about mangrove education and restoration.

The BAM programme was created by Amy Heemsoth, of the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, in partnership with Friends of the Environment.

Their main goal is “to deliver a message about conservation, and to help continue education about mangrove ecosystems here with

Bahamian high school students,” said Ms Heemsoth, the Director of Education at the Foundation.

“A lot of times when you’re trying to promote conservation, it has to start with the youth,” she said. “They’re our future generation that’s going to protect our resources, and help conserve them for the best.”

In the first phase of the project, at the beginning of the school year, the tenth-grade students visited the restoration site at Camp Abaco, where they collected propagules, or mangrove seedlings, to grow and study throughout the year.

Back in the classrooms, they planted those seedlings in three different mediums - sand, pebbles and mangrove mud - and were able to take measurements and collect data weekly.

MANGROVE propagules

IN action planting trees at Camp Abaco.

“They are actually doing a controlled experiment in the classrooms throughout those seven months,” said Ms Heemsoth.

“By the end, they’re going to be graphing this information and finding out which of these different types of media were these propagules or seedlings growing best in.”

Ms Heemsoth and her team returned to the classrooms in February to initiate the second phase of the project, which is bringing in animals that live in the mangrove forest like crabs, fish, and snails, to teach the students about food webs.

“All of this fits right into their curriculum, which is perfect because the teachers are going to be teaching it anyway, and this is just a way for us to reinforce the information that they’re learning, or

CAMP Abaco students helping to plant trees. sometimes it’s the case that we’re bringing new information in,” she said.

James Richard, principal at Forest Heights Academy, said the programme has been very beneficial to his students, and the handson approach has helped immensely with the learning process.

“They got a lot of first-hand field experience, and they were able to learn quite a bit about our local ecosystem,” he said. “It’s a highly structured programme, so rather than just going out and seeing the mangrove wetland, they were able to learn a lot of deep information about it. The benefit this year, over previous years, was the structure of the programme and having the outside presenters come in and lead the field trips.”

Mr Richard believes the process has fostered responsibility and

ownership within his students.

“It’s the first time they’ve been involved in a long term research project. So I think it’s caused them to gain some responsibility, as well as some knowledge.”

Ms Heemsoth said she hopes that by educating students about the mangrove ecosystem, that they’ll understand its importance and want to conserve it.

“The number one thing is to become stewards of the mangrove ecosystem, and all of the surrounding ecosystems that are connected to it,” she said. “That’s the big hope. That they’ll carry that message of stewardship back to their families, and it will continue to spread.”

While there are no plans to expand the programme, it will return with a few developments for the next school year.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, April 27, 2016, PAGE 3

BAR ASSOCIATION READY TO DEFEND JUDICIARY

By KHRISNA VIRGIL Tribune Staff Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Bar Association President Elsworth Johnson said his organisation stands ready to defend the “independence”, “impartiality” and “fearlessness” of this country’s judiciary, amid calls for the bar to investigate officers of the court for alleged wrongdoing.

Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, Mr Johnson urged caution, saying the courts have the Bar Association’s full support, as it is “gravely” important to the Bahamas’ democracy.

He lamented the fact that

members of Parliament “do and say as they would like using the cover of privilege” and called the ongoing matter surrounding an injunction restricting MPs from reading Save The Bays personal information “completely blown out of proportion”.

The issue has been hotly debated in the House of Assembly and led to the agreement of a resolution to have Supreme Court Justice Indra Charles along with Save The Bays Director Fred Smith, QC, and lawyer Ferron Bethel brought before the Committee on Privilege.

This he said was “a serious step”. The resolution was moved on Monday

by Marathon MP Jerome Fitzgerald to determine whether Justice Charles, Mr Smith and Mr Bethel should be held in contempt of the House.

It was seconded by Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, who also called on the Bahamas Bar to examine the conduct of officers of the court who are involved in this matter as the courts had been dragged into the “mire”.

“I want just to say as an officer of the court, the court has the Bar’s support,” Mr Johnson said during an interview with The Tribune. “Obviously we are talking about the question of parliamentary privilege

which may not be absolute and they are talking about protecting the independence of the judiciary which is very important to any constitutional democracy.

“I know that calmer heads will prevail and this matter will be settled but I don’t want it to be taken lightly where the Bar stands in terms of its role in assisting and protecting the judiciary.

“I call on all members, especially members of Parliament, (and) members appearing before the courts to remember their oath taken on being called to the Bar and to conduct themselves in a manner that will contribute to the proper running of the courts.”

He added: “We are an international jurisdiction. We have to consider that people go into Parliament and they use the cover of privilege and they say and they do what they like.

“I would just issue a word of caution that we must remember that we all ought to conduct ourselves. Obviously parliamentarians deserve a certain respect and the court deserves a certain respect. That is the third arm of government and so I always say if you are dissatisfied with a ruling of the courts the government has the largest law firm, appeal it.”

Mr Johnson said for the Bar Association to investi-

Transgender plea over rights from page one According to the selfproclaimed “first lady” of the LGBT community, scores of transgendered and intersex men and women are being discriminated on their jobs, in schools and in other social groupings because of this “well-endorsed” stigma.

“The conversation needed to come about, because discrimination (exists) on all levels. If we are talking about equality we have to go across the board for all Bahamians,” Ms D’Marco said.

“The word equal, that’s the key word. Why are you going to discriminate against one set of people and another set of people get all the privileges?

That’s discrimination. I am glad the topic (of the) referendum and all of that has come about because we live in ‘la la land’ in this country.

Unless we come forward as humans and Bahamians and stand up for our own rights, things will (never) begin to move forward and change.”

Ms D’Marco labelled those opposing the rights and privileges of transgender and intersex Bahamians as modern-day oppressors.

She said naysayers are opting to hide behind outdated research, refusing to acknowledge transgender and intersex for what it is – a medical condition and not as a sexual orientation.

“Just how they can pick up their collegiate math books and biological books,

they can pick up and study (transgender). But, we want to live in ‘la la land’ and keep oppressing people, keep oppressing Bahamians when equality should be across the board,” she said.

Ms D’Marco said the group now has the moral support and backing to come forward and demand what it rightfully deserves “equality.”

Question four of the upcoming referendum will ask voters to eliminate discrimination based on sex in the Constitution by inserting the word “sex” into Article 26.

Those opposing the bill think that this could one day lead to same-sex marriages, but the government has denied this as a possibility and stressed that the focus is solely on gender equality.

Addressing this particular point, BTIU representatives said they aren’t looking to shift the focus of the equality bills, but they want to use the national conversation on equality to be all encompassing.

BTIU stressed that there are no laws to protect transgender and intersex Bahamians.

Rights Torri Culmer, a member of the BTIU who is advocating for legal protection for transgender and intersex persons against being terminated from their jobs, stressed that her story proves that the rights of these persons aren’t respected in the Bahamas.

THREE ARRESTED OVER MARIJUANA

THREE persons were arrested after police discovered illegal drugs inside a vehicle on Monday, police reported.

According to police reports, two men and a woman were taken into custody when officers of Operation Turf Sweep

discovered a quantity of suspected marijuana in a vehicle in the area of Imperial Park.

The suspects are expected to be arraigned in the Freeport Magistrate’s Court this week on the charge of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply.

Currently unemployed, Ms Culmer said she was fired from at least four jobs in recent years after it was discovered that she was a transgender woman.

She admitted that when she applied for those jobs, she would do so using her female persona with only her passport and other identification documents indicating that she was born a male.

According to her, there were no issues with these jobs until co-workers or customers that had prior knowledge of her transgender state made a point of it. “(Employers) find it easier to just let me go, to let a transgender woman go,” she stated.

Furthermore, BTIU lodged concerns for its fastest growing age group trans youth.

BTIU representatives said trans youth are subjected to bullying in schools and often given religious conversion counseling instead of psychological services specific to transgender and intersex people.

Felicity “Peaches” Smith, an 18-year-old transgender youth, said once she and those around her identified her feminine preferences were not a phase, she was

gate any wrongdoing on the part of officers of the court, as was suggested by Mr Davis, it would normally have to be initiated by a complainant.

However, he added that the Bar does have the authority to initiate its own probe.

“I think the matter is being blown out of proportion and we must remember that we are in the silly season. I am counting on the prime minister and the attorney general to resolve this matter and I know that the right decision will be made in terms of an appeal or confronting whatever decision that the court has taken,” Mr Johnson said.

FROM left, Phylicity Smith, Alexus D’Marco, director of The D’Marco Foundation; Alicia Seymour, fashion designer and Tori Culmer, activist.

ostracised and ridiculed instead of supported.

Ms Smith said she was run out of high school in the 11th grade.

“I didn’t have anybody to talk to just because of who I (am).

“At the end of the day, no matter who I am, I should not be discriminated (against),” she said.

BTIU contend that youth, once pushed out by family members, are left without homes and unable to finish school.

Officials said these kids often take to street cultures for protection and guidance; and therefore, are preyed upon by older men in both the homosexual and heterosexual communities.

Additionally, the group indicated that access to proper medical care is limited, with many doctors encouraging transgender and

intersex people to travel abroad to receive needed medical care.

“There are some things that we need that doctors find themselves discriminating against,” stated Ms D’Marco. “For example, there was one transgender girl, who when another issue going on with her, they asked what medications are you on and she said hormones . . . the doctor looked at her and said ‘What? Who gives you that here?’

“These are the types of things that they face here in this country when they go to the doctor. Everyone can’t afford to hop on a flight to Miami. There are things in the public service sector

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff that we need - healthcare, education and equality,” she added.

LGBT rights advocate Erin Greene said BTIU members should have the right to voice their concerns within the confines of democracy.

“It is very important that other Bahamians, (those) that do not identify with this community take the time to assess what their responsibilities are to this vulnerable minority in the country,” she said.

Ms Greene called on Bahamians to engage the LGBT community respectfully as the matters related to the constitutional referendum play out.

PAGE 4, Wednesday, April 27, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

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White House set to release secret pages from 9/11 inquiry WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration will likely soon release at least part of a 28-page secret chapter from a congressional inquiry into 9/11 that may shed light on possible Saudi connections to the attackers.

The documents, kept in a secure room in the basement of the Capitol, contain information from the joint congressional inquiry into “specific sources of foreign support for some of the Sept 11 hijackers while they were in the United States”.

Bob Graham, who was co-chairman of that bipartisan panel, and others say the documents point suspicion at the Saudis.

President Barack Obama has hinted the administration might soon release at least part of the documents, noting that James Clapper, national director of intelligence, has been reviewing the classified pages.

The disclosure would come at a time of strained US relations with Saudi Arabia, a long-time American ally.

“I hope that decision is to honour the American people and make it available,” Graham told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. “The most important unanswered question of 9/11 is, did these 19 people conduct this very sophisticated plot alone, or were they supported?”

Tim Roemer, who was a member of both the joint congressional inquiry as well as the 9/11 Commission and has read the secret chapter three times, described the 28 pages as a “preliminary police report”.

“There were clues. There were allegations. There were witness reports. There was evidence about the hijackers, about people they met with — all kinds of different things that the 9/11 Commission was then tasked with reviewing and investigating,” the former Democratic congressman from Indiana said Friday.

Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were citizens of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government says it has been “wrongfully and morbidly accused of complicity” in the attacks, is fighting extremists and working to clamp down on their funding channels. Still, the Saudis have long said that they would welcome declassification of the 28 pages because it would “allow us to respond to any allegations in a clear and credible manner”.

The pages were withheld from the 838-page report on the orders of President George W Bush, who said the release could divulge intelligence sources and methods. Still, protecting US-Saudi diplomatic relations also was believed to have been a factor.

Neither the congressional inquiry nor the subsequent 9/11 Commission found any evidence that the Saudi government or senior Saudi officials knowingly supported those who orchestrated the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

But Graham, the relatives of victims and some lawmakers think there is reason to further probe possible Saudi links.

Roemer said many questions remain about the roles of Fahad al Thumairy,

an official at the Saudi consulate in Los Angeles who allegedly helped two of the hijackers find housing and transportation after they arrived in Southern California.

Al Thumairy was later denied entry into the United States in May 2003 after the State Department alleged that he might be involved in terrorist activity. Roemer also wants to know more about Omar al Bayoumi, who was strongly suspected of being a Saudi spy and was alleged to have been helpful to the hijackers.

“We did not discover ... Saudi government involvement at the highest level of the 9/11 attacks,” Roemer said. But he added: “We certainly did not exonerate the Saudis. ... Saudi was a fertile ground for fundraising for al-Qaida. Some of these issues continue to be problems today. That’s why we need to continue to get to the bottom of this.”

An Internet site pushing to get the documents released, 28pages.org, points to another document declassified in July 2015 that outlined ways in which the commission could examine possible Saudi links.

That 47-page document lists several pages of individuals of interest and suggests questions that could be pursued.

One name is suspected al-Qaida operative Ghassan al Sharbi.

Al Sharbi, who was taking flight lessons in the Phoenix area before 9/11, was captured in 2002 in the same place in Pakistan as Abu Zubaydah, a top al-Qaida trainer who was apprehended and waterboarded dozens of times by US interrogators. The document said that after al Sharbi was captured, the FBI discovered some documents buried nearby. One was al Sharbi’s pilot certificate inside an envelope from the Saudi Embassy in Washington, although it’s unclear whether the license had been mailed by the embassy or if the envelope was simply being reused.

A CIA inspector-general report in June 2015 said there had been no reliable information confirming Saudi government “involvement with and financial support for terrorist prior to 9/11.” But it said also that people in the CIA’s Near East Division and Counterterrorism Centre “speculated that dissident sympathizers within the government may have aided al-Qaida.” The rest of the chapter, titled “Issues Related to Saudi Arabia,” is blacked out.

A bill directing the president to release the 28-page chapter was introduced in the Senate, and nearly three dozen Republicans and Democrats in the House are backing a similar resolution.

California Rep Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, has read the pages and said this past week that while he wants to see them declassified to end speculation about what they say, releasing them will not quell the debate over the issue.

“As is often the case, the reality is less damaging than the uncertainty,” he said.

By DEB Riechmann of the Associated Press

The case of the purloined emails EDITOR, The Tribune.

SPEAKER Dr Kendal Major says he may hold Minister Jerome Fitzgerald in contempt of the House of Assembly if he finds out that the private emails Mr Fitzgerald read in the House were illegally obtained. What a joke.

Is this the same Speaker who so many times before has required certain Opposition members to bring proof of things they tried to say in the House when, in their opinion, no proof was needed?

Now he allows a Minister of the Government to reveal on the floor of the House the private emails of citizens with the flimsy justification that the Minister found them in his “political garbage can”. Astonishing.

The Speaker should have stopped the Minister dead in his tracks when he attempted to do this because on the face of it (prima facie, as the lawyers say) it would

appear that the emails were illegally obtained since the owners did not authorise their disclosure and since no court authorised it.

The citizens concerned have already been damaged along with the reputation of the country. If there is no recourse to the courts, what next should aggrieved citizens do when their private data are illegally accessed and exposed on the floor of the House?

The Speaker should not allow Members of the House to dump the content of garbage cans on the public because when he does that then citizens will seek other means to protect themselves, such as going to the courts.

Parliamentary privilege was meant to enable Members of Parliament to carry out their duties to the public. It was never meant to be a cover for criminal behaviour, or as House of Commons Speaker Michael Martin quoted on one occa-

sion, the House should not be “a haven from the law”.

In Britain about six years ago, several Members of the House of Commons had their claim of parliamentary privilege rejected by the courts and they were tried and convicted in connection with abuse of their allowances and expenses.

All those concerned about the purloined emails should be aware that this is a very serious matter and should act with great care and in accordance with the best interests of the Bahamian people today and for the future By the way, if the Attorney General, Chief Legal Advisor to the Executive, is to give advice to the Speaker or represent Parliament in any action, what does this say about the Speaker’s concern for the principle of separation of powers?

DIOGENES Nassau, April 26, 2016.

Saga of the BASH horses EDITOR, The Tribune.

ON A hot and humid day in early September, 2014, I accompanied Inspector Percy Grant of the Bahamas Humane Society to see the horses at BASH, which he had seen a few days before and found them badly cared for. As Chairman of the BHS Horse Committee and having considerable horse experience, I was asked to assess the situation.

We found five horses stabled in wet, damp stalls.

They had daily access to roam the property and the bush in search of food, which was inadequate.

Three were severely underweight, the other two slightly better as they appeared to be of a different, tougher breed better able to cope.

The property was littered with old, rusty, broken bits of equipment. The roof of the stable was leaking and the mangers were disgusting pieces of wood. The building itself was dilapidated and live wires could be seen exposed in many places. An accident waiting to happen.

The man in charge of the horses listened to our concerns and advice, seeming eager to improve the care he was giving them.

Aware that the food was not enough, he said he could only give them what Terry Miller provided. I asked what that was and was shown a typed paper, laying out the feeding schedule ... it included a large quantity of wonder bread, a cheap but totally unsuitable filler.

We discussed a better diet, the importance of feeding horses regularly, several times a day ... as grazing animals, I explained that they needed to have something in their stomachs to prevent ulcers and other digestive problems.

Several cases of thrush were noticed in their feet due to the wet, urine-soaked stable floors. Treatment for this was also discussed and remedies provided.

A week later, we were shocked to find that none of my suggestions had been implemented, only the re-

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net moval of wonder bread from their diet but without the recommended increase in hay. This time Mr Miller was there. I went over the same ground, discussing a better diet, trying to make them see the reason for increasing the hay, explaining the urgent need for the roof to be fixed to keep the stalls dry and prevent further hoof rot from severely damaging their feet. Mr Miller listened attentively.

After I left, I wrote Mr Miller an explicit email, telling him that his horses were starving and what he had to feed them in order to bring them back to a decent weight if he wanted to be able to use them ever again for rides. His response was to say how offensive he had found my remarks, and no, his horses were certainly not starving. I sent him a video link showing the correct weight for a healthy horse, and each of his horses were far skinnier that the “thin” horse in the video.

I discovered two turtles being kept in a shallow tub full of dirty water and no shelter from the hot sun, as well as some rabbits in a filthy hutch, with the water bottle in full sunlight, and the water inside boiling hot.

Nobody at BASH seemed to know exactly who was responsible for looking after these other animals. I shared the carrots I had brought for the horses with the rabbits, and they ate them enthusiastically.

Luckily, after a few more visits and constant complaining, they released the turtles in a nearby pond.

The rabbits were moved into the shade and divided into two hutches but they see no daylight and are still kept in unclean and dismal conditions despite my repeated requests that they have a bigger, better run built for them.

Over the next few months, we had farriers in to deal with the problems with the horses’ feet, especially poor Martini. Again, the urgent

need for clean, dry stables was emphasised along with more hay and better quality feed. It was suggested to Mr Miller that if he could not afford the horses he should let them go to people who could, but he replied that they were his family and he loved them like his children. We continued to persevere, but against ever increasing odds as there was there was now no qualified person looking after them.

There was often nobody around when we arrived.

Sometimes the horses were in their stalls and, at other times, wandering around amongst the broken machines. No effort seemed to be made to clean the place or finish the repairs to the leaking stable roof.

I brought the situation to the attention of Government officials. In January, 2015, Dr Springer, accompanied by other officials, went to BASH and spoke with Mr Miller, after which they recommended giving him more time to sort things out. So more time he got, while the horses continued to be neglected.

Again, I brought the matter to the attention of the government authorities and showed them recent photographs. They were shocked and said it was terrible. Another visit was scheduled.

But once again, no action was taken by them.

The issue was further complicated by the fact that the horses were subject to a legal ownership dispute.

Earlier this year, there was significant deterioration in some of the horses and we were able to get two veterinarians to write a report, on the basis of which we were able to lodge a formal complaint to the police and get them removed from Mr Miller and BASH on April 18.

It was a sad and sorry saga but at least the surviving horses are now resting comfortably.

PATRICIA LEIGHWOOD Chairman, Bahamas Humane Society Horse Committee April 25, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, April 27, 2016, PAGE 5

Born to Bahamian father - but dream at risk because of citizenship inequality

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net BORN in The Bahamas without automatic citizenship, high school senior Kirah Dames’ dreams of playing professional softball have been halted as she watches her peers prepare for opportunities outside the country.

Her parents - a Bahamian man and a Jamaican mother who is a permanent resident - said the pain of watching their active teen fall through the cracks is incomparable and heartbreaking.

“I feel helpless in assisting my child who is trying to pursue her dreams,” said the teen’s father, Kirkwood Dames.

“I am losing sleep over this. She can’t travel, can’t get a driver’s permit. She can’t do anything her classmates can do. She can’t travel with her graduating class on the class trip. How do I explain to a 17-year-old that I cannot help her?”

Mr Dames, 47, added: “How would you feel if it was your child? This is a real situation which involves a real live person. I

KIRAH DAMES don’t think that they realise that. If she was to become successful in her sport, will she be classified as a Bahamian then? Will we then want to support her? What about now, can I please get some support now?”

The teen’s mother was born in Jamaica, but moved to The Bahamas at the age of ten; she is now 49 and is a permanent resident. The problem is that the couple were not married when Kirah was born, which means that she inherited her mother’s Jamaican nationality.

Her father says that he has read the constitution and according to Chapter

2 section 6 “every person born in The Bahamas after July 9th, 1973, shall become a citizen of The Bahamas at the date of his birth if at that date either of his parents is a citizen of The Bahamas.”

“I am a Bahamian,” Mr Dames declared. “Did that change? ” However under the new immigration policy, Kirah must first apply for Jamaican citizenship, obtain a Jamaican passport, and then apply for a belonger’s permit that will allow her to work and live in the Bahamas. Her certificate of identity expired last year.

She can apply for Bahamian citizenship once she turns 18.

“Her dream is to play ball for The Bahamas and become a doctor,” Mr Dames said. “How can she achieve her dreams if her hands are tied and I can’t help her? It is breaking my heart to see my little girl cry every night over something that is not her fault.

“All I want is a document that will enable her to travel back and forth so she can go off to school to pursue her career in sports and get her degree, she will be eternally grateful and the Bahamas

KIRAH Dames on the softball field - but amid citizenship problems, she is unable to travel to compete. will be better off for having assisted her.”

Kirah is a senior at Tabernacle Baptist Christian Academy in Grand Bahama. She plays first and third base positions, and is also a junior coach for the Rising Stars team. She has an opportunity in July to attend a softball showcase to perform for a chance at a college scholarship.

“Kirah been playing baseball and softball since she was four years old,” her mother said. “She’s out there three to four times a day. This is her dream, every year she attends clinics in the US, that’s a lot of money we have been investing in sending her.

“Now she doesn’t have any documents to travel and this is crushing her. To live with a child growing up through that, they don’t know what it is. It’s nothing that she has done to warrant

this so it’s just frustrating for us. So many opportunities she’s missing. It’s really depressing her.”

Her mother added: “They need to put something in place to allow these children to continue to travel because it’s like you’re putting your life on stop.

They’re telling us to apply for a belonger’s permit but I don’t know one person that applied that has ever gotten one.”

Children born to a Bahamian man and a foreign woman who are not married do not receive automatic citizenship.

However, Bahamians will decide whether to change this in the upcoming gender equality referendum on June 7. Bill three would grant any unmarried Bahamian man the right to pass on his Bahamian citizenship to any child he fathers with a foreign woman with

proof of paternity. The changes, however, will not be retroactive.

The teen’s parents are appealing to the government for a solution to the immigration problem that will not stunt the lives of young people.

Mr Dames said: “I understand that the upcoming referendum will change that for future children. What about the children of today? What about my child?

Will that help her? Will I be able to pass my citizenship to her?

“Everyday when I get home from being at sea all day, she is there asking ‘Daddy anything change yet?’ I am frustrated with this arrangement. She is about to graduate high school in a few weeks.

What is she supposed to do?

“To her, her future seems bleak,” Mr Dames said.

DAME JOAN’S MOTIVES FOR REFERENDUM COMMENTS QUESTIONED

By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net

LONG Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner yesterday questioned former Court of Appeal President Dame Joan Sawyer’s motives after Dame Joan labeled the June 7 constitutional referendum “a waste of time.”

In an interview with The Tribune, Mrs Butler-Turner said what “bothered” her the most about Dame Joan’s comments, was the former chief justice’s declaration that if she did vote, she would vote no, despite not reading any of the proposed questions.

“Dame Joan is mislead-

ing the electorate,” Mrs Butler Turner said.

“There are laws already on the books against discrimination based on religion, creed, sex and the list goes on. Clearly, any form of discrimination can be dealt with from a judicial standpoint once proven in the courts but this referendum is about equality not discrimination.

“This is about equality for men and women where they are not able to pass citizenship. This is about equality for our boys and girls.

What really bothered me and most Bahamians is the fact that persons like Dame Joan Sawyer have reached the pinnacle of their legal

‘NO NEED FOR VOTE’

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

PRESIDENT of the Bahamas Global Impact Prayer and Fasting Network (BGI-PAFN) Jeremiah Duncombe yesterday said there is no need for the constitutional referendum scheduled for June 7, as the government is “fully capable” of amending the Constitution to show gender equality “all on its own.”

The group is seeking to protect the religious values enshrined in the preamble of the country’s Constitution.

According to the retired pastor, the amendments proposed in bills one, two and three can all be “written into being” by the government without affecting the present structure of the country’s Constitution and its preamble.

BGI-PAFN intends to lead a national “Daniel Fast” – 40 days of prayer, fasting, thanksgiving and repentance – to “steady the minds of the voting public” ahead of the June 7 referendum.

“If those bills are changed, fundamentally it will require re-editing of the preamble and so we are not supporting it at all,” Mr Duncombe said.

“We are saying that there is no need for the referendum as being proposed.

The government can give an administrative order to give citizenship to any group it wants. Therefore this is a waste of time and money.

“There are groups, religious, non-religious - we want all to come out and participate. There is a lot of confusion surrounding the first three bills, we want to host a platform where persons in search of knowledge and understanding can

come,” he said.

“We want persons from both sides of the aisle on this matter to come out.

We will allow a space for them to make the points known and see how we can all come together and determine some consensus on bills one to and three.”

In terms of bill four, the amendment attempting to remove all forms of discrimination based on sex from the Constitution, Mr Duncombe said the BGIPAFN has concluded that the bill would open the door to same-sex marriage.

He said the Christie administration has been forced into its current position by international civic-bodies pressed to end discriminatory actions towards persons within the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

“When (our leaders) go off to all of those international meetings and forums, our country is viewed as old-fashioned. We are black-eyed and acknowledged as a backward society. Our religious practices and beliefs are said to infringe on the basic rights of gay and lesbians,” he said.

“That is what they want to change. These big, strong international bodies want us to conform to their views on same-sex marriages.

That’s the issue with bill four. Our government sees it as a way to make that a possibility. Lawyers are confused on this because they understand what it poses. It leaves it to a legal debate. Legally, it leaves the decision up to the courts international courts that would rule in favour of international beliefs and values,” he added.

The BGI-PAFN will start its prayer and fasting exercise on Friday in Rawson Square.

career, she retired as the chief justice and the fact that she was able to make such strong pronouncements in the absence of facts, really gives me reason to question the motive.

“I would think in the regard that I hold her, I would want to know before she speaks to an issue as critical as this, she would be speaking from a position on knowledge, it seems that she has put these statements out there and by her own admission has not read or studied them.”

Dame Joan served as chief justice from 1996 to 2001. That same year she was appointed president of the Court of Appeal, a post

she held until she retired in 2010.

Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson also responded to Dame Joan’s comments. In a statement released Monday night, Mrs Maynard-Gibson said the main purpose of the referendum is to ensure that “equality under our laws be enshrined in our nation’s most important legal document”.

She added: “Our Constitution currently prevents Parliament from passing laws which discriminate on the basis of race or religion; this referendum is an opportunity to also specifically prevent new laws which might discriminate against a Bahamian citizen

because they are male or female. The courts have repeatedly found that Article 15 does not guarantee equal rights. Article 26 is the only provision which deals with discrimination. It must therefore be amended if Bahamian men and women are to be able to count on equal treatment under our laws.

“Additionally, it cannot be doubted that the citizenship provisions of our Constitution currently disadvantage women, and in one instance, men, in their ability to transmit their citizenship to their children and spouses. Amendments one, two and three address this unfairness, which has

an impact on so many of our families.

“Bahamians understand that men and women will always be different, but that as citizens, they should be treated equally. And many Bahamians agree: this is an historic opportunity to make sure our children and grandchildren share the same rights and the same opportunities,” Mrs Maynard-Gibson said.

The referendum is scheduled for June 7.

PAGE 6, Wednesday, April 27, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

Three more MPs failed to declare their assets

from page one

This comes after Prime Minister Perry Christie refused to answer questions regarding his financial disclosures last week and Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis’ uncertainty over which year he filed.

Mr Moss, who is also the leader of the newly formed United Democratic Party, admitted that he “just realised” he had not filed because he was caught up in matters regarding the four Constitutional Amendment Bills that are set to be voted on during the June 7 referendum.

“You know I totally missed the deadline because I was busy with the constitutional bills,” Mr Moss said.

“I just realised that I didn’t file but I intend to file within the next 14 days.

I have already called in the needed financial documents from the bank so I am waiting on those.”

Meanwhile the Mt Moriah MP said he planned to file by the end of the week, while the Central and South Andros MP said he would do so by today.

Central Abaco MP Renardo Curry told The Tribune that his documents “were in the mail”.

Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald and Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe have each said their declarations have been filed.

walked ents did not away when docum il’ asked ‘in ma file

did not file

did not file

GREG MOSS

ARNOLD FORBES

PICEWELL FORBES

filed on tim e

filed on time

filed on tim e

RENWARD WELLS Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller, who last week said his documents had not been filed, told The Tribune this week that he has since completed the process.

Meanwhile, Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant, Central and South Abaco MP Edison Key, and Bamboo Town MP Renward Wells - who are all a part of the Free National Movement - said they have also submitted declarations.

Southern Shores MP

JEROME FITZGERALD Kenred Dorsett said he has since completed his filing process after telling The Tribune last week that he was waiting on documents from his bank.

According to the Public Disclosure Act, a summary of the declarations shall be published in the Gazette and any person who does not comply with the law is liable to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or imprisonment of not more than two years.

If a parliamentarian de-

one set of laws for all of the Bahamas.”

His comments came at the Golden Gates candidate launch for Michael Foulkes at the Sybil Strachan Primary School.

If elected as the next government, Dr Minnis also said the FNM would introduce the “most aggressive anti-corruption changes ever made in our Bahamas”.

He pledged to appoint an anti-corruption task force within 90 days of coming

into office. This task force will assess the public service, review anti-corruption laws and make recommendations, he said.

Dr Minnis also promised to implement an anti-corruption unit to report to an independent director of public prosecutions, with no oversight by the attorney general or political interference.

“We will implement a code of conduct for senior public officials and parliamentarians with sanctions

CLEOLA HAMILTON

RENARDO CURRY

filed on time

filed on tim e

EDISON KEY liberately does not disclose property owned in The Bahamas, the land can be seized and forfeited to the government. The disclosures have not been made public since 2012, an election year.

This comes amid increased calls from the public for elected officials and senators to face penalties for failing to file the annual financial declarations.

It also follows a recent US State Department report that highlighted the subject

NEKO GRANT of corruption and government transparency.

The 2015 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in this country further took issue that there was no independent verification of annual public disclosures from senior public officials, and called the annual submission rate “weak” unless it was an election year.

Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) Chairman Myles Laroda insisted on Sunday that the decision

OBIE WILCHCOMBE to prosecute someone for breaching the act is left up to the discretion of the Office of the Attorney General.

He explained that the commission’s power is “basically limited to writing,” maintaining that the attorney general would have to give the nod on whether a member of Parliament or top ranking civil servant would face charges over failing to adhere to the stipulations in the Public Disclosure Act.

for breaches.

We will make the Public Disclosure Commission independent and update their legislation and powers. Politicians must disclose and obey the law like everyone else.”

He also said, under the FNM, the auditor general will be given the power to report fraudulent activity to the appropriate authorities like the police and the independent director of public prosecution.

“We will make laws to protect whistle blowers in corruption matters,” Dr Minnis added.

He also advocated for the removal of value added tax (VAT) from breadbasket

items, healthcare, education and utilities.

Speaking to a crowd of supporters, Dr Minnis also predicted that the constituency would vote FNM in the next election, telling those gathered that current area MP Shane Gibson “is gone”.

“We gon’ vote that baldhead out of town,” Dr Minnis told the crowd, referring to the Bob Marley song “Crazy Baldhead”.

He also urged FNMs to seize the opportunity the party has to get rid of “PLP dishonesty and crookedness”.

“We in the FNM will put an end to the corrupt practices of giving contracts only

to our political friends,” Dr Minnis said. “If you are Bahamian and qualified, you will have an opportunity.

It’s the people’s time.”

After listing various scandals that have plagued the Christie administration, Dr Minnis urged the FNM to move forward together to unseat the Progressive Liberal Party.

“FNMs, we cannot lose sight of the urgency of this moment. We cannot lose focus on the real issues we face day in and day out.

“And FNMs, I am still convinced that, if we speak with one voice, if we all move with one purpose and if we follow one vision, no one can defeat us.”

MINNIS URGES PROSECUTION OVER LACK OF DECLARATIONS

from page one

said it was “being handled”.

“It is rumoured that the attorney general is hoping to be appointed as the chief justice,” Dr Minnis said last night. “Show what you are worth. Do your job. Prosecute those MPs who have not yet disclosed their assets to the Public (Disclosure) Commission.

No member of Parliament is above the law. We want

GRIFFIN: WE WILL INVESTIGATE AUDITOR’S FINDINGS

from page one

which included the prepaid debit card, eradicating the printing of food coupons which we expect will reduce the level of fraud or opportunities for fraud,” she said.

“The reform process also included the strengthening of the Department of Social Services. The food coupons have been eliminated. We don’t print them anymore.

Only in the Family Islands on a limited basis we use them but we’re moving toward the card in the Family Islands.”

Nonetheless, Mr Bastian’s audit raised the question of whether employment conditions at the department prompted some employees to commit food coupon fraud.

Mr Bastian found that many employees at DOSS were underemployed, with 172 of the 515 employees classified under the Unemployment Assistance Programme.

The programme was designed to give clients of the DOSS temporary employment opportunities for a period of three months until they sought full-time gainful employment.

However, 70 per cent of those employees were employed with the DOSS for five years or more, raising questions about the government’s failure to regularise them into the public system.

Former State Minister

MELANIE GRIFFIN for Social Development Loretta Butler-Turner told The Tribune yesterday that someone should be held accountable for what appears to be a poor oversight and management lapses that were detailed in Mr Bastian’s report.

“There are many civil servants that are doing their jobs extremely well, working in the parametres of the law but in every instance you tend to have individuals that will not abide by the law,” she said. “This is probably an instance where you have a small group of persons doing this and that small group should be held accountable for whatever they have done.”

Mrs Butler-Turner said the finding that top officials in the DOSS failed to sign off on large payments to vendors “shocking,” questioning whether checks and

balances were in place.

As for the food coupon fraud, she said: “It’s certainly disheartening to me to see that in these hard economic times where we have individuals below the property level, to know that there seems to be some kind of disconnect in getting the public funds expended to alleviate poverty.

“One thing I would stand by is you don’t take from the poor. I don’t believe it is a widespread practice but there must be an investigation. There are not proper checks and balances. We must make sure consequences follow and that protocols not being employed need to be employed. We must make sure the people’s money is being used for what it is earmarked for.”

The audit covered the period July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2015.

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Wednesday, April 27, 2016, PAGE 7

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PAGE 8, Wednesday, April 27, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

Police officer is last crown witness called in BEC bribery case from page one She said the investigation led her to interview a number of individuals, including former BEC Chairman J Barrie Farrington, and numerous board members, including Sharon Brown and William McDonald.

The investigator said she also saw and spoke with prosecution witness Mark Smith, an American, who gave her information and handed to her a number of documents, including a consultancy agreement, bank statements and emails. Smith, an admitted bribe taker, was given immunity from prosecution in exchange for his testimony.

Insp Thompson said she also saw and spoke with former Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson during the course of her investigation.

“On August 24, 2015, I arrested Freddie Solomon Ramsey in connection with bribery,” the witness said.

Ramsey, 79, is currently on trial before Justice Bernard Turner on four counts of conspiracy to commit bribery and 14 counts of bribery allegedly committed between 1999 and 2003.

He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Ramsey is on $40,000 bail and is represented by attorneys Wayne Munroe, QC, Tommel Roker and

from page one

ing the contract or tendering evaluations for the DA11 and DA-12 projects.

It was suggested to him during the interview that he had a close business relationship with Mark Smith.

“I had a relationship with Ted Smith. When Ted Smith died, the company (CSBL) died. Ted Smith was the machine that ran the company. The last time I saw Mark was at his father’s funeral,” Ramsey told police.

He was asked if he was familiar with ABB Generacion.

“I heard of it,” Ramsey told the investigator at the time.

However, he denied approaching an official at the company regarding the contract, noting that he heard of it through board meetings. He also denied being a consultant and assistant for ABB/Alstom.

“When it came to a vote on the board level, the whole board voted,” Ramsey told police.

It was suggested to him he received a cut of some $600,000 for his alleged assistance to the French company to which he replied “no, ma’am.”

He was asked if he had a US bank account with Bank Atlantic. He said he did.

It was suggested to him that the account was used to receive his cut for bribes.

Ramsey denied this.

“Whatever funds were

owed to me was deposited there,” he told the investigator.

He was asked about a number of cheques paid to CSBL for his help allegedly in connection with the DA-12 project that was negotiated between him and Mark Smith in a consultancy agreement.

Ramsey denied this.

“Me and Mark Smith never negotiated anything.

Ted and I always did business,” Ramsey stressed to the investigator.

Inspector Thompson said Ramsey signed the record of interview and a month later he was charged in relation with the matter presently before the courts.

Mr Munroe, in cross-examination, asked the investigator if she interviewed the former prime minster, Hubert Ingraham. The detective said she did not.

She said she only interviewed the former deputy prime minister and the questions posed to him were general.

Mr Munroe asked her if she was aware that Ramsey had suffered a stroke and was undergoing treatment with a neurologist.

The witness said she was not.

Following her evidence, the Crown closed its case.

Justice Turner will hear legal arguments on Wednesday at 11am in the absence of the jury.

MAN WHO KILLED SON ASKS FOR PSYCHIATRIC HELP

a result of his actions since the death of his son, Peter Higgs. The toddler was found unresponsive while in his care at Magellan Crest, Freeport, on April 29, 2013.

The toddler had severe injuries to the body, partic-

e e

FRED Ramsey arrives at court yesterday for the BEC bribe trial.

Photo: Tim Clarke/Tribune Staff Bridgette Ward. garding the allegations and Garvin Gaskin, acting his right not to answer and/ director of public prosecu- or consult with his attorneys tion, is prosecuting the case who were present. Ramsey with the assistance of Cord- said “yes”. ell Frazier.

Ramsey confirmed that Insp Thompson told a he was an insurance exjury yesterday that Ramsey ecutive who operated his denied having any involve- agency. ment in the bribe scheme He was asked if he owned during an interview in any other businesses in the which 101 questions were past. put to him in the presence “I was part owner in Carof his then-lawyers Roger ibbean Supplies Bahamas Minnis and Khalil Parker.

Ltd (CSBL),” Ramsey anRamsey was asked if he swered, describing the busiunderstood the caution re- ness as an import-export

service he had founded more than two decades ago.

When asked who were the other owners, he said Ted and Mark Smith. He said the latter was the son of Ted who had passed away long ago.

The detective asked Ramsey if he operated bank accounts for CSBL and the insurance executive said he did, noting that it was likely to be Royal Bank of Canada.

When asked where the company purchased from, Ramsey said CSBL imported items from the Caribbean and North America.

Ted Smith, Ramsey claimed, dealt with clientele.

He was asked if he was familiar with a company called M Smith Inc, to which he replied “no.”

He was asked if he served as a board member at BEC and he said “yes”, notwithstanding that he declared his interests in CSBL, which supplied materials for BEC. However, he maintained that he was not an executive at the corporation during J Barrie Farrington’s tenure as chairman.

He also denied being appointed to a sub committee responsible for contracts.

He said his appointment to the board was the result on an invitation extended to him by the former prime minister.

Ramsey denied influenc-

ularly in the buttocks area.

Stuart, who was on remand in prison since May 2013 to await trial on a murder charge, appeared before Chief Justice Sir Hartman Longley last March pleading guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Stuart appealed his subsequent 19-year sentence and yesterday asked the

court for assistance to appoint a lawyer argue his appeal.

However, the appellate court wanted to know what his issue was with the 19year sentence.

“There were plea discussions between the prosecution and defence counsel. A sentence was agreed upon and the court accepted. He

received 19 years but that was reduced to 17 after taking into account the times spent on remand,” Crown respondent Olivia Nixon said.

“Mr Stuart, why are you complaining now?” Dame Anita asked.

“I felt it was unduly harsh,” Stuart said, admitting that he was expecting a more lenient sentence.

“There was a compromise of 19 years, isn’t that so?” Justice Isaacs asked.

Stuart agreed.

“An innocent little child is dead, let’s not forget that,” Dame Anita stressed.

Stuart said his lawyer did not give him an opportunity to express his view on the outcome of the plea discussions.

The appellant then said his real issue was that he hasn’t received any psychiatric help.

“I was hoping this court could give me some counselling. It’s really tormenting me, day and night still,” Stuart admitted.

Dame Anita said the court would not exercise its discretion to appoint counsel in the matter given the record of what transpired when Stuart pleaded guilty

to manslaughter.

Stuart said he would withdraw his appeal but still wanted counselling.

His appeal was formally dismissed and his sentence of 17 years affirmed.

“We also direct that Mr Stuart be given (psychological) counselling,” Dame Anita added.

Justice Crane-Scott asked the convict if there were “any (trade) courses you can undertake while there?”

Stuart says the maximum-security inmates are not given access to trade courses.

KILLER’S SENTENCING DELAYED

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net SENTENCING for convicted murderer Basil Black has been rescheduled to June 17 after his newly appointed counsel requested more time during a presentence hearing in the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Black, who represented himself at trial in March, is being assisted by attorney Carlson Shurland for his sentencing, which was initially scheduled for May 3.

The 35-year-old resident of Eight Mile Rock could be facing a possible life sentence or capital punishment. On March 8, he was found guilty of murder in the shooting death of his 15-year-old girlfriend, Alexis Smith.

Smith was at the Platinum Sportsbar in Eight

Mile Rock with Black and some friends during the early morning of March 30, 2014, when she was shot to death outside the nightclub.

Justice Estelle Gray-Evans is the presiding judge.

Erica Kemp of the Attorney General’s Office appeared for the Crown.

During Tuesday’s proceedings, Mr Shurland made a request for copies of the doctors’ reports that were presented as evidence in the trial, as well as a probation report from the Probation Department.

However, Mrs Kemp told the court that the probation report was not ready and would be completed by the end of the week.

US man’s sentence wait Also appearing in the Supreme Court for sentencing was American citizen Michael Bradley whose sen-

tence hearing was further postponed for another two months.

Bradley was convicted of killing of his 70-year-old father-in-law Sundiata Karamo over a year ago. He is represented by Mario Gray.

Karamo, a retired schoolteacher, was stabbed at his residence in Hawksbill in January 2015.

Justice Evans was informed by the prosecutor that the psychiatric report which had been requested from the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre was still not complete, but noted that the probation report was finished.

Mr Gray, who was ready to proceed with the sentencing, was somewhat disappointed that the report was still not ready.

Justice Evans adjourned sentencing to June 23 at 9.30am.

THREE MURDER SUSPECTS FACE COURT

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THREE young men accused of murder and attempted murder appeared in the Supreme Court on Tuesday to have their matters joined in one voluntary bill indictment.

Steve Derosier, Fabian Rolle, and Deondre Hamilton of Grand Bahama appeared before Justice Estelle Gray-Evans with their attorneys William Allen, Carlson Shurland, who was holding brief for Wendell Smith, and Mario Gray, respectively.

Prosecutor Erica Kemp of the Attorney General’s Office made an application in the Supreme Court to join the three separate VBIs into one file. She noted that all of the men are charged

with the same offence, but were arrested at different times when three separate VBI’s were granted.

Mrs Kemp said that all of the witnesses, the deceased and the attempted murder victim are the same on all three VBIs. “We are making application to join the three accused men under one VBI with the same two counts – murder and attempted murder,” she informed Justice Evans.

Justice Evans told the men that the court clerk was required to read the charges again to them and that they would have to give their pleas.

According to the charges, it is alleged that on March 31, 2014, at Freeport, the men being concerned together murdered Sean Andrew Smith aka “Smily”

and attempted to murder Austin Rolle.

The men pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Justice Evans then informed them that they would be permitted to give evidence of an alibi in court or within the next 21 days to the Attorney General’s Office.

“You would have to show evidence that you were not at the place when the offences have been committed; that you were nowhere when the murder of Sean Smith occurred and the attempted murder of Austin Rolle occurred on March 31, that you were somewhere else and you need to say who can confirm it,” she explained.

All of the men said they would submit an alibi to the Office of the Attorney General within the next 21 days.

THE THETRIBUNE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, April 2016,PAGE PAGEA9 9 Wednesday, April 27,27, 2016,

TECHTALK

S A M A H A B THE SAVING

TURE SOLUTIONS FU ER FF O S ST TI N YOUNG SCIE

WASTE management is weighing on the minds of young Bahamian scientists.

From recycling water, plastic and aluminum to hydropower and forestry, what to do with all of that garbage the country produces was a common theme at the fourth annual Earth Day enviro-science competition hosted by Romauld Ferreira, of Ferreira & Company, in Nassau on Friday.

“We want to inspire you to greatness,” Mr Ferreira, an environmental consultant and attorney, told the students who were gathered at the Paul Farquharson Conference Centre at Royal Bahamas Police Force headquarters. “You all have gifts to give, you all have things to share and our country needs it.”

Emphasising that the Bahamas stands to lose the most when it comes to climate change, Mr Ferreira said that the mission of the competition is to encourage young Bahamians to take the lead on environmental issues for the sake of their own future.

“As a generation of young people, it’s what you do and the creative energies you unleash that are going to help us all,” said Ferreira, who is also a director of environmental movement Save The Bays.

“You are the leaders in the environment who are going to solve some of these problems we have. You have a deeper destiny. Your day is coming.”

The most pressing problem, according to most students, is the constant threat of toxic fumes that are frequently spewed from the New Providence landfill. Images of black smoke billowing out of the Harrold Road dump site were fea-

ABOVE: Mt Carmel Preparatory School won first place for their entry on using water turbines to produce renewable energy.

LEFT: Romauld Ferreira chats with students from Mt Carmel Preparatory School at the Earth Day enviroscience competition.

BELOW: Students from St Augustine’s College focused on air pollution. tured prominently on several displays.

“Hazardous fumes [affect] not only people with asthma, but causes thinning of the ozone layer from greenhouse gases leading to global warming,” said one young female student from Central Andros High whose team’s project centred on collecting and burning garbage and then utilising the steam to create energy.

A student from St Augustine’s College pointed to the financial threat the fires pose. “Let’s say tourists are on the beach, relaxing, and they see this huge cloud of black smoke … they want to leave.

It affects the economy,” he said. As a solution, the St Augustine’s team proposed using drones to circle the landfill and identify smoke. Once detected, a “terra toxin taker” would be released on the ground to vacuum up the smoky air which would then be filtered through charcoal lime and sand to emit clean air.

St Anne’s School’s display included a life-size cutout of a glittery, blond super hero dubbed the “International Bahamas CFL Hero”, a caped crusader standing sentry over a bright blue recycling

receptacle, beckoning passers-by to deposit their used CLF light bulbs into the bin.

Entries in this year’s competition included: C R Walker Senior High: Solar distillation - Water purification.

Aquinas College: Deforestation: Roots for Restoration - air layering allows plants to be regenerated more quickly than from seeds, allowing for a shorter maturation process.

Central Andros: Garbage is Power - garbage is collected and burned with the steam being converted into energy.

Eight Mile Rock: Forestry - collected soil samples from industrial areas and non-industrial areas to determine acidity of soil caused by

industrial pollution.

Mount Carmel Preparatory: Renewable Energy - energy created using hydropower powered by turbines.

St Augustine’s College: Air Pollution - in order to manage the fires at the local landfill, drones would be used to circle above the dump. A ‘terra toxin’ taker would then be released to vacuum and filter the toxic air ultimately emitting clean air.

St Anne’s School: Solid Waste Management - benefits of recycling CFL light bulbs, which contain significant levels of mercury.

Bahamas Academy: Solid Waste Management - creation of a material recycling facility (MARF) at the public landfill which sorts garbage to reuse materials.

DESIGN FLAWS GROUND ‘ZERO’

‘STAR FOX ZERO’ WII U, $59.99

THE SOLAR IMPULSE 2 flies over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. (AP)

SOLAR-POWERED PLANE CROSSES PACIFIC A SOLAR-powered plane on a mission to fly around the world landed in California at the weekend, completing a risky, three-day flight across a great expanse of the Pacific Ocean.

Pilot Bertrand Piccard landed the Solar Impulse 2 in Silicon Valley on Saturday night following a 62-hour, non-stop solo flight from Hawaii without fuel.

Piccard and fellow Swiss pilot Andre Borschberg have been taking turns flying the plane on a round-the-world trip since taking off from Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, in March, 2015. It made stops in Oman, Myanmar, China, Japan and Hawaii. The trans-Pacific legs were the riskiest part of the plane’s travels because of the lack of emergency landing sites.

The Solar Impulse 2 landed in Hawaii in July and was forced to stay in the islands

after the plane’s battery system sustained heat damage on its trip from Japan. The team was delayed in Asia, too. When first attempting to fly from Nanjing, China, to Hawaii, the crew had to divert to Japan because of unfavourable weather and a damaged wing.

The carbon-fibre aircraft weighs over 5,000 pounds and its wings, wider than those of a Boeing 747, are equipped with 17,000 solar cells that power propellers and charge batteries.

The plane runs on stored energy at night.

Solar Impulse 2 will make three more stops in the United States before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Europe or northern Africa.

The project, which is estimated to cost more than $100 million, began in 2002 to highlight the importance of renewable energy and the spirit of innovation.

OVER the years, Nintendo has recruited an assortment of outside developers to try to revive the “Star Fox” franchise.

Now the duty falls to Platinum Games, best known for gonzo free-for-alls like “Bayonetta” and “MadWorld”. The resulting reboot, “Star Fox Zero”, falls far short of either company’s best work.

“Star Fox” doesn’t need to be complicated: just strap me into the cockpit and let me shoot at aliens. But “Zero” is marred by a terrible design decision intended to emphasise the Wii U’s clunky GamePad controller. You have two perspectives on dogfights: a third-person view from outside your Arwing spaceship shows up on your TV while a first-person view from inside the cockpit appears on the GamePad screen.

In theory, you can use the big screen to navigate around three-dimensional space and use the small screen to target and fire on enemies. With one set of eyes, every time I look down at my controller I tend to slam into some random piece of space junk. If you adjust the settings so you don’t need the small screen, you lose the accuracy.

The controls feel a bit more manageable when you land on a planet and switch to a ground-based vehicle like the bipedal Walker or the beefy Landmaster tank. There’s also the Gyrowing drone, whose stealth missions drag on so long

you’ll be dying to get back into the open skies.

The plot is essentially a rehash of 1997’s “Star Fox 64”: the vulpine Fox McCloud and his crew have to stop an invasion by the evil Andross. You can polish off the story in about four hours, although the final boss battle is so exasperating that I suspect many players will give up without seeing the ending. Hidden areas provide some motivation to go back and explore levels you’ve already beaten, so at least there’s some payoff for masochists who master the thorny controls.

For most players, though, Nintendo’s insistence on using the GamePad’s second screen is a huge stumbling block.

It’s like a tech demo for a four-year-old console that’s already past its prime, and a sad tribute to the failures of the fading Wii U. (LOU KESTEN Associated Press)

• THE Alaska SeaLife Centre in Seward has announced that 98 per cent of its heating and cooling requirements are fulfilled by alternative energy: heat extracted from ocean water in Resurrection Bay. The heat exchange system is saving money, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and fulfilling the aquarium and research centre’s mission of sharing scientific knowledge to promote stewardship of Alaska’s marine resources.

“Simple payback is estimated to be 13 years at the estimated annual savings on electricity of $48,000,” a centre spokesman said.

Resurrection Bay, at more than 900 feet deep, absorbs solar heat over summer months. The water warms through late October, and below the surface, retains enormous amounts of heat throughout winter. The system draws seawater at 42 degrees or higher from 300 feet deep and pumps it into a heat exchanger with noncorrosive titanium plates, where it heats a loop of water and 10 per cent glycol. Passed alongside a loop of liquid carbon dioxide, the liquid CO2 boils into a vapour and is compressed, raising the vapour temperature dramatically to 194 degrees.

• A CAMERA lens used during the Apollo 15 space mission in 1971 sold at auction last week for more than $450,000.

Boston-based RR Auction said the 12-inch long Zeiss TeleTessar 500mm f/8 lens used by mission commander David Scott on the moon and in orbit was sold on Thursday to an anonymous buyer. The lens, designed for the Hasselblad Electric Data Camera, was used to take nearly 300 photos. It has modifications to make it easier to use while wearing pressurised spacesuit gloves.

It was part of the 83-year-old Scott’s personal collection, given to him as a memento by NASA. • DUBAI, already home to the world’s tallest building, is looking to get ahead by getting out of the driver’s seat.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai’s ruler, announced plans on Monday to have 25 per cent of all car trips in the United Arab Emirates citystate to be driverless by 2030.

Sheikh Mohammed said it would cut down on costs and traffic crashes. He said the project would be a joint venture by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority and the Dubai Future Foundation.

Already, Dubai is home to a driverless Metro rail system.

• RESEARCHERS in Nebraska have tested a drone which could eventually help in fighting grass fires in remote areas.

A team from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln flew an unmanned aircraft over the prairie at the Homestead National Monument of America on Friday, dropping ping pong-like balls filled with a chemical mixture to ignite brush-clearing grass fires.

Local and federal officials are interested in the technology because it could help clear overgrown vegetation in rugged, hardto-reach terrain.

The balls are filled with potassium permanganate powder before they are loaded into the drone. During flight, the aircraft pierces the ball with a needle and injects it with another chemical, glycol, before releasing it. The mixture ignites one to two minutes later. The technology is already used by helicopters to start controlled burns, but researchers note that the drone is cheaper and more portable.

This level includes the majority of the OTC derivative contracts, traded loans and issued

THE TRIBUNE structured debt. The sources of input parameters like LIBOR yield curve or counterparty credit

Wednesday, April 27, 2016, PAGE 13

risk are Bloomberg and Reuters.

Level 3 – Inputs for the asset or liability that are not based on observable market data (unobservable inputs). This level includes equity investments and debt instruments with significant unobservable components.

The hierarchy requires the use of observable market data when available. The Bank considers relevant and observable market prices in its valuations where possible.

The table shows the fair value hierarchy levels for financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value.

As of December 31, 2015

Level 1 USD

Financial assets designated at fairLTD. value CAPITAL UNION BANK

Level 2 USD

Level 3 USD

Total USD

– –

88,473 88,473

– –

88,473 88,473

– –

82,116 82,116

– –

82,116 82,116

Level 1 USD

Level 2 USD

Level 3 USD

Total USD

– –

5,240 5,240

– –

5,240 5,240

– –

4,186 4,186

– –

4,186 4,186

instruments $ Notes-toDerivative Financial financial Statements Total assets at fair value $ Year ended December 31, 2015 Financial designated (Expressed inliabilities United States dollars)at fair value Due to customers – - Derivative financial instruments $ liabilities at fair value $ 17. Total Fair value of financial instruments (continued) As of December 31, 2014 Financial assets designated at fair value - Derivative financial instruments Total assets at fair value

21 $ $

Financial liabilities designated at fair value Due to customers – - Derivative financial instruments $ Total liabilities at fair value $

There has been no transfer of financial instruments between level 1 and level 2 during the period.

18. Assets under management The Bank provides custody, investment management and advisory services to individuals, corporations, trusts and other institutions, whereby it holds and manages assets or invests funds received in various financial instruments at the direction of the customer. The Bank receives fee income for providing these services.

Assets under management are not assets of the Bank and are not recognized in the statement of financial position. The Bank is not exposed to any credit risk relating to such placements, as it does not guarantee these investments. Assets under management include portfolios of wealth management customers for which the Bank provides discretionary or advisory asset management services. At the reporting date, the Bank held a significant amount of assets under management.

Assets deposited with the Bank held for transactional or safekeeping/custody purposes are excluded from assets under management.

19. Taxation At the reporting date, no corporate or capital gains taxes are levied in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and accordingly, no provision for such taxes has been recorded.

20. Capital management As prescribed by The Bahamas Banks and Trust Companies Regulations Act, the Bank is

required to maintain a minimum CAPITAL UNION BANK capital LTD.amount of B$5,000,000 and a capital adequacy ratio

of attoleast 8% effective February 11, 2014 at all times.

Notes Financial Statements The capital adequacy ratio is calculated by dividing the Bank’s eligible capital base by its total Year ended December 31, 2015 risk-weighted exposures.

The Bank’s capital is made up of Tier 1 capital, with no adjustments, (Expressed in United Statesshare dollars) which includes ordinary capital, additional paid-in capital and retained earnings.

The risk-weighted amount of an on-balance sheet item is determined by multiplying the current book value by the relevant risk weight prescribed by The Central Bank of The Bahamas (“the 20.Central CapitalBank”). management The risk(continued) weighted amount of an off-balance sheet transaction is calculated as the principal amount of the transaction converted into an on-balance sheet equivalent by multiplying it with a specified credit conversion factor as prescribed by the Central Bank and multiplying the resultant credit equivalent 22 amount by the risk weight applicable to the type of assets or counterparty or where relevant, the eligible guarantor or collateral security as appropriate.

The Bank’s objectives when managing capital, which is a broader concept than ‘equity’ on the face of the statement of financial position, are: • • •

To comply with the capital requirements set by the Central Bank; To safeguard the Bank’s ability to continue as a going concern so that it can continue to provide returns for its shareholders and benefits for other stakeholders; and To maintain a strong capital base to support the development of its business.

Capital adequacy and the use of regulatory capital are monitored by the Bank’s management, employing techniques designed to ensure compliance with guidelines established by the Central Bank. The required information is filed with the Central Bank on a quarterly basis.

The table summarises the composition of regulatory capital and shows the capital adequacy ratio of the Bank as of the reporting date. During 2015, the Bank has complied with all of the externally imposed capital requirements to which it was subject.

Tier 1 capital Share capital and additional paid-in capital Retained earnings/(accumulated deficit) Less Adjustments to Tier 1 Capital - Intangibles Total Risk-weighted assets Capital adequacy ratio

2015 $

2014

$

9,000,000 1,974,089 (1,100,731) 9,873,358

9,000,000 (886,361) (1,265,426) 6,848,213

$

36,706,000

12,099,040

26.86%

56.60%

21. Subsequent events The Bank has evaluated subsequent events from the reporting date through April 20, 2016, the date at which the financial statements were approved for issuance, and determined that there are no other items to adjust or disclose.

23

GROUP participants at the Coral Cays Table Top Exercise earlier this month.

Photo: Marine Seaman Kyle Smith

Planning out ways to tackle security risks MEMBERS of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force completed a two-day exercise this month working with United States counterparts which simulates a specific security threat to The Bahamas.

The bi-annual Coral Cays Exercise 16-1 was the third ‘Table Topics Exercise’ hosted by the RBDF in collaboration with the United States Northern Command.

Also represented were the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Department of Immigration and the Department of Customs. which engaged in the discussions and forward planning exercises.

The first session last year focused on Maritime Domain Awareness, which included monitoring and tracking vessels within the territorial limits of The Bahamas. That brought almost immediate success as a ves-

sel was tracked as it journeyed from Inagua and was later interdicted. The second ‘Table Topic Exercise’ concentrated on processes that would be involved with deploying the newly purchased landing craft, HMBS Lawrence Major, procured under the Sandy Bottom Project towards any disaster in The Bahamas.

The plan that was created was the blueprint utilised in the aftermath of Hurricane Joaquin.

The exercises this month identified the processes and triggers that would result in the RBDF providing military assistance to civil authorities during a mass migrant unrest. Various phases and scenarios were explored and resulted in an intelligence estimate developed and an After Action Report was produced that improves the force’s reservoir of readiness training

and increases its preparedness in the event of any security threat.

Captain Tellis Bethel, Acting Commander of the RBDF, commented on the enthusiasm he observed during group dialogues and indicated that “simply put, preparedness of the RBDF is paramount to our mandate”.

This event is a precursor to a strategic information operations campaign the RBDF is set to launch in the first two weeks of May called Marlin Spike/Marlin Shield in collaboration with other regional and international agencies. The campaign is also an answer to the forward planning and strategic missions of the military organisation as it prepares itself to respond to security threats, which may adversely impact the sovereignty of The Bahamas.

RBDF TO JOIN IN JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE THE Royal Bahamas Defence Force, with its regional partners US Northern Command and US Special Operations Command North are working together to execute exercise MARLIN SHIELD the first two weeks in May. During the exercise, areas in and around Nassau will experience an increased military presence, particularly in the air and sea, the RBDF said.

The objective of this exercise is for the RBDF and the US Northern Command to actively practice interoperability and bilat-

eral operations through maritime and land-based training. Additionally, this engagement is designed to enhance the RBDF’s capabilities for an effective response to illegal activities or humanitarian assistance that may be required within the maritime domain of the Bahamas.

Acting RBDF Commander Captain Tellis Bethel said: “The MARLIN SHIELD training exercise complements the decentralisation strategy of the RBDF, and will ensure that the defence force continues to build operational

capacity through regional partner engagements.”

Minister of National Security Dr Bernard Nottage said: “The security challenges that confront The Bahamas are challenges that confront much of the Caribbean region.

“These threats can be better resolved through capacity building of military and law enforcement agencies with assistance from partners such as the United States, which has been a principal proponent for capacity building among small island states throughout the region.”

BNT HONOURS CONSERVATION CHAMPION

LONG-TIME Eleuthera homeowner and frequent visitor, Shelby White, has been praised by Prime Minister Perry Christie for her role in creating a worldclass native plant conservation and education centre at Governor’s Harbour.

At the Bahamas National Trust’s (BNT) recent annual meeting, Mr Christie also acknowledged the “extraordinary importance” of the BNT’s work to the preservation of the country and he suggested that the great work the organisation is doing might persuade him to consider a further increase in the annual government subvention in the Budget.

Mr Christie also commended BNT leaders for publicly recognising Mrs White at the Government House event for her “visionary commitment and generous support”. A wellknown philanthropist, she first came to Eleuthera in the early 1970s. Using her own resources, she was the leading figure behind the creation of Eleuthera’s first national park in 2011.

Named after her late husband, the 25-acre Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve features over 171 species of Bahamian trees, shrubs and herbs, including special displays of medicinal and economic plants. Managed by the BNT, it has become one of Eleuthera’s major attractions for visitors and residents.

At the meeting, Mrs White was awarded an honorary life membership in the BNT for her contribution to conservation and

ERIC CAREY, BNT executive director; Janet Johnson, BNT deputy president; Larry Glinton, BNT president; Shelby White, founder of the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve; Prime Minister Perry Christie; and Minister of the Environment and Housing Kenred Dorsett at the organisation’s annual meeting at Government House this month. her service to the Eleuthera sary of the Discovery Club which has grown from a sincommunity.

Minister of the Environ- gle club to 60 since 1996.

“The new parks and ment and Housing, Kenred Dorsett, also reinforced protected areas declared the government’s support last August achieved the for the BNT. Pointing out protection of over 10 per that the 18 new protected cent of our near shore and areas announced last year marine environment,” Mr were aimed at ensuring the Glinton said, “which moves sustainability of Bahamian us closer to our national marine resources, he ac- goal of protecting 20 per knowledged the work of the cent of these areas by the BNT, in partnership with year 2020.”

At the BNT Council others, to identify further meetings, Mr Glinton and areas for protection.

Experts consider the es- Janet Johnson were retablishment of a wide net- elected as president and work of marine protected deputy president respecareas as critical to the sur- tively. Mr Glinton is a senvival of many commercial ior executive at Pictet Bank and Trust Ltd and Mrs fishery species.

In his annual report to the Johnson is a senior director members, President Law- at the Ministry of Tourism. rence Glinton pointed out Alistair Chisnall, partner at that 2015 would be remem- Graham Thompson & Co, bered for the expansion of and Simon Townend, partthe Bahamian protected ner at KPMG, were also area system, outstanding returned as Honorary Seccorporate support for the retary and Honorary TreasBNT and the 20th anniver- urer respectively.

PAGE 14, Wednesday, April 27, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

Keeping the House in order without fear or favour

T

HE epithet ‘Dodgy Dave’ applied to a British Prime Minister is by any standards rude and insulting. Those were the words uttered in the House of Commons earlier this month by Dennis Skinner, a veteran left-wing Labour Member of Parliament, during exchanges with David Cameron about his financial affairs following the Panama Papers revelations.

As well as being inherently pejorative, the word “dodgy” has a notably derisive connotation in contemporary British politics because of the Blair government’s so-called “dodgy dossier” about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction, some of the content of which turned out to be substantially wrong.

Mr Skinner declined the Speaker’s request to withdraw his remark and, since MPs are not allowed to call others dishonourable, he was ordered to leave the Chamber. This was a high profile example of the Speaker asserting the rules of Parliament without fear or favour.

Such action has inevitably stimulated discussion about the seriousness of the offence and has brought into focus both the role of

‘

Issues of parliamentary privilege and free speech highlight the need for respect for the role of the Speaker in the Westminster system of government, Peter Young writes the Speaker and the issue of what can or cannot be said in Parliament under the Westminster system of government - in particular, what is permissible under parliamentary privilege.

The Speaker of the House of Commons is elected by his (or her) parliamentary colleagues to preside over its proceedings and to interpret and enforce its rules.

As such, he must remain at all times politically impartial and, in judging any issue, should not allow himself to be influenced by the blandishments of individual ministers or other MPs. The current Speaker at Westminster is not universally popular with MPs, partly because of his perceived patronising attitude in dealing with them. But most, if not all, are scrupulous in respecting his role as the occupier of an important constitutional position in “the Mother of Parliaments” - a description first coined in the 19th century of an institution which became a model for many

The Speaker is the judge of parliamentary privilege, which derives from the basic tenet that MPs must be free to speak their minds in debates and to represent the views of their constituents without fear of civil liability. But they should exercise this right of free speech responsibly, carefully, without malice, in good faith and with due regard to the right to privacy of others because MPs themselves are not above the law of the land.’

other Parliaments around the world.

The Speaker is the judge of parliamentary privilege, which derives from the basic tenet that MPs must be free to speak their minds in debates and to represent the views of their constituents without fear of civil liability. But they should exercise this right of free speech responsibly, carefully, without malice, in good faith and with due regard to the right to privacy of others because MPs themselves are not above the law of the land.

Meanwhile, Mr Cameron has had to deal with the fallout from the Panama Papers, which has affected him personally. He is reported to have admitted that he could have handled the row over his financial affairs better by providing information about his investments, and making public his tax return, straightaway.

But, after his initial faltering defence of his position, he has now done both; and, following his strong performance at Prime Minister’s questions when he said that he had nothing to apologise for - together with wide support from his parliamentary colleagues - the criticism of him seems to have dissipated.

His backers included eurosceptics who are at odds with him over Britain’s future in the European Union (such support is a sign, surely, of political maturity at a time of feverish debate about Europe) for it soon became clear that, having acted with integrity and probity at all times, there

Career Opportunity Scotiabank (Bahamas) Limited is seeking the services of a

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Key Accountabilities for this role: • Leading a service team in alignment with Service Management Performance Standards; • Contributing to and monitoring the efficiency of customer service; • Managing the Quality and Efficiency of Branch Operations; • Ensuring custody and security controls are in place and maintained; • Adhering to all security procedures, particularly cash-in-custody and access; • Maintaining control of Branch expenditures and the collection of revenues; • Actively supporting the promotion of Bank products, services and alternate delivery channels; • Consistently delivering the desired customer experience during every customer interaction; • Applying the Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements including verifying and documenting Customer identity, source(s) of funds and the nature of the activity that is to be undertaken.

A PARLIAMENTARY kerfuffle across in the UK has highlighted the role of the Speaker - with Dennis Skinner, above, calling British Prime Minister David Cameron ‘Dodgy Dave’, and being ordered to leave the chamber by Speaker John Bercow, right. was no evidence of impropriety or illegality on his part even though his critics suspected from his slowness to respond that there might have been something for them to get their teeth into.

A

t the core of the controversy arising from the Panama Papers is a distinction between tax avoidance, which in itself is legitimate, and tax evasion which is not. The former involves finding ways within the law of reducing tax liability while evasion is the illegal practice of attempting to reduce or not pay taxes by failing to report income or falsely claiming tax allowances and expenses.

While defending his personal position, Mr Cameron also announced that from now on UK overseas territories like the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands and others will share information on company ownership with British authorities and law enforcement agencies. It remains to be seen whether there will be pressure to place under fresh scrutiny as well other financial services jurisdictions named in the Panama Papers.

Another possible effect of the current controversy which has put Mr Cameron under the spotlight is a renewed debate about relative wealth in Britain. The latest figures show that there is a chronic imbalance with the richest 10 per cent owning 45 per cent of the nation’s wealth. Such a situation appears to be grossly unfair and provokes calls for coercive redistribution of wealth in a way similar to that demanded by US Democratic presidential contender Senator Bernie Sanders.

That said, inequality of one sort or another is part of the human condition because of differences of background, ability, capacity, health, attitude and commitment. So, can it

really be fair for a government, which has already received the appropriate tax from someone, to demand, on the grounds of claimed social justice, further wealth from that person who may have inherited it or earned it legitimately and at his own risk in a free market by successfully providing goods or services to others?

The fact that Mr Cameron himself has now been forced to admit the extent of his own wealth, particularly that gained from inheritance, has stirred up again in Britain the politics of resentment at a time of forced austerity.

Even though the current Tory government claims to have lifted some 1.3 million people out of taxation and established a National Living Wage, there are those who seriously doubt that rich, patrician leaders from privileged backgrounds can genuinely understand the ambitions and anxieties of ordinary people or represent the interests of the majority. They also wonder whether such leaders can be wholeheartedly committed to the Conservative party’s values of ambition and aspiration, self-improvement and hard work together with the need to save and to strive in order to get on in life.

That is the inevitable down side of recent events.

But, they also bring to the forefront issues like the need to create a balance between transparency and privacy. In a democracy, all citizens - the rich, the powerful and the less welloff alike - have the right to

protect and preserve their assets (unless gained from criminal activity) by careful financial planning in order to pay only the level of tax required legally by the state and through exercising the principle of inheritance which is at the core of traditional British values.

The ‘Dodgy Dave’ saga has emphasised once again the significance of the role of the Speaker in presiding over a mature House of Commons which is steeped in history and tradition and which should provide an example to other nations which follow the Westminster system. All concerned understand that to ignore or disrespect established political institutions or to act unilaterally outside the generally accepted conventions - however unimportant any particular incident may appear to be - is the first step on a slippery slope towards disorder and eventual dictatorship.

In the case of Mr Skinner, to his credit he did not demur at the Speaker’s ruling. He rose immediately from his customary front row seat on the opposition benches and strode out of the Chamber without a backward glance.

This was parliamentary procedure in action - a relatively trivial incident, perhaps, but a matter of principle and an example to all MPs that each is accountable and none should be allowed to act outside the long-standing rules.

• Peter Young is a retired British diplomat living in Nassau. From 1996 to 2000 he was British High Commissioner to The Bahamas.

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Expert knowledge of cash/ custody and security processes; Thorough knowledge of expense control and revenue generating methods; Good technical knowledge of Banking Systems and platforms; Thorough knowledge of all Banking products and services; Excellent customer service skills; Strong networking and interpersonal skills; Proven leadership skills and ability to coach and develop staff.

Educational Requirements: • Minimum ten years experience in operations within the banking/finance industry • Under Graduate Degree in banking, business, finance or related field

Qualified candidates should submit C.V. via email to: hrbahamas@scotiabank.com on or before May 04, 2016

Trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia, used under licence (where applicable).

®

THE SPEAKER of The Bahamas, Kendall Major, has also been in the spotlight - vowing to defend Parliamentary privilege in the row over the Save The Bays injunction.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, April 27, 2016, PAGE 15

GARY Christie planting the JuJu tree from the seed which came from his parents’ home.

FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis, left, and Loretta Butler-Turner, right, among those in attendance at the Sapodilla wetland reserve launch.

DIANE Phillips sharing a joke during the launch of the new Sapodilla wetland reserve.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

CEREMONY MARKS LAUNCH OF WETLAND RESERVE

GOVERNMENT officials, politicians, local and international environmentalists helped to mark World Earth Day on Friday at a ceremony with the owners of the Sapodilla Estate, West Bay Street, who commissioned officially the property’s natural wetland preserve.

The leaders of the Free National Movement and Democratic National Alliance, Dr Hubert Minnis and Branville McCartney, joined Elaine Pinder, Sa-

podilla’s Chief Executive, and leading representatives of the Public Parks and Public Beaches Authority, Greg Burrows and Pericles Maillis, at the event.

Gary Christie, brother of the Prime Minister, planted the seeds of a Juju tree which had come from his parents’ home. Miss Earth Bahamas, Darronique Young, was also at the event, from where ZNS broadcast its Sunrise programme live.

FROM left, Gandhi Pinder, Darrenique Young, Gary Christie, Elaine Pinder and Ethlyn Lundy pictured after the JuJu tree planting.

PERICLES MAILLIS, deputy chairman of the Public Parks and Public Beaches Authority, speaking at the launch.

SENATOR GREG BURROWS, chairman of the Public Parks and Public Beaches Authority.