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Fitzgerald refuses to reveal how he accessed messages

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

EDUCATION Minister Jerome Fitzgerald yesterday dismissed calls from a law firm to provide information about the private email exchanges he shared about people connected to Save The Bays (STB) in Parliament several weeks ago, saying the leak should be the “least of their worries�.

He also warned members of the environmental group to “batten down� because a “category five� hurricane was on its way, as he threatened to table “every single� email and bank statement in his possession if needed to protect his integrity and

parliamentary privilege.

In the House of Assembly last month, Mr Fitzgerald alleged that members of STB were engaged in a well-financed plot to destabilise the government, and he disclosed email messages about their activities to substantiate his point.

He has maintained that he did not have “unauthorised� access to the emails but stressed that his actions were protected by parliamentary privilege.

His decision to disclose their private information without their authorisation drew criticism from many, including the data protection commissioner.

SEE PAGE SIX

THE FNM yesterday called for heightened vigilance to prevent money laundering and tax evasion in the wake of the international leak of the “Panama Papers�, a disclosure of millions of documents purporting to show how some wealthy people around the world hide their money.

The Bahamas, long considered a tax haven, was listed as one of the third most popular offshore financial destinations used

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net THERE were 142 child abuse cases reported in Grand Bahama in 2015, Assistant Director of Social Services Paula Marshall said on Tuesday while announcing this year’s plans for Child Protection Month.

The majority of the cases, she said, were of neglect.

It was also said that the Department of Social Services is seeing an emerging trend in toxic relationships among young people, as well as an increase in truancy.

Ms Marshall stressed that child abuse can have negative long-term affects on a victim, and that failure to intervene and provide protection will ultimately affect the entire society and impact the country’s future.

SEE PAGE FIVE

ALARM OVER RECENT SPATE OF FATAL SHOOTINGS

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net THE spate of recent fatal shootings in Grand Bahama has sparked concern not only for the proliferation of illegal guns, but also for the total disregard of human life.

There have been seven homicides on the island so far this year, according to The Tribune’s records, including the killings of three persons within a three-day span last week.

According to police, there were 17 murders in Grand Bahama in 2015 and 10 in 2014.

SEE PAGE FIVE

FNM CALLS FOR VIGILANCE OVER PANAMA PAPERS

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

142 CHILD ABUSE CASES IN GRAND BAHAMA

by the law firm Mossack Fonseca, based in Panama, to hide the cash of their clients.

The FNM did not call for specific policy remedies to this issue. “The Bahamas remains a well run and compliant jurisdiction,� the party said in a statement. “These leaks, however, point out how very important it is for all intermediaries to be vetted to ensure that the same strict standards practised within the jurisdiction are maintained by those introducing SEE PAGE SIX

EBOLA RULED OUT IN DEATH OF PATIENT AT HOSPITAL

ONE of the pieces of art inside the Baha Mar Convention Centre, where the IDB Conference is due to be held. See page two for more on the conference.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

SYMONETTE WOULD PREFER EARLIER FNM CONVENTION

By KHRISNA VIRGIL Tribune Staff Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net  FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette yesterday admitted that he would have liked to see an earlier date set for the Free National Movement’s convention.

He also suggested that if party members present-

ed “practical� reasons to reschedule the event sooner in the year, some consideration could be given.

Mr Symonette further expressed “surprise� over the direction the party’s nomination process for a new chairman has taken.

He hinted that there was an understanding that only one person would offer for

the post.

Former DNA candidate for the Bain Town and Grants Town constituency Rodney Moncur and former Local Government Minister Sidney Collie are the only candidates vying for the post. The nomination process ended on Monday.

SEE PAGE SIX

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net  THE US CENTERS for Disease Control has confirmed that the patient who died in hospital last month after visiting Africa did not have the Ebola virus, Health Minister Dr Perry Gomez said yesterday.

However, Dr Gomez said doctors are still unsure of what caused the 51-year-old woman’s death.

At a press conference at the Ministry of Health, Dr Gomez said the report from the CDC “confirmed through conclusive testing� that the patient did not SEE PAGE THREE

PAGE 2, Wednesday, April 6, 2016

THE BAHA Mar Convention Centre, above and right, during the tour ahead of the IDB Conference, guided by Carlton Smith, marketing and media senior director for the IDB local organising committee, right.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

BAHA MAR CONVENTION CENTRE READY TO HOST IDB CONFERENCE

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE Baha Mar convention centre is “100 per cent ready” to host the annual general meeting of the boards of governors of the Inter-American Development Bank and the InterAmerican Investment Corporation (IIC), according to local project coordinator Janeen McCartney.

Ahead of this weekend’s conference, project directors led local media on a tour of the stalled $3.5bn Cable Beach resort’s convention centre, contending that area was ready to host the world-class event.

In recent weeks, teams associated with the project had to convert the convention centre’s ballrooms into seminar halls, meeting and conference rooms, offices and a mega plenary room.

In addition to physical adjustments that were made to the property, organisers had to ensure that facilities and systems in the centre were working and technical capabilities were in place to broadcast and host the conference.

Additional spaces developed on the property include a cultural village that organisers say will deliver an authentic Bahamian cul-

tural experience to those in attendance.

“It’s a good effort to pull it all together and to manage it, because we are a developing country and I think we have demonstrated in our planning that we understood and were able to meet the requirements of the (IDB), which were very high,” said Mrs McCartney.

According to Mrs McCartney, a joint investment of $11m - $6m by the Bahamian government and $5m by the IDB - has allowed organisers to prepare for the event.

Clarifying the government’s investment, Mrs McCartney stated that most of the materials used would be put to further use within the public sector after the conference.

Additionally, Mrs McCartney said operations to prepare the convention centre for the conference employed 200 Bahamians.

She said the government did not pay a rental fee for the site.

When asked if the government paid a rental fee for the centre she said: “There is no rental fee.”

She indicated that IDBIIC representatives have already toured the facility and signed off on its preparedness. “(The IDB has) com-

mended the Bahamas because normally, they are not this ready, this far out.

The bank came in on Easter Sunday afternoon and we were ready. The little things we tweaked, moved a desk here, turn a chair there, but nothing major that had to be done,” she added.

When the government first bid to host this year’s conference, it expected that the mega-resort would be open. However, the property is currently in receivership.

Mrs McCartney said conference guests are staying at other hotel properties around the island.

The conference is expected to have an estimated 3,000 participants.

She noted that while there were some cancellations in the wake of the Baha Mar opening delays, many persons have recommitted to attending this year’s conference. She added that in terms of international guests, about 2,000 persons have already registered to attend.

Meanwhile, environmental advocacy group, Raising Awareness about the Bahamas Landfill (RABL), has organised a peaceful protest against recurrent fires at the Harrold Road dump on Sunday, which will take

place outside the resort during the IDB meeting.

The landfill site is located roughly two miles southeast of Baha Mar. Addressing the planned protest, Mrs McCartney said that project executives remain hopeful that it would not affect the conference.

“I think what we must realise (is that) at most international meetings there are protests of various sorts. It’s worldwide you have demonstrations. Once persons have their permits, there is nothing you can do about that. So, we are prepared to the degree that it wouldn’t impact the procedures going on (within the resort),” she said.

“We are prepared and the police are prepared to ensure that this conference goes on without an issue,” she added.

Last year, the conference was held in Korea, while next year’s event has been scheduled for Portugal. The IDB-IIC annual meeting is held in late March or early April of each year in one of the IDB’s member countries.

The meeting will take place from April 7 to 10. A series of seminars on topics of interest to participants will be held prior to the opening of the meeting.

THE TRIBUNE

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, April 6, 2016, PAGE 3

THE PARADISE Island bridge tolls. The fee to cross the bridge is to double to $2 for private vehicles, it has been announced.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

More details revealed for taxis and large vehicle bridge toll rise LABOUR Minister Shane Gibson recently reminded the public that toll rates for the Sidney Poitier Bridge to Paradise Island will increase on May 1.

Earlier this year, the Bridge Authority announced that the bridge toll for private vehicles was set to double, from $1 to $2.

Speaking recently in the House of Assembly, Mr Gibson, who has responsibility for the Bridge Authority, revealed the

proposed toll increases for other classes of vehicles.

According to Mr Gibson, taxi fares for passengers heading over the bridge will go from $1 to $3; regular sized commercial vehicles under seven feet tall will go from $1 to $2 and large commercial vehicles over seven feet tall will increase from $2 to $4.

Commercial vehicles with three axles or more will go from $3 to a price determined by weight. Employ-

ees of businesses located on Paradise Island, up to 26 crossings per month ($0.50 of which is payable by employers), will see their toll raised from $0.75 to $1.50.

The resident pass will be raised from $250 to $500 per year while motorcycles and bicycles will be raised from $1 to $2.

Pedestrians will continue not to be charged for crossing the bridge.

Mr Gibson recently said: “During the past several

months, the Bridge Authority has embarked on a number of projects and initiatives, including the Paradise Island (East) Bridge Repair and Strengthening Scheme. The Bridge Authority completed the tendering process for rehabilitative works on the Paradise Island East Bridge and selected Island Site Development (ISD) to carry out work, which began on February 29, 2016.

“The Bridge Authority

secured funding through Central Bank, for a share bond offering, in the amount of $6m to carry out the rehabilitative repairs on the Paradise Island East Bridge.

“Market research indicated that the Bridge Authority’s current toll fare was extremely low when compared to toll fare of bridges around the world.

In addition, the Bridge Authority is seeking to design and implement a weight en-

forcement system on both bridges.”

He said the Bridge Authority started collecting value added tax on smart cards and transponders in January 2015 but is currently absorbing VAT on the cash collected in the lanes.

The toll increases were originally supposed to take effect on March 1. This would mark the first toll increase in 17 years for the bridge.

MAN CLEARED OF SNATCHING CHAIN AT GUNPOINT EBOLA RULED OUT IN DEATH OF PATIENT AT HOSPITAL

By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was acquitted of armed robbery by a Supreme Court jury yesterday afternoon concerning his alleged role in a gunpoint chain snatching.

Though the nine-member panel accepted 22-year-old Ilano Noel’s testimony that he did not rob Devon Rolle on June 10, 2013 at CJ’s Bar, they unanimously convicted him of the lesser charge of receiving as he had allegedly been found with an item taken from Rolle.

The jury took less than 30 minutes to return a majority 6-3 not guilty verdict for armed robbery and 9-0 verdict for receiving.

Justice Guilimina Archer told Noel that he will return to court for sentencing on April 13.

On Monday, the jury heard closing addresses.

During the trial, Rolle

testified before Justice Archer that on the day in question, he was robbed by three men, one of whom had a gun to his head as he was stripped of a neck chain, wedding ring, a cellular phone and cash from his pocket.

Rolle said he identified Noel nine days later to police in an identification parade as one of the culprits, but not the armed gunman.

Noel, who denied the allegations, testified that he was in police custody on June 19, 2013 but that he was the seventh numbered participant of the line up and that Rolle had not picked him out.

A photograph of the stolen phone was produced at trial but not the chain, which was lost in police custody.

Noel’s lawyer, Glendon Rolle, told the jury that there were too many inconsistencies with the prosecution witnesses.

“All of the (police) offic-

ers who came on the witness stand made mistakes and they all admitted that the participants in the ID parade did not share like characteristics to the accused,” Rolle stressed.

Rolle said his client’s two defence witnesses, Cleon Fulford and Marcian Bullard both participated in the parade as well and said that Noel was not identified.

Algernon Allen II, in response, told the jury not to be distracted by the accused’s lawyer as “the Crown has never said Noel held that gun but we say he actively participated and that is armed robbery.”

“And we say he was identified by Rolle as Noel held number six, as Rolle and Inspector Deborah Thompson said,” the prosecutor said.

The prosecutor also said Fulford has a prior conviction for stealing and giving false testimony was not unlikely.

from page one

suffer from the deadly illness and concretely ruled out the possibility of Ebola as the cause of death in this issue.

The woman had gone to Johannesburg, South Africa in early March. She died in the Princess Margaret Hospital on Sunday, March 27.

Dr Gomez said a “pathological examination will continue” to determine the cause of death. He also explained that the findings “took some time” because local couriers “refused” to take the blood sample and ship it overseas.

“I think there was the concern, because you had a patient with a fever who was quite ill who travelled to Africa. However in this case, it was not an area of Africa that was affected by Ebola. Africa is a very large continent, in fact the largest

in the world and so that is where the idea came from,” Dr Gomez said. “...A definitive answer is not known yet as to how she died. In other circumstances a postmortem would have been done but the hospital could not proceed with one until we got this result, which took us long because we had other issues that arose. We had great difficulty getting the licensed couriers to take the sample - they both refused to take the sample and so the blood could not leave. It wasn’t until late in the week that D J Brokerage, a firm unbeknownst to us previously, whose business is related to world couriers, was able to get the sample out. The others refused to accept it.”

According to a statement from PMH last month, the 51-year-old patient had returned to the Bahamas on March 15 after travelling to Johannesburg two weeks

earlier.

She was not officially identified, but The Tribune understands she is Patty Miller, an employee at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture.

Concerns were raised over the Easter holiday weekend after rumours began to spread on social media that a patient, who had recently returned to the Bahamas from Africa, was suspected of having the Ebola virus.

However, in March, PMH said “senior health officials” had confirmed that the patient had not shown symptoms “in a manner which indicates Ebola to be the likely diagnosis.”

PMH’s statement in March also said that as with “any potential infectious disease case” it was taking the “necessary precautions and abiding by the highest protocols requisite for such cases within international guidelines.”

MAN ACCUSED OF ROBBING DEPUTY PM FAILS TO SHOW FOR BAIL HEARING

By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

JEFFREY KING, who failed to appear in court yesterday at a bail hearing with regard to accusations he robbed Deputy Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis.

ONE of three men due to stand trial next month for the robbery of Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis was a noshow for a bail hearing yesterday.

Jeffrey King filed an application before the Supreme Court seeking a variation of present bail conditions imposed by trial judge Justice Vera Watkins last May when she exercised her discretion to release him on a bond ahead of trial, scheduled for May 2.

King was granted bail

FOUL PLAY NOT SUSPECTED AS TEACHER’S BODY FOUND

By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net

THE BODY of a woman was discovered on the floor of her living room early yesterday morning in what police described as a sudden death.

Officer in Charge of the

Central Detective Unit, Superintendent Paul Rolle, said the woman was found by a co-worker who entered the Turnquest Alley home after the victim did not answer her phone or show up for work.

Police have not identified the victim, but The Tribune understands she is Sharon

Johnson McCoy, a mathematics teacher at Nassau Christian Academy.

The school provided students with grief counsellors yesterday and a memorial service is being planned to remember Ms Johnson.

“So far we do not suspect foul play,” Supt Rolle said.

“We are going through the

process as we would any sudden death and an autopsy will have to be performed to determine the exact cause of death.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS.

with two sureties on condition that he report to the Grove police station twice a week before 6pm. He was also required to be electronically monitored and was issued a curfew.

King is seeking to have the electronic ankle bracelet removed. However, he failed to appear yesterday and the matter was further adjourned to April 12.

King, 25, with 25-yearold Tyrone Knowles and 21-year-old Marc McCartney deny involvement in the robbery at Mr Davis’ home in 2013.

They are accused of robbing Mr Davis of jewellery worth $93,000, a jewellery box worth $200, Baraka

gold jewellery worth $700, an opal top wallet worth $450, a Royal Bank of Canada credit card and a driver’s license worth $15.

The three are further accused of robbing Mr Davis’ wife, Ann Marie Davis, of $2,953, and Wilberforce Seymour of $10. Mr Davis was acting prime minister at the time of the incident as Prime Minister Perry Christie was out of the country.

PAGE 4, Wednesday, April 6, 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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SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,

jrolle@tribunemedia.net

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The reason outside investigators were engaged by Save The Bays A RECURRING question behind the police investigation into death threats against the Save the Bays environmental group comes from Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade who wants to know why there were no complaints to police about the death threats before now. And, why was a private investigator brought in from Fort Lauderdale to investigate allegations that Canadian fashion designer Peter Nygard had hired two “hit men” to harass and intimidate four directors of the environmental group, the pastor, who heads the Bahamas Against Crime Movement, and The Tribune’s Business editor.

The answer to his question seems as obvious to us as it should be to him.

However, we shall outline the sequence of events and let our readers decide what their decision would have been had they found themselves in the same position as the environmentalists.

It is true that as time wore on and angry threats against the group not only continued, but had become more threatening, the decision was made to take the matter into their own hands and try to find their own solution to protect themselves.

Behind the walls of Lyford Cay, the Bacon and Nygard quarrel over their environmental differences had been going on for sometime. However, it became public when we received a complaint from Mr Louis Bacon’s lawyer informing us that The Tribune was being used to spread untrue propaganda against his client. Of course, one could guess the instigator of this dastardly act. We discovered that our vendors were being paid to stuff the Klu-Klux-Klan propaganda against Mr Bacon into our newspaper. This happened on two occasions.

We wrote an editorial each time, alerting the public, and warned the vendors of the consequences of their actions should they continue. We soon got the problem under control.

And then there were the hate rallies — one paid group even had the audacity to become part of our New Year’s junkanoo parade on Bay Street in January last year. They wore Nygard shirts, declaring Save Nygard Cay – one carried a placard that declared that Rev CB Moss, executive director of the Bahamas against Crime, and a member of the environmentalist group, was a “paid fraud”, Lyford Cay resident and noted US environmentalist Louis Bacon was a “terrorist” and lawyer Fred Smith, QC, was a “Haitian infidel”, questioning whether he was a Bahamian or an illegal Haitian. The placards and hostile attitude of the crowd, was menacing. It was later learned that they had been paid to demonstrate.

Members of the environmental group complained to police that they felt threatened. “The intent of these reprehensible displays was clearly to demonise and strike fear into the hearts of those advocating for greater individual rights, government transparency and respect for the rule of law. We urge the prime minister in the strongest of terms, not to let such heinous behaviour go uninvestigated and unpunished. Above all, we urge him to intervene immediately to ensure that our members enjoy the same level of safety.” They pleaded to deaf ears.

Earlier in July 2014, a highly-publicised hate rally by a “rent-a-crowd” in downtown Nassau was composed of several thousand young Bahamian men carrying placards and wearing T-shirts with derogatory and defamatory descriptions of the plaintiffs.

Mr Romauld Ferreira, a director of Save the Bays, testified that several days after this rally there was a break-in at his law office, followed by acts of vandalism at his home and confrontational verbal attacks on the street which included explicit death threats. Despite four separate requests to the police by Mr Ferreira, “no authorities investigated the acts of vandalism against him, and no meaningful action was taken to investigate the source of the hate rallies despite four letters written to the police

by Fred Smith over seven months,” a

court document reported.

Two paid “hit men” poured gasoline on Rev Moss’ car and set it on fire to frighten him from his environmentalist leanings. Also, according to court documents, lawyer Fred Smith complained that he was surrounded and attacked on Jaws Beach by about six men armed with various makeshift weapons, including crowbars, before managing to flee in his car.

In a letter dated May 15, 2015, Mr Smith, QC, of Callenders & company, wrote to Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade listing the number of times one of their associates had complained to police about criminal threats, intimidation and harassment over a nine month period with no help from any member of the force.

“On 25th March, 2015 (in or about a month after lodging the Complaint and not receiving a response),” he wrote, “some of the victims subsequently met with Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police, Stephen Seymour where they provided him with an oral account of the Hate Rallies and the fear and anxiety they now live with as a result of the same. The victims confirmed that they required police investigation and police action. They also asked the Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police to keep them abreast of any development in the investigation.

“In response, Acting Deputy Commissioner Seymour undertook to review the Complaint and to conduct an investigation in respect of the same. We enclose a letter date 26th March, 2015 from one of the Victims, Diane Phillips (on behalf of the Victims) to Acting Deputy Commissioner Stephen Seymour briefly detailing the meeting.

“To date, the victims have not heard anything further from Acting Deputy Commissioner Seymour or yourself in relation to the complaint.

“Consequently, Diane Phillips has made numerous attempts to contact you and has left countless messages following up on the status of the investigation against the perpetrators of the Hate Rallies. She has yet to even receive the courtesy of a reply.

“Two months have passed since the lodging of the complaint and we have yet to receive a formal response and/ or any indication from you as to whether an investigation has commenced against the perpetrators of the Hate Rallies.”

And so the letter continued. The only conclusion to draw from this was that the police were not interested and had no intention of doing anything.

The group was on its own. And so they took their own counsel and started their own investigation. Michael Pintard, an active member of Save the Bays, who was also the FNM’s chairman, started to ask questions to find out who was behind all the threats.

Slowly and painstakingly — as a reporter does in checking out information for a story — he kept digging for answers when suddenly out of the wood work appeared two characters – criminals Livingston “Toggie” Bullard and Wisler “Bobo” Davilma— and what a hair-raising story did they tell! It was at this point that the group learned that their lives were indeed in danger. Had the police investigated when their help was first sought, they could have uncovered this for themselves. They chose to ignore the complaints.

And so, the group, realising that not only was the threat real, but had been allowed to go on for too long by an indifferent police force, turned to outside experts for help. This we are certain is what our readers would have done in a similar situation. It is certainly what we would have done. And, as for the Commissioner, the answer to his questions should be obvious. It is now up to the Commissioner to proceed with the investigation, and bring those who have a case to answer to the Bar of Justice.

Already too much time has been wasted, and even now the investigators seem to be dragging their feet.

Foolish behaviour by leaders EDITOR, The Tribune.

IF the PLP‘s election campaign four years back had stated their goal was to dismantle the Bahamian economy then I would say they have been resoundingly successful.

The single most important economic decision that the PLP had to make is what to do about Baha Mar? There were two choices for the government – allow it to go into Chapter 11 in the USA or send it into the Supreme Court of the Bahamas - well guess what they made the wrong choice.

Under pressure from one of their paymasters the Chi-

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net nese instructed the PM to put it in the Supreme Court.

I would suggest it will languish there for many years.

If they had allowed Baha Mar to go to Chapter 11, the business would have been restructured/refinanced and Baha Mar would in all likelihood now be open with 5000 jobs to boot!

We have two principal sources of revenue here tourism and off shore banking. Now two of our moronic MPs have released confidential e-mails through parliamentary privilege.

Can you imagine what executives at off shore banks/trust funds and the likes make of this? Utter contempt by sitting MPs of confidentiality!

The banks have lots of jurisdictions were they can set up shop throughout the Caribbean.

Expect some of them to move out of The Bahamas taking away well-paid jobs and much needed revenues.

As for Gibson stating the PLP have created 20,000 jobs, does he really think we are all fools?

THE REALIST Nassau, March 29, 2016.

Carnival chaos EDITOR, The Tribune.

IN one of last week’s editions, Marie Thompson reminded us that once more the Carnival chaos is almost on us again, with no apparent organisation or planning, apart from the erection of the fences.

I would like to take the thoughts further! How on earth can this odd government, throw yet another event which last year cost the Bahamian people $12m when there has been no accounting of last year’s loss.

Last year, we were exposed to almost endless an-

nouncements. With almost daily conference news bites

by Mr Paul Major. This year I don’t see his face anywhere! Or is this just what happens here when people ask you where the money went? You know, $12m could finish and staff the incomplete mini-hospital in Abaco. It could build a pretty big extension to the prison. It could enormously help COB with more infrastructure! Please, Paul, tell us where last year’s money went.

Talking about money, the carnival must pay off dividends to someone – I

mean, some of the groups are putting up elaborate billboards, and hosting lavish parties – and you know, they ain’t doing that for nuttin’.

I hear that the organisers anticipate that they will double the number of tourists, actively involved in the parade this year. I witnessed the parade last year, and so I fully expect the Carnival Commission to have the 80 odd tourists there for all of us to see.

STUART HOWELLS, Nassau, April 3, 2016

NHI debate EDITOR, The Tribune.

HERE are my comments and contribution towards the National Health Insurance (NHI) issue.

My expressions and comments are always free from any political parties or affiliation, although this entity during general elections would vote for a party that he/it believes would better serve and govern The Bahamas and it’s people in a democratic, prosperous and most successful manner.

Now to the matter at hand. .. there is a saying, that “some action is better than no action,” so one should see it as remarkable of the government in initiating the process of rolling out the much needed plan (NHI) as all should know such a service was long overdue, for there were many delays, also much consultations was done, so it is time, as well as, the most sensible thing to do in moving forward, and implementing a National Health Scheme here in The

Bahamas; then as may need be, make additions, adjustments or amendments as NHI progresses and moves forward for the betterment of this country, The Bahamas and its people; so I would say, well done, to the Christie administration for accomplishing such a feat as the National Health Insurance Plan and its implementation in this country.

EZRA RAHMING Nassau, March 28, 2016.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, April 6, 2016, PAGE 5

Fly infestation on the rise from South Bimini dump

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net SOUTH Bimini’s fly infestation has again become unmanageable with residents complaining about the Department of Environmental Health’s failure to respond.

Several residents sent The Tribune photos of the island’s dumpsite alleging that a tractor, responsible for sorting and burying the refuse, had broken down nearly a month ago.

Michael Munnings Sr, general manager at the Bimini Sands Resort & Marina, yesterday confirmed that the fly population had once again become a major nuisance and health concern that threatened the resort’s business.

“I don’t want to go against the government but the department is responsible for it,’ he said.

“People don’t want to eat in a fly infested environment, where flies are landing on you as you wave your hand. The issue was dealt with before, but it was not a permanent solution. Why did they let it get back to this point?

“As a result of the garbage, the flies here are out of control. We have ordered these flytraps and they are normally enough, but we’ve just had to rush order another batch. It captures about 30,000 per bag

and they’re full. We buy the bags in batches of 20 to 30 and it takes a lot of time and effort to set them up all around the resort. But when you have millions of flies they’re filled in three to four days.

“It’s troublesome,” he said.

South Bimini’s fly infestation was declared “out of control” because of inadequate solid waste management last July by an international expert at the request of the Bimini Sands Home Owners Association. Derek Wright, an insect vector control expert from Florida-based distributors ADAPCO, warned that residents and visitors were exposed to serious health risks from what was described as an unprecedented infestation of vector capable filth-breeding flies in both North and South Bimini.

Mr Wright identified the landfill in South Bimini as the primary source and breeding site for the filth breeding fly population on the island during a site inspection in May 2015.

The report called for immediate intervention from the government to address the infestation and illegal dumping, and to establish a comprehensive solid waste management plan to ensure the landfill is properly managed and monitored in line with best practices.

“Recent changes with regard to solid waste man-

agement responsibility have apparently resulted in ineffective management, control and transfer of solid waste on the north island,” the report said.

“Large volumes of rotting municipal solid waste are left stockpiled and openly exposed for extensive periods of time while awaiting transfer to the south island for disposal.”

It continued: “The operational control, management and oversight of the landfill located on South Bimini is either non-existent or seriously inadequate and ineffective. This failure is visually apparent from the massive mounds and volumes of exposed and rotting organic solid waste refuse left unattended outside of the primary landfill cell and liner area.”

The report pointed to an absence of any recent excavation, compaction or cover activity within the primary landfill cell and liner area; absence of any identifiable landfill working force; absence of any functioning on-site sorting, excavation or compaction equipment; random and uncontrolled dumping of unsorted solid waste; general chaos and disorganisation of the entire facility; and massive fly and rodent infestation.

Mr Wright said an action plan was urgently needed to prevent permanent ecological damage and to protect the health and welfare of South Bimini residents and visitors.

A TRACTOR at the South Bimini dumpsite.

THE PILES of waste in South Bimini.

142 CHILD ABUSE CASES IN GRAND BAHAMA

from page one

Under the theme, “Protecting Our Children, Protecting Our Future”, the Department of Social Services has planned a number of events in observance of Child Protection Month.

“Every year during the month of April, we concentrate on the need to protect our children; we need to ensure that we make it possible for them to grow up physically and mentally healthy as balanced stable individuals,” Ms Marshall said.

She added that the department provides help through various programmes and divisions to assist families, and provide individual and group counselling for children and parents.

She believes it is also very important for everyone in the community to help to protect children from abuse.

Fran Brice, chief welfare officer in the Child Welfare and Family Services Divisions, said activities have been planned to educate and inform the public

on various aspects of child abuse.

“We have seen an emerging trend where parents are at a loss when dealing with their children concerning their involvement in toxic relationships,” said Ms Brice.

Rochelle Minnis, senior officer in the School Welfare Division, said they are also seeing an emerging trend in truancy.

“During last year we noticed an increase in the amount of students not attending school, and so hope to target this issue,”

she said.

Garth Russell, welfare officer in the Family Services Division, said some children are faced with many issues in their families, including domestic violence, and absentee fathers, and proper caregiving.

“We will have 40 students converging at the C A Smith Complex in panel discussions dealing with aspects of detecting, creating and maintaining healthy relationships. We teach our children how to ride a bike, we prepare them for the work environment and

the world, but question is, are we really teaching our children how to enter into the family and married life, and that is something that is missing. And so focusing on helping young people to know how to enter into healthy relationships.” he said.

The department is also focusing its efforts to sensitise the public about physical and sexual abuse of children.

The month of events will start with a church service at Christ the King at 9am on April 6. On April 15,

social workers will conduct a walkabout in the Hunters and Pinder’s Point areas around 8am speaking with residents and handing out flyers on child abuse.

On April 18, a panel discussion for high school students on dating violence will be held at the C A Smith Building at 9am.

On April 22, there will be parent/teachers meeting on child abuse in Bimini; and on April 29, at 10am a presentation of essay competition winners. The topic of the essay competition is on this year’s theme.

ALARM OVER RECENT SPATE OF FATAL SHOOTINGS

from page one

Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Emrick Seymour has lamented the situation on the island.

“These recent homicides are a major concern to us,” he said.

He said the “heinous acts of violence” are being committed by persons who have “no sanctity for life or their fellow human beings”. This is the same sentiment that is being expressed by many in the community, including two well-known religious leaders.

Pastor Eddie Victor, a civic leader and pastor of Living Water Assembly of God Church, said that he and his wife were very shocked over the spate of murders last week in Grand Bahama.

“We were saying how crazy it is that we had three murders in one week

- we are very concerned about this,” he told The Tribune.

“What it shows is how the social fibre of the community in Grand Bahama has deteriorated. A selfish culture has arisen; it is a culture that has less respect for human life, and there is no longer the fear in young people or persons when it comes to someone’s life anymore; they have been desensitised,” he said.

Around 2am on Thursday, a young man was shot at the Fish Fry in Smith’s Point. He later died in hospital.

Hours later, 49-yearold customs officer Kevin Hanna was shot outside his home in South Bahamia.

He too died in hospital.

On Sunday, a 22-year-old Grand Bahama man was found by police in a Dodge van around 2am with gunshot wounds. The victim,

said to be Sanchez Ferguson, was taken to hospital where he later died.

Investigations are also still underway into the murders of a man and a woman who were shot dead in an area known as “the ghetto” on March 21. Another person who was shot during that attack survived and was taken to hospital.

Pastor Victor said that the flow of guns coming in the country is a major problem.

He does not believe that the government should be blamed for the murders and crime. “We need leaders from among all ranks to be concerned about what is going on and help address the problem,” he said. “Grand Bahama has an economic social problem. We have an economy that is still in crisis.”

Rev Peter Pinder, president of the Grand Bahama Christian Council, said that

the entire community is affected by the recent murders.

“When a murder happens it affects extended family members, co-workers, and the community.

“I am convinced it is not a government or political problem; it is a sin problem. But as long as there are people who have little care for human life and dignity

of life, these things will happen. We need to address it as a country, and the church needs to address it.”

Rev Pinder said there are too many single parent households where children are left alone while their parents go off to work.

“Children are not getting the kind of discipline they need at home, and that is the culture in which we live

that is contributing to the problem we are now having.

Also churches are moving away from Sunday school, and the level of religious knowledge has declined in the schools. And so all of these things contribute to the problem,” he said.

There have been 33 homicides in the Bahamas so far this year, according to The Tribune’s records.

MAN HELD OVER MURDER, FOUR MORE FOR DRUGS

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

AN Eight Mile Rock man was arrested in connection with a murder, and four others were taken into custody following the discovery of a quantity of illegal drugs in the Freeport area, police reported on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old resident of Hanna Hill was taken into custody on Monday by officers of Operation Turf Sweep for questioning into the recent shooting death of a

man at Eight Mile Rock on Sunday, April 3.

Police investigations are still continuing into the matter.

In Freeport, four persons were also taken into custody after officers executed a search warrant at a home in the Coral Reef area, where 93lbs of suspected marijuana were discovered.

The drugs have an estimated street value of $4,400.

The four persons are expected to be charged before the Freeport Magistrate’s Court this week.

HOLY TRINITY RECTOR APPOINTED AS ANGLICAN ARCHDEACON

MARK FOX

MARK Fox, the rector of Holy Trinity Church, Stapledon Gardens, has been appointed an archdeacon in the Anglican Diocese of The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands.

He succeeds Archdeacon Ranfurly Brown, who ended his service on February 29, in the West Central Archdeaconry and took up his post on April 1.

Archdeacon Fox was born in Nassau and educated at Oakes Field Primary, St Augustine’s Col-

lege, and the University of Miami, where he obtained an MBA. He has worked as a customs officer with the Department of Customs, at Import Broker at Island Merchants, and as a restaurant manager at McDonalds Ltd and at Dunkin Donuts.

He has also served as parish administrator at Holy Trinity.

He tested his vocation at Codrington College, Barbados, and studied at the University of the West In-

dies, Cave Hill Campus.

Archdeacon Fox was ordained deacon in 2001 and priest in 2002.

He served at St George’s Church, New Providence, St Peter’s Parish, North Long Island, as chaplain of St John’s College, while assisting at St Christopher’s, Lyford Cay, as interim at All Saints, and, finally, at Holy Trinity Parish, where he has been since 2011.

He is married to Mildred Fox (nee Moss), a veteran primary school educator,

and they have two adult daughters.

The diocese is divided into four administrative areas, each headed by an archdeacon, whose role it is to assist the bishop in the administration of the diocese and in relating to the clergy and people of his area. There is also an archdeacon in charge of the administration of the diocese.

The other archdeaconries are Turks & Caicos/Southern Bahamas Archdea-

conry (the Venerable Keith Cartwright), East Central Archdeaconry (the Venerable Kingsley Knowles), Northern Archdeaconry (the Venerable Harry Bain) and Administration (the Venerable James Palacious).

PAGE 6, Wednesday, April 6, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

MP dismisses email concern from page one

House Speaker Dr Kendal Major said yesterday that he would address the controversy at the next sitting of Parliament.

However, Dr Major did not object when Mr Fitzgerald originally made the statements.

Ferron Bethell, of Harry B Sands, Lobosky & Company, who represents Zack Bacon (brother of billionaire Louis Bacon) and Fred Smith, QC, sent Mr Fitzgerald a letter on April 1, seeking his assistance in determining how he got the private information.

In response, Mr Fitzgerald scoffed at the requests.

“I know the Bahamian public is trying to figure out why a so-called environmental group would want to call for an injunction, would run to the data commissioner and now sending a letter requesting assistance with what was undoubtedly a move by many to destabilise the government,” he told reporters outside Cabinet yesterday. “I find it strange that they are now seeking assistance from the person who their plan was targeted at. It’s obvious to me now that they . . . mix up like conch salad.

“First they accused me of hacking, a criminal offence, then they said I got the information from the National Intelligence Agency and now they are claiming I received the information from one among themselves.

They will have to figure out who among themselves leaked the information and that’s for them to figure out.

I’m reminded of the old saying there’s no honour among thieves, so that’s for them to figure out.”

The Marathon MP added: “As far as worrying about where I got the information from and who gave it to me, right now that’s really the least of their problems. They have some serious, serious issues to be concerned with. Mr Bacon has to be concerned about the IRS. Mr Fred Smith has to be concerned about his professional career. Callendars and Co, because of Fred Smith’s actions, may have been brought down.

A very reputable law firm and there’s no doubt to me today that Colin Calendar has turned over in his grave with the revelation of what I have been able to uncover.

“If I were them, I would batten down because a hurricane is coming and it’s a category five hurricane.

They just need to hold on.

It makes no sense worrying about me right now.

The emails are already out.

That cat is already out the bag and there’s more to come. When it comes to a member’s privilege there is no bounds to which we cannot go to protect our privilege. And so I would read every single email. I would table every single bank statement. I will table every single wire transfer if I have to if it comes to my integrity and my privilege.”

In his letter to Mr Fitzgerald, Mr Bethell wrote: “A very small number of people would have legitimately had access to this correspondence and nobody was entitled to make it public. It

MINISTER of Education Jerome Fitzgerald. therefore follows that someone has disclosed the private email exchange to you when s/he was unauthorised to do so and in breach of our client’s confidentiality.”

Mr Bethell also asked Mr Fitzgerald to reveal the “details of the circumstances pursuant to which these email exchanges and other documents came into your possession, including the

names of your friends in the US who are referred to in The Punch article.” He also asked the minister to refrain from disclosing further confidential information relating to the STB members “other than in proper exercise of parliamentary privilege, including private email exchanges occurring between our clients or their legal representatives”.

Mr Fitzgerald said there is no evidence his decision to disclose people’s private emails and financial information will worry potential investors.

He described STB as a peculiar example of an organisation that purports to have one function when in fact it has political motivations.

He added that there’s

no need to reform parliamentary laws to prevent members from disclosing information in Parliament without being held accountable.

Mr Bethell has also written to Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller, who last month told Parliament he had information to suggest five members of STB have a combined salary of $740,000.

FNM CALLS FOR VIGILANCE OVER PANAMA PAPERS

from page one business to The Bahamas.

While this report does not point out any wrongdoing by local financial institutions, it points out the vulnerability of the jurisdiction to be used unwillingly as a safe harbour for illegally gained proceeds.

“It should heighten our vigilance for the consistent application of international best practices necessary to ensure compliance standards and data security is maintained at all levels.”

Nonetheless, the FNM noted

that the Bahamas was blacklisted by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2000 for lax tax laws that attract people and companies seeking to evade tax payments in their home countries.

The FNM, while in office, subsequently reformed laws to address the perceived problems with the system.

“Subsequent to that defining period, continued compliance pressures and shifting goal posts from developed states has resulted in further tightening of internal regulations and scrutiny of financial accounts and

transactions culminating in the FATCA legislation passed last year,” the FNM said yesterday.

“All of these attacks on our second economic pillar have weakened the industry and made it and our economic viability vulnerable. We have seen the effects of this through withdrawal of some international banks and consolidations in others, which have resulted in the loss of well paying jobs.”

The FNM also sought to draw a comparison between the widespread leak that exposed how wealthy people sometimes hide their money to the decision of Education Minister Jerome

Fitzgerald to read personal emails of Save The Bays (STB) members during a Parliament session several weeks ago, in response to what Mr Fitzgerald called a plot to destabilise the government.

“This leak,” the FNM said, “ and the damage it may do to the jurisdiction’s reputation points out the very serious and damaging potential consequences of the alleged local breach of data security that occurred when private emails were leaked and read in Parliament followed by specific threats of vengeful prosecution as political payback against specific persons.

“The minister of education’s, backed up by a PLP backbencher, admission to being in possession of private banking details of citizens and international clients of professional firms are even more worrisome and potentially damaging. We trust now the minister of financial services understands our previous exhortation to counsel her fellow ministerial colleagues on their loose talk and actions concerning this sensitive industry.”

MAIN PHOTO: A marquee of the Arango Orillac Building lists the Mossack Fonseca law firm, in Panama City.

SYMONETTE WOULD PREFER EARLIER FNM CONVENTION

from page one

The FNM announced last Friday that a full convention is expected from November 15 to 19. At this time all positions, including the leader, are expected to be open for challenge.

“That’s the date the council has set,” Mr Symonette said when contacted, “everyone was asking for it and the council has had their say.”

Asked if he thought the convention could have been set for an earlier date, he responded: “I can see both sides of the argument from those who want it to

be much earlier and others who have no problem with it.

“Personally I would have preferred an earlier convention. There is some feeling in the wider community that they would have liked this to be able to review the performance of the leader and then have sufficient time to act accordingly if needed.

“But nothing stops them from bringing it forward in the event that it’s not acceptable. Someone would have to go back to council and say why they think it can’t be and then they would decide whether to make the change for some

practical reason.

“If you do it in November, then it would be closer to an (election) and I suppose tougher to manoeuvre.”

Regarding the upcoming vote for national chairman, Mr Symonette said: “I am surprised there was more than one hopeful.

Usually in these things a person offers and there is an understanding that that will be it. But hey, it’s a part of the democratic process.”

Last week, the FNM announced that Mr Collie had been nominated for the chairman’s race.

Then on Monday, Mr Moncur announced his in-

tent to vie for the post as well. He told The Tribune he believes he is the best choice for FNM chairman because the party lacks “a fighting machinery” and needs more people who “connect” to grassroots Bahamians.

Mr Moncur also criticised the FNM and the governing PLP, saying neither organisation had presented adequate strategies to prevent crime or pin down issues within the law that prevent murderers from being executed.

He said: “Essentially based on my political experience for the last 42 years, I think what is lacking is a

chairman who has the capacity and the ability to organise the party and take the fight to the Progressive Liberal Party.

“The party lacks a fighting machinery and I think I have that capacity and this is fundamentally it.”

Asked whether he was concerned about criticism of his loyalty, having been a DNA candidate in the 2012 general election, Mr Moncur was adamant that he was not a turncoat. He said he was a Bahamian who was greatly concerned about the well being of this country.

Before joining the DNA, Mr Moncur, JP, headed

the now defunct Workers’ Party.

This follows former Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson’s admission to The Tribune that he expects the next FNM chairman to be someone favoured by FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis.

Acting Chairman Brensil Rolle told The Tribune on Sunday that he will not run for the post. On Monday he said he planned to focus all of his attention on his 2017 election bid.

Mr Rolle was appointed as interim chairman when former Senator Michael Pintard resigned last month.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, April 6, 2016, PAGE 7

Iceland’s leader is first victim of offshore holdings leak Associated Press LONDON THE LEAK of millions of records on offshore accounts claimed its first highprofile victim yesterday as Iceland’s prime minister resigned amid outrage over revelations he had used such a shell company to shelter large sums while Iceland’s economy was in crisis.

The fall of Icelandic leader Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson is the biggest fallout so far from the publication of the names of rich and powerful people linked to the leaks, dubbed the “Panama Papers’.

China and Russia, meanwhile, took the opposite approach, suppressing the news and rejecting any allegations of impropriety by government officials named in the leak of more than 11 million financial documents from a Panamanian law firm. Officials in Ukraine, Argentina and other countries are also facing questions about possibly dubious offshore taxavoidance schemes.

The reports are from a global group of news organisations working with the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).

They have been processing records from the Mossack Fonseca law firm that were first leaked to Germany’s Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

The announcement that Gunnlaugsson was stepping down came from the country’s agriculture minister. It followed the refusal by Iceland’s president to dissolve parliament and call a new election, after thousands of Icelanders protested outside the parliament building in Reykjavik. No replacement has yet been named, and Iceland’s president did not immediately confirm that he had accepted the resignation.

Gunnlaugson has denied any wrongdoing and said he and his wife have paid all their taxes. He also said his financial holdings didn’t affect his negotiations with Iceland’s creditors during the country’s acute financial crisis.

Gunnlaugson sought to call a snap election yesterday, but President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson refused, saying he wanted to consult with other party leaders before agreeing to end the coalition government between Gunnlaugsson’s centreright Progressive Party and the Independence Party.

The leaked documents allege that Gunnlaugsson and his wife set up a company called Wintris in the British Virgin Islands with the help of the Panamanian law firm. Gunnlaugsson is accused of a conflict of interest for failing to disclose his involvement in the company, which held interests in failed Icelandic banks that his government was responsible for overseeing.

Iceland was rocked by a prolonged financial crisis when its main commercial banks collapsed within a week of one another in 2008. Since then Icelanders have weathered a deep recession and been subjected to tough capital controls – another reason the prime minister’s offshore holdings rankle many.

China, on the other hand, dismissed as “groundless” reports that the Panamanian law firm had arranged offshore companies for relatives of at least eight present or past members of the Communist Party’s Politburo Standing Committee, the apex of power in China.

Among those named in the leaked documents was the brother-in-law of President Xi Jinping. State media have ignored the reports and searches of websites and social media for the words “Panama documents” were blocked.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said he would not discuss the reports further and declined to say whether the individuals named would be investigated. “For these groundless accusations, I have no comment,” Hong told reporters at a regularly scheduled news conference.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s president was accused of abusing his office and of tax evasion by moving his candy business offshore, possibly depriving the country of millions of dollars in taxes.

One world leader named in the report with ties to a Bahamas offshore company is Mauricio Macri, the current president of Argentina.

According to the Panama Papers, he is listed as a being a former director of Fleg Trading Ltd, a company incorporated in the Bahamas in 1998 that was dissolved in January 2009.

The report says Mr Marci did not disclose the company as an asset when he was mayor of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. “In asset declarations in 2007 and 2008 when he was mayor of Buenos Aires, Macri did not disclose his connection to Fleg Trading,” the ICIJ reported on its website. “He

declared a Merrill Lynch bank account in the United States with $2.9 million in 2007 and $1.9 million in the same account in 2008. Macri also declared $158,000 in foreign assets in 2008, but did not specify their source or location.”

Another link revealed in the massive leak is that the father of British Prime Minister David Cameron, the late Ian Cameron, hired Bahamians to keep his offshore investment fund - Blairmore Holdings Inc exempt from British taxes.

One of the officers was the late Solomon Humes, a lay bishop with the nondenominational Church of God of Prophecy. Bishop Humes acted in various roles including vice-president over a number of years from the mid-1990s.

The British prime minister has refused to confirm whether or not his family’s

money was still invested in the fund that was incorporated in Panama but based in the Bahamas since the 1980s. Shell companies are not in themselves illegal. People or companies might use them to reduce their tax bill legally, by benefiting from low tax rates in countries like Panama, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands and Bermuda. But the practice is frowned upon, particularly when used by politicians, who then face criticism for not contributing to their own countries’ economies.

Because offshore accounts and companies also hide the names of the ultimate owners of investments, they can be used to illegally evade taxes or launder money. Mossack Fonseca says it obeys all laws relating to company registrations and does not advise people how to evade taxes.

ICELAND’s Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, as he speaks during a parliamentary session in Reykjavik .

PAGE 8, Wednesday, April 6, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

Land grabs, law suits and gangsters - a guide to the Nygard saga

T

HE complex controversy swirling around Peter Nygard appears to have bewildered most Bahamians. And our government has deliberately contributed to this confusion. This fact sheet will help readers understand what is going on and what is at stake.

Who is Peter Nygard?

Born in Finland in 1943, he moved to Canada as a child. In 1967 he bought a share in a women’s clothing company and is now among the 100 richest Canadians.

Why is he in The Bahamas?

In 1984, Nygard bought 3.25 acres at Simms Point, on the western tip of Lyford Cay, and built a second home there.

What’s wrong with that?

Nothing.

But over the years he transformed the house into a 250,000-square-foot, unlicensed party resort, upsetting his residential neighbours. He rented out to wealthy vacationers for more than $42,000 a night – until the place was damaged by fire in 2009. To accommodate these activities, Nygard doubled the size of his property by dredging the bay and filling the rocky shoreline with sand - without government approval.

In fact, dredge pumps have been used almost continuously for years, to move sand from the bay onto Nygard’s property. The additional three acres of accreted land are valued in the millions.

Is that just talk?

No. High-level government documents confirm that Nygard’s development had “no Bahamian

character” and would not have been approved by the Ministry of Works. The documents say he “abused” Bahamian laws and was operating an “unlicensed hotel” on “Crown seabed”.

Is that the only issue Nygard is involved in?

No. In recent years he developed a fascination for anti-aging research involving experimental stem cell treatment, which he claims could “produce immortality”. In an online video, Nygard is shown injecting himself with a presumed stem cell formulation as he quips to awed onlookers: “Ah, it feels so good, and you can see it’s working”.

Why are these issues so controversial?

It’s an open secret that Nygard contributed millions to the Progressive Liberal Party’s (PLP) election campaign. The quid pro quo seems to have been regularisation of his longterm, unlawful activities at Simms Point, and approval of a “stem cell institute” on his property.

Were Nygard’s unlawful activities at Simms Point regularised?

In effect, yes. The Christie administration has not forced the removal of any illegal structures from Crown land at Simms Point, and has not prevented Nygard dredging and filling to expand his property. Highlevel documents show that the Christie government agreed early on to accommodate Nygard, and has avoided taking any action against him.

What about Nygard’s stem cell “institute”?

High-level documents show that Nygard made a proposal to cabinet for such

A SCREENSHOT from a video on YouTube showing Peter Nygard, right, with Cabinet Ministers Shane Gibson, V Alfred Gray and Jerome Fitzgerald in 2012. a facility right after the election. According to the late Dr Arthur Porter, who advised the government on stem cell matters, Nygard pushed Christie to authorise stem cell treatments.

In his 2014 memoir Porter said Nygard wanted to approve all Bahamian stem cell regulations: “He would be judge, jury and executioner.”

Did this happen?

No. The Prime Minister followed Porter’s advice, and a properly constituted medical task force was set up to oversee the development of stem cell legislation, which was enacted in 2013. Immediately after the 2012 election, Nygard was still talking about investing in a stem cell facility here.

However, the current status of the proposal is unknown.

Who is Louis Bacon?

Bacon is a wealthy American investment fund manager who has been Nygard’s

closest neighbour in Lyford Cay since 1993. He is well known for his support of environmental and other worthy causes in both the US and the Bahamas. Bacon was one of the main backers of the movement to prevent the development of Clifton Bay as a gated community in the late 1990s. That fight played a large role in the PLP’s 2002 election victory, and led to the creation of the Clifton Heritage Park during the first Christie administration. Bacon has acknowledged donations over the years to the PLP and Free National Movement (FNM), as well as a range of Bahamian charities.

Why are Bacon and Nygard feuding?

They are next-door neighbours. Bacon and many others at Lyford Cay object to the disruptive commercial activities taking place on Nygard’s property. Their increasingly bitter dispute led Bacon to transfer man-

agement of his investment funds back to the United States and to avoid spending time here.

What is Save The Bays?

A non-profit environmental group formed in 2013 to support policy change, education and advocacy in the Bahamas. It evolved from an earlier group formed to prevent the development of Clifton Bay. Issues that Save The Bays (STB) has addressed include oil spills, unregulated development, environmental legislation, and freedom of information. Bacon is both a director and backer.

What’s all this about hate rallies?

In 2014 and early 2015 thousands of Bahamians staged demonstrations in downtown Nassau targeting Bacon and other directors of STB. They wore Ku Klux Klan uniforms, and held placards accusing Bacon of being a white supremacist.

They also branded STB lawyer Fred Smith as “a Haitian infidel” and Rev C B Moss as “a terrorist and a slave”.

Did those targeted complain to the police?

Yes. Written complaints were lodged alleging that the demonstrations amounted to “criminal threats, intimidation and harassment”. There was no response, despite followups.

What happened next?

Last month, a civil action on behalf of STB directors was filed in the Supreme Court against Nygard and his Bahamian lawyer Keod Smith.

What did the lawsuit say?

It alleges “a concerted campaign to injure, cause harm to, cause damage, terrify and intimidate ... by various means, including a plot to murder Frederick Smith and Louis Bacon, violent assaults, hate rallies and other intimidatory tactics”. The lawsuit seeks damages, as well as a permanent injunction restraining Nygard and Smith from further threats, harassment or intimidation.

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What are these allegations based on?

They rely on information obtained in a sting operation conducted by private investigators and involving two convicted criminals Livingstone Bullard and Wisla Davila (also known as Toggie and Bobo). According to court documents filed by STB, Bullard and Davilma are gangsters who claimed Nygard gave them a “hit list” of people to murder or “send a message” to.

So what happened in the House of Assembly?

After the lawsuit was

filed, Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald jumped to Nygard’s defence. He accused Save The Bays of seeking to “destabilise” the government, using money from Louis Bacon. He claimed it was a “hustle” to entrap Nygard. Fitzgerald also read from STB emails to support his claims, which launched a new controversy over privacy issues. Fitzgerald first said he obtained the emails with the help of “friends in the US”, but later suggested they were provided locally by an anonymous source.

Did the STB lawsuit attack the government?

No. But supporting documents (including secretly recorded videos) show Nygard talking about the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister with Toggie and Bobo, who claim to be speaking on behalf of Brave Davis.

What about the FNM? Fitzgerald disclosed emails referencing FNM Chairman Michael Pintard in connection with Toggie and Bobo. It was Pintard who first alerted STB to the intimidation plot, in his private capacity as an advisor to Callenders & Co attorney Fred Smith. Pintard later resigned as chairman to avoid being used as a distraction. Dr Hubert Minnis, FNM leader, surprisingly acknowledged that he too had met with Toggie, who was a resident in his Killarney constituency. Minnis said Toggie had told him Pintard was being set up by a high-ranking government member.

Who else met with Toggie and Bobo?

Apparently, almost everyone. According to court documents, the two gangsters had government contracts worth $132,000 per year, controlled by Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis. It is also alleged they were paid “$40,000” by Nygard to give evidence that he used to file a countersuit. Court documents also allege that Davis and Nygard were involved in a scheme to entrap Michael Pintard using Toggie and Bobo.

Any reasonable person reading the above will conclude that this convoluted controversy has its origins in the actions of one man – Peter Nygard.

It is the government’s responsibility to clear up this mess for the good order of the country. So the question must be asked: why is the Christie administration seemingly working flat out to protect and defend Peter Nygard?

What do you think? Send comments to lsmith@tribunemedia.net or visit www. bahamapundit.com

THE THETRIBUNE TRIBUNE THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, 6, 2016, PAGE Wednesday, MarchApril 30, 2016, PAGE A99 Wednesday, March 30, 2016, PAGE A9

Technology on the menu for Bahamas entrepreneur D E K C HA APPLE APPLE IN IN THE THE DARK DARK ON ON HOW HOW THE THE FBI FBI

H iPHONE

FRED Lightbourn, owner of and numerous reviews that will brand and customer experience.”

The Poop Deck at Sandyport, has be posted and available to all conOR announced yesterday that been in the restaurant business sumers at originalreview.com. it has raised initial funding from for 30 years so has a wealth of Real-­ time customer feedback private investors to develop and experience of customers’ dining will save lost business for restau- market the OR Customer Insight tastes, likes and dislikes. rant owners and managers who Platform, the first to offer resNow he is behind the developare responsive. In a recent survey taurants real-time feedback from for nearly ment of technology which can conducted by OR of more than customers while they are the for innearly two decades that THE FBI’s announcement that giveTHE him FBI’s and other restaurateurs 500 consumers who actively use restaurant, or “at two the origin”. decades that announcement that security researchit mysteriously hacked intopeople an iPreal-time feedback while review sites, 93 per cent of the reMr Lightbourn has been Beta security researchit mysteriously hacked into an iPers always work cooperahone is a public setback for Apple are in their establishments and at spondents said they stopped vis- testing theersOR Customer Insight always work cooperahone is a public setback for Apple tively and confidentially with Inc., as consumers suddenly disthe dining table. iting a restaurant because of one Platform in manufacturers his Sandyport restautively and confidentially with Inc., as consumers suddenly dissoftware before cover they can’t keep their most Mr Lightbourn and technology bad experience with the food and rant for three months, and has software manufacturers before cover they can’t keep their most revealing that a product mightalbe personal information safe. Meanconsultant, Debra Lukacsko have 90 per cent agreed that they would ready seen that the benefits both in revealing a product- might be personal information safe.

Meansusceptible to hackers. while, Apple remains in the dark together created Original Review be likely to return to a restaurant real-time feedback from customdelete susceptible to hackers. while, Apple remains in the dark The aim is to ensure that battle aboutahow to restore thesolutions security delete (OR), customer insight where they had a bad experience ers that helping fine-tune The isaim is tohim ensure that about how toproduct. restore the security the phone’s consumers stay as safe with battle police American of its flagship the phone’s company. if they were able to communicate his service as well as in accumucontents if the American consumers stay as safe with police ofThe its flagship product. after they killed online as possible and prevent government it was able contents “Original Reviewsaid is the result directly with management and lating more than 1,000 reviews FBI failediftothe enter online as disclosures possible and prevent after in they killed The government said it used was able premature that might 14 people Decemto break into an iPhone by FBI failed to enter ofto my being in the restaurant felt their concerns were taken sefrom customers for others to the correct passcode premature disclosures that 14 people in Decembreak into an iPhone used by the ber in San Bernardino. damage a U.S. company ormight a gunman in a mass shooting in the correct passcode business forinover 30 years andin combination riously. see.

OR’s Customer Insight or Platafter 10 tries. damage a U.S. company the ber in San Bernardino.

FRED LIGHTBOURN a gunman aitmass shooting economy.

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Asisfar back as 2002, Homerook by hisiPhone, employer, the county That puzzled Apple software enThat allowed the government With OR, restaurant owners restaurant feedback and dining experiences owners and found manag13land other two The to repeatedly and continuously As Security farrestaurants, back asDepartment 2002, theinHomerook by his employer, the county That puzzled Apple software enran health department, was in a gineers — and outside experts to managers repeatedly continuously and have the abilinto short- and long-term value,” by ‘giving them virtual seat andgroup 11 Department in that threeincluded US cittest passcodes will inand what’s known as ers Security ran health department, found in a Bahamas gineers and outside experts aland working the day afterawas the shooting.

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Department’s an- todealt withthat awhile related Apple securi- al and also gathering ty servers, feature introduces increasdataThe thatJustice is immediately actionmarketing that the 2016 be inthat Chicago fromit entShow researchers a company’s saidlegal indata acase statement Monsoftware could hacked until dayApple that the to has force its tion nouncement thatDepartment’s it was droppingana ty feature that introduces increas- potential contact information ing time delays between guesses. able and measurable overdropping time.” a customer to optimise revenues, 21 to 24. software could be Even hacked until it day that the legal casenever to force its May nouncement that it was was already fixed. now, cooperation “should have legal fight to compel Apple to help ing time delays between guesses. cooperation “should never have was already fixed. Even now,the The official spoke on condition the legal fight to compel Apple to help Commerce Department has been been brought,” and it promised to it access the phone also took away The official spoke on condition been brought,” and it promised to Commerce Department has been it access the legal phoneavenues also took away of anonymity because this person increase the security of its prod- trying to fine-tune those rules. any obvious Apple of anonymity because this person was not authorised to discuss the ucts. trying to fine-tune increase security of its any obvious legal Apple The next meetingthose of a rules. conferCEOthe Tim Cook has saidprodthe might have used to avenues learn how the was not authorised to discuss the The next meetingisofApril a conferucts. CEO Tim Cook has said the ence might have learn Departhow the technique publicly. on the subject 8 in Cupertino-based company is conFBI did it. used The to Justice technique publicly.

FBI Director James Comey has stantly ence on and the it’s subject is April 8 in Cupertino-based company is con- Chicago FBI did it. The Justice Departunclear how the trying to improve security ment declined through spokesQUANTUM Break is alike no game you’ve to feel like I was continuously witnessing FBI Director James Comey has Chicago and it’s unclear howrethe stantly trying to improve security FBI’s ment declined through a spokes- said with those features removed, for behaviour in the current its users. woman to comment Tuesday. ever seen before, with its blend of time travel hashed gameplay wrapped up inin dazzling parsaid with those removed, the FBI could features break into the FBI’s behaviour the current for its users. woman to comment Tuesday. case might influence the governThe FBI’s announcement — A fewstriking clues have emerged. powers, visual effects A and phone live ticle and — lighting effects. the acFBI break into the in 26could minutes. case might influence the governThewithout FBI’s announcement A few clues have emerged.

A ment’s fragile relationship even revealing Overall precise there senior enforcement official tion TVlaw episodes.

Yet it cowers intophone aThe trite is not a wide variety ofwith enin 26 minutes.

FBI hacked into the iPhone ment’s fragile relationship with even without revealing precise senior law enforcement official technology companies or subredetails — that it had hacked the told The Associated Press that gameplay the The FBI hacked into iPhone details — that it had hacked presentation of cookie-cutter that emies and some of them are victims of used by gunman SyedtheFarook, technology companies or rethe told The Associated Press that the searchers. iPhone was at odds with the govFBI managed to defeat an Apple usedamby with gunman Syed painfully conflicts with its otherwisewho big parthe AIgov- not tosearchers. mention the heaviest soldiers died his wife in a Farook, gun iPhone was at odds with FBI managed to defeat an Apple (Associated Press) ernment’s firm recommendations security feature that threatened to who died with his wife in a gun bitions. are bested way too easily.(Associated There’s a Press) light ernment’s firm recommendations security feature that threatened to It features a spectacular set of special efupgrade system in place that can flesh out fects and in-game visuals. The game’s time your time powers, but you’ll quickly realise powers are undeniably cool. The TV show elethere’s only a few items you’ll need to max ment provides a unique experience that conout. nects the game’s complex story.

Performance-wise the game does well for But although pretty to look at, a lot of COOL graphics for a takedown in Quantum Break the most part, but it’s obviously pushing the the game’s action feels repetitive and un- - but the gameplay proves something of a letdown Xbox One to its edge. Quantum Break can CAPE Fla. has a slight control inspired and the TV show might not be for in comparison. feel CANAVERAL, sluggish at times and CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Launch control software uneveryone. latency that you’ll justunneed to get used to. For – Launch control software der development for NASA’s In the game you play as Jack Joyce, who brid mashup that is Quantum Break is a thirda shooter it’sfor a bit of a handicap. der development NASA’s deep-space pro-most striking narrative through an old friend, finds himself at the cen- person-shooter. And just like developer RemBut exploration obviously the deep-space exploration programme is more than a year tre of a time travel experiment gone wrong. edy Entertainment has done in the past (see choice in Quantum Break is its live action gramme is more than a year behind schedule and tens ofis split up into several The accident leaves Joyce with powers that Alan Wake and Max Payne), you’ll clear out TV show. The game behind schedule and tens of millions of dollars above let him manipulate time. You’ll use these to area after area of enemies until a cutscene acts. theproacts are short “junction millions of Bridging dollars above jected costs, according toproan get the drop on enemies and progress through pushes the story further. points”, where you must jected costs, according to an make a decision internal audit released Monday. some light puzzle solving. that directly impacts the following live acAlmost immediately your character is purinternal audit released Monday. ownshow. inspector These powers are meant to be chained to- sued with deadly force by what appears to beNASA’s tion TV Thesegeneral episodes helped break NASA’s own inspector general conducted the play auditsessions at Florida’s Kennedy gether to pull off successions of great triumph, some kind of SWAT team and you’re put into up game and that’s not aSpace bad conducted thethe audit at Florida’s Kennedy Center, where agency hopes to launch its Space nextbut they don’t always allow for the smoothest a situation where you must kill nearly everywaywhere to play.

Give Remedy Entertainment Center, the agency hopes to launch its nextgeneration on a testsomething flight in 2018. of transitions. While they look superb, they one you come into contact with. pointsrocket for trying different and generation rocket on a test flight in 2018.

Thebonus goal is points to send astronauts Mars in thefalling 2030s, can also handcuff you at inopportune moit not to completely It’s undeniably stunning to watch and can The goalsupersize is to sendfor astronauts to Mars in the using apart. this Space Launch System, or2030s, SLS, ments. make for some really satisfying sequences using and this an supersize Space Launch System, or SLS, rocket Orion capsule.

The 2018 SLS premiere THE 15 finalists of the World Video Game Hall of Fame.

At its core, the video game/live-action hy- but about a third of the way through I started Jeff an Bakalar, capsule.

CNET The 2018 SLS premiere rocket and will include an Orion unmanned Orion; the first Orion with THE 15 finalists of the World Video Game Hall of Mosher/Video Fame.

(Bethany Game Hall of Fame via AP) will include an unmanned Orion; the first Orion with a crew should launch five years later.

(Bethany Mosher/Video Game Hall of Fame via AP) a NASA crew should launchto five later. has agreed anyears independent review once NASAishas agreed for to an review software delivered theindependent 2018 test flight.

Inonce the software isofficials delivered thehave 2018 test flight.

In the meantime, saidfor they instituted improve— “Sonic HPROCHESTER, IS continuing N.Y. its march towardthe pre- others will guide the final selection. full HD non-touch screen.

HP saysdeems that isthat to meantime, officials said they haveMartin instituted improvements.

Inspector General Paul ROCHESTER, N.Y. — “Sonic the others will guide theiconic final selection.

Hedgehog,” ‘’Space Invaders” and “John “Whether it’s an game like ‘The mium PC territory with the new HP Spectre, keep the lid as thin as possible, which includes ments.

Inspector General Paul Martin deems that satisfactory and considers the matter resolved.

Hedgehog,” ‘’Space Invaders” and “John Legend “Whether it’s an iconic game like ‘The Madden Football” are among 15 games of Zelda,’ a pioneering educational which the company calls “the world’s thinnest a Gorilla layer over satisfactory andGlass considers the matter resolved.

Software needed totop support SLSthe anddisplay.

OrionAis Madden Football” are among 15 games Legend of Zelda,’ a pioneering educational named Tuesday as finalists for the World title like ‘The Oregon Trail,’ or an innovalaptop”. legitimate calculation but it’s also very toughis Software needed to support SLS and Orion experiencing the same startup trouble as previous namedGame Tuesday as finalists for the World tor titlelike like‘Elite,’ ‘The Oregon Trail,’ or an innovaVideo Hall ofthe Fame. which forever changed the According to HP, 13-inch Spectre is to sell an ultra-premium laptop these days experiencing the same startup trouble as previous command and control software programs, the audit Video Game Hall ofbe Fame. tor likeand ‘Elite,’ which forever changed the Thethick, winners willApple’s inducted May 5 at design development of other games,” 10.4mm while iconic MacBook without touch (unless you’re Apple). command and control software programs, the audit found.

Development of this new launch control softThe winners will be inducted May 5 at design and development of other games,” museumLaVie in Rochester, where said, “they’re among the most influAirThe andStrong the Lenovo are 17mm thick. Dyson Thisprojected very slimof laptop doesn’t rely on Infound.

Development this new launch control softThe Strong museum in Rochester, where Dyson said, “they’re among the most influware is now to exceed $207 million, 77 perhall opened last year. ential games of all time.”

Thethe 12-inch MacBook and the recent Razer tel’s lower-power Core M line of processors, ware is now projected to exceed $207 million, 77 perthe hallcontenders opened lastalso year. include: “Elite,” ential games of for all time.” cent above 2012 projections.

The Nominations the hall can come from Blade The Stealth are 13mmalso thick. assoftware seen2012 inwon’t products such until as the 12-inch Maccent above projections. contenders include: “Elite,” Nominations for the hall can come from The be ready fall 2017, instead ‘’Final Fantasy,” ‘’Grand Theft Auto III,” anyone and be from any platform — arA‘’The bold colour scheme alsoTheft helps the Spectre Book and Samsung TabPro S. Instead, The software won’t be Galaxy ready fall 2017, instead ‘’Final Fantasy,” Auto III,” cade, anyone and be from anyhandheld platformor—moarof this summer as planned, anduntil important capabiliLegend of‘’Grand Zelda,” ‘’Minecraft,” console, computer, stand out, Legend ditching of the usual silver/grey for a bile thesummer Spectreaswill use current-gen mainstream of this planned, and important capabili‘’The Zelda,” ‘’Minecraft,” cade, or and moties like automatic failure detection, are being de‘’Nurburgring,” ‘’The Oregon Trail,” —console, but mustcomputer, be widelyhandheld recognised dark, smoky grey, bold gold accents.

The have Intel Core and Core i7 CPUs, along with ties like failure detection, being de‘’Nurburgring,” ‘’The Oregon Trail,” bile — but must the be widely recognised and THE HP SPECTRE ferred, theautomatic audit i5 noted.

The system is are vital, needed ‘’Pokemon Red with and Green,” ‘’Sid Meier’s influenced design and developentire hinge isRed a‘’The bright, jewelled gold, which ment 8GB ofaudit RAM and The a valves 512GB SSD. That will ferred, thepumps, noted. system isother vital, needed ‘’Pokemon andSims,” Green,” ‘’Sid Meier’s have of influenced the or design developto control motors, and ground Civilization,” ‘’Street Fighter other games other and forms of ened version the system I was able to look equipment at, justII” draws more ‘’The attention to ‘’Street its unusual de- tertainment. help this feelcountdowns like a system to control pumps, motors, valves and otherenough ground Civilization,” Sims,” Fighter ment of otherofgames or other forms of enand “Tomb Raider.” during andpowerful launches, and to a standard laptop battery flattened and “Tomb“span Raider.” tertainment. equipment and and to sign.II” to use all day, countdowns every day. Just belaunches, ready to jump The finalists decades, gaming platThey also must have been is popular overinto mulmonitor dataduring before and during liftoff. tiple thin cells, to fitinauacross Theand finalists “span gaming platThey also mustvery have been popular over most monitor and during liftoff.

To avoid unnecessary bulk, but the hinge has time fullydata intobefore thetoworld ofitsUSB-C, the new code multi-to forms countries ofdecades, origin, what they andseparate in different countries.

The NASA decided write own computer forms countries origin, but what time andbottom in different countries.

The inau-smaller of the footprint.

HP also uses NASA decided topower write its own computer code to moved in and from the very rearundeniable edge, and they is in- gural purpose data, and accessory connector. all have in common isoftheir iminductees last year included “Pong,” “glue together” existing software products a decade allinset have in common theirThe undeniable gural inductees yearthrough included “Pong,” fans to that pull introduced airlast in and laptop, rath“glue together” existing software products a stead aworld tiny amount. hinge isimalu- the The Spectre has three USB-C ports along the pact on by the ofisgaming and popular game millionsthe to elecago — while space shuttles still were flying anddecade compact as on isthe of lid, gaming and the millions toair elecergame than exclusively pushing hot out. It’smercial a — ago while space shuttles still were flying comminum, theworld laptop while thepopular bottom back, one of which needs tothe act as aand power culture,” said Jon-Paul Dyson, director of tronic play,that andintroduced “Doom,” which triggered shippers had yet to service space station. culture,” saidfibre.

Jon-Paul Dyson, of atronic play, “Doom,” whichfrom triggered version ofand athe cooling scheme Intel which mercial shippers had yetother to service theOrbital space station.

The International Center forofthe debate over role of games and viopanel isStrong’s carbon HP says thedirector mix maconnection, but no ports.

Both delivery companies, SpaceX and ATK, Theserves Strong’s International Center for the a it debate over the role of games and“Suviocalls hyperbaric cooling.

History of Electronic in society.

Also inducted were Both delivery SpaceX andnoted.

Orbital ATK, terials to give theGames.

Spectre the right bal- lence The HPcompanies, Spectre will be available to pre-orrely on commercial software, the audit History of Electronic Games. lence in society.

Also inducted were “Sulist was culled thousands of per Mario Bros.,” ‘’Pac-Man,” ‘’Tetris” andis excelThe keyboard on the HP Spectre rely on software, the audit noted. ance The between weight andfrom stiffness, especially dercommercial onlinesoftware on April 25, from HP.com and Best Commercial products would be a better The list2.45 was culled from thousands of “World per Mario Bros.,” andthan on Commercial nominations from more than countries, of Warcraft.” lent.

The keys ‘’Pac-Man,” feel a little ‘’Tetris” shallower software ainbetter in the lid. At pounds, it is 100 not the lightest BBY.com site,products startingwould atto$1,169 the optionBuy’s for NASA as well, according thebeaudit, esnominations from more than 100 countries, “World of Warcraft.” hall officials said.

An international advia more full-size 13-inch laptop, but this ispecially a USfor option NASA asadvances well, according to the audit, es13-inch laptop but it’s still easy to pick up and (international prices and availability have given recent in the area. hall officials said.

An international advisory committee of journalists, scholars and standard island-style(Associated keyboard. Press) pecially advances area. carry around. not given been recent announced yet). in the (Associated Press) sory committee of journalists, scholars and (Associated Press) The only display option is a 1,920 x 1,080 Inside the body, according to a deconstructDan Ackerman, CNET (Associated Press)

QUANTUM BREAK: STRIKING VISUALS, REPETITIVE ACTION

NEW NEW NASA NASA LAUNCH LAUNCH CONTROL CONTROL SOFTWARE SOFTWARE LATE, LATE, OVER OVER BUDGET BUDGET

REVIEW: HPOF SPECTRE - THE WORLD’S THINNEST LAPTOP VIDEO GAME FAME FINALISTS VIDEO GAME HALL HALL OF FAME REVEALS REVEALS FINALISTS

TECHTALK TECHTALK

• ENJOY, an online con• ENJOY, conservicean for gadgets, • cierge STUDENTS in online The Bahamas cierge service for gadgets, is expanding San in the have until Aprilbeyond 15 to enrol is expanding San for a Francisco andbeyond New York DHL Solar Grand Challenge Francisco and New York City nearly a revolutionise year after it was chance to help solar Cityand nearly year after it was launched. power wina$10,000. launched.

The startup, between foundedtechnolby A partnership The startup, founded by former J.C. Penney CEOSTEMand ogy-solutions company former J.C.DHL Penney CEO and Board and Express, the Apple executive Ron Johnson, Apple executive Ron Johnson, Solar Challenge will Grand be adding certain gives neigh-stuwillthroughout be adding neighdents the Caribbean borhoods of Loscertain Angeles this borhoods of Los Angeles and Bermuda anChicago opportunity week and then in thisto weekportable, and then Chicago create low-costin solar May. May. energy The programme Thesolutions. service allows customservice allows gadgets customculminates in high-end a solar-energy eduersThe to order ers to order high-end gadgets cation track andcameras pitch competition ranging from and ranging from cameras and at fitness STEMBoard’s trackers tosecond-annual drones on fitness trackers to drones Hack<IT> camp at St the Enjoytechnology website and haveon the Enjoy website and have Andrew’s School in Nassau from them delivered for free by an them for free by an July 18 todelivered 23. will show expert who clients expert who will show clients Students from the winning team how to use the device.

Visits how to up usean the device.in Visits will earn to $10,000 prizes last about hour. about an hour. andlast may seetrying DHL Express imple“We’re to reinvent trying to reinvent ment theirpeople idea to reduce utility the“We’re way buy technolthe at way buy Register technol- at costs itspeople facilities. ogy products. ogy products. www.dhlsolarchallenge.com “We’ve learned a lot, and “We’ve lot, and we’ve seen learned positiveamomenwe’vesaid seen positiveiPad momen• tum,” AFTER allowing Johnson, who Air 2s tum,” said who with restrictions in dugouts oversaw theJohnson, expansion ofduring oversaw the expansion the final stores two weeks lastofseason Apple for 12ofyears Apple stores years and the post-season under pilot before he tookfor the12 top joba at before he took top jobBaseat programme, Majorthe League Penney. ballPenney. has reached a deal with Apple that •gives iPad Pros to all SOUNDCLOUD is teams • SOUNDCLOUD is scoutthis year along new entering paid with musica streamentering paid music ing, analytics and video app called ing, hoping to turn itsstreamhuge ing,Dugout. hoping of to cover turn its huge MLB community singers, community of cover Each team’s devices, which dubstep remixers andsingers, wan- can dubstep and bullpens, wanbenabe usedstars in remixers dugouts and into a bigger source nabe stars into a bigger source have been customised to use the of revenue. ofSince revenue. club’s proprietary reits launch statistical in 2007, the Since its launch inmusic 2007, the port and advance scouting videos Berlin-based online serBerlin-based online music seralong with MLB’s Statcast system, vice has allowed pretty much vice has allowed pretty much which launched last year, any audio to be uploaded to any audio be uploaded to its cloud —to from Kanye West its cloud to —teenagers fromorders Kanye West • outtakes WORLDWIDE for sing- the outtakes to teenagers new lower-priced Teslasinging over canned music.

Itelectric has ing canned It has carslowly hitover 276,000 overmusic. the weekend, introduced tools to slowly introduced tools tofor anearn unprecendetend demand an revenue, introducing paid earn revenue, introducing paid e-car. services for artists in 2008 and services forMusk artists in 2008 CEO Elon said ifinvited the and surad revenue sharing for ad revenue for invited prising trend continues, Model musicians insharing 2014.

3 orders could hit 500,000 and musicians in 2014.

But after signing deals with would require another factory But after signing deals within major labels, including holdEurope tolabels, meet demand. major including holdout Sony Music this month, With a starting price ofa$35,000 out Sony Music this month, SoundCloud is adding sub- before US plan government incentives SoundCloud isfor adding a subscription consumers, - the Model 3 is less than half the scription plan for consumers, giving them ad-free listening cost of Tesla’s previous models. giving them ad-free listening and a whole range of music The caramainstream has a range of miles and whole rangeartists of 215 music from that when fully charged, about double from mainstream artists that had shunned the service bewhat getgave from competitors haddrivers shunned the service because it only tracks away like the Nissan Leaf and BMW i3. cause it only gave tracks away for free, including top acts like for free, including top acts like Taylor Swift.

• ATaylor NEWSwift. exhibit at a science museum• WHEN in New the Jersey letsRift people Oculus getdebuts a• virtual experience of what WHEN the Oculus Rift next week, it won’t do life is like as you age. debuts next week, it won’t do so with a star-studded launch The exhibition that launch opened so with amassive star-studded party or marketing onblitz Friday at ofthe Liberty party or massive marketing worthy a new video Science Center in Jersey City shows blitz worthy of a new video game console or smartphone. people what it feels, sounds game console or smartphone.

Instead, thousands of the and looks likereality to bedoodads elderly with Instead, thousands of the virtual will the help of a reality high-tech exoskeleton virtual doodads simply arrive on the doorwill equipped with onvirtual reality simply the door steps of arrive early adopters willing goggles. steps of early adopters willing to spend $600 for the immerThe Age $600 Suit simulates several to spend for the immersive technology. ailments of old age such as glausive technology.

Oculus’ founder Palmer coma, macular degeneration and Oculus’ founder Palmer Luckey kick-started interest a hearing problem thatinterest produces Luckey kick-started in modern-day VR four years ringing in the ears.VR four years in modern-day ago with the introduction of The Genworth Aging Experiago with the introduction of a clunky headset he crafted ence runs until Sunday. a clunky headset he crafted from smartphone parts. The from smartphone parts.a The has evolved head• gizmo FACEBOOK is into training its gizmo has evolved into a of headmounted display capable computers to become seeingmounted display capable of transporting to virtual eye guides for wearers blind and transporting wearers tovisually virtual worlds, without the same level impaired people the as they scroll worlds, without same level of nausea-inducing side effects through the pictures posted on the of nausea-inducing side effects that plagued inventions in world’s largest VR online social netthat plagued VR inventions in the 1990s. work. the 1990s.

Jesse Schell, creator ofyestersuch The feature rolling out Schell, of such VRJesse games as “Icreator Expect You day on Facebook’s iPhone VR games as “I Expect Youapp to Die,” recently predicted interprets what’s in a picture to Die,” recently predicted that million headsets using aabout form88of artificial intellithat about million headsets would be sold by 2017.faces and gence that recognises would sold by 2017.

“Thisbe isn’t some fad,” built-in Schell objects.

The iPhone’s “This isn’t some fad,” Schell said during his “40 Predictions screen reader,his VoiceOver, must said during “40 Predictions VR/AR Through 2025” befor turned on for Facebook’s for VR/AR Through 2025” presentation at GDC. gophoto descriptions to “It’s be presentation at GDC. “It’sread. going to stay.”

For now, the feature will only be ing to stay.” available in English.

PAGE 10, Wednesday, April 6, 2016

SEVENTEEN-year-old culinary arts student Latess Bartlett presents her chocolate creations during a recent exposition. She will be featured at the Inter-American Bank (IDB) ‘Innovators and Entrepreneurs’ Conclave on Thursday, April 7.

IDB to encourage entrepreneurs IN keeping with its objectives of reducing poverty and inequality and achieving sustainable growth, The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) will feature a one-day conclave showcasing innovation and entrepreneurship.

The event is slated for Thursday, April 7, at the Baha Mar convention centre and open to all registered participants of the annual meeting seminars. The conclave is one in a series of seminars on topics of interest to participants, which is sponsored by the bank prior to the opening of the

meeting.

This year the IDB is hosting its annual general meeting in Nassau, April 7-10.

The aim of the conclave, which is titled ‘Entrepreneurs and Innovators’, is to present new ideas to address development challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

The event will feature innovators from Latin America and the Caribbean, who will deliver inspiring TED-style presentations on how their startups are improving lives in the region. These entrepreneurs will chronicle their journey as risk-takers,

starting their businesses, overcoming challenges, and proving that innovation can come from unexpected places.

A dialogue will follow their presentations with IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno.

This year, the IDB will break the paradigm that innovation is mostly attributed to young and higher income people, and showcase innovators and entrepreneurs of all ages and all walks of life. The forum will feature innovations that range from addressing mosquito-transmitted ill-

nesses, to improving hearing, to providing transportation alternatives in the region.

One of the entrepreneurs who will be featured at the conclave is 17-year-old Bahamian culinary arts student LaTess Bartlett. Ms Barlett is a senior student at the Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Academy in Freeport whose outstanding performance in culinary arts has made her a star among her peers.

She aspires to become a master chocolatier and has embarked on this journey by creating her own

chocolate confectionary recipes.

In February 2014, she started her own business, which she named ‘Chocolate Island Delights’. She has been featured in both the local and international media and her products are available to consumers at several local venues.

The IDB will host a series of nine seminars slated for April 7-8.

Interested persons may access the complete seminar listing, descriptions and registration information by visiting the event website idb-iicbahamas2016.

THE TRIBUNE

MAN SHOT AND LEFT IN CRITICAL CONDITION

A MAN was in critical condition as The Tribune was going to press after a shooting last night.

Two men were walking on High Street, Flamingo Gardens, shortly before 10pm when the occupants of a silver Honda Torino approached and shot one of them before speeding up.

The victim was rushed to hospital and investigations are ongoing.

Police also seized a shotgun yesterday in a search at the rear of a home at Ethel Street, Montel Heights, shortly after 7.30am.

Officers also said that two men were in custody for possession of marijuana after separate searches of homes in Anthurium Street, Garden Hills #1 and Hollywood Road, Winton Meadows.

POLICE PROMOTIONS THE Royal Bahamas Police Force has announced the promotions of 106 officers to senior posts.

According to a brief statement from the RBPF, 23 assistant superintendents have been promoted to superintendents; 34 inspectors to assistant superintendents and 49 sergeants to inspectors.

The promotions take effect from October 1, 2014.

The last round of police promotions were announced in October 2014.

At that time, nearly 600 officers were promoted.

CRUZ, SANDERS WINNERS IN WISCONSIN PRIMARY

MILWAUKEE Associated Press

REPUBLICAN Ted Cruz stormed to a commanding victory in Wisconsin Tuesday, denting frontrunner Donald Trump’s chances of capturing the Republican nomination before the party’s convention.

Democrat Bernie Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton, but still faces a mathematically difficult path to the White House.

Trump’s defeat capped one of the worst periods of his campaign, a brutal stretch that highlighted his weaknesses with women and raised questions about his policy depth. While the billionaire businessman still leads the Republican field, Cruz and an array of anti-Trump forces hope Wisconsin signals the start of his decline.

“Tonight is a turning point,” Cruz told cheering supporters at a victory rally.

“It is a call from the hardworking people of Wisconsin to America. We have a choice. A real choice.”

Cruz, an ultraconservative Texas senator with a complicated relationship with Republican leaders, also cast his victory as a moment for unity in a party that has been roiled by a contentious primary campaign.

But Trump was unbowed.

His campaign put out a biting statement: “Ted Cruz is worse than a puppet--he is a Trojan horse, being used by the party bosses attempting to steal the nomination from Mr Trump.”

Sanders’s sweeping win in virtually every county in Wisconsin, except Milwaukee, gives him greater incentive to keep competing against Clinton. But he still trails her in the pledged delegate count and has so far been unable to persuade superdelegates— the party officials who can back any candidate — to drop their allegiance to the former secretary of state and back his campaign.

At a raucous rally in Wyoming, Sanders cast his victory as a sign of mounting momentum for his campaign.

“With our victory tonight is Wisconsin, we have now won 7 out of 8 of the last caucuses and primaries,” he declared. Sanders is favored to win the Wyoming Democratic caucuses on Saturday.

The results in Wiscon-

REPUBLICAN presidential candidate Sen Ted Cruz, R-Texas, at a campaign stop in Wisconsin. sin make it likely both parties’ primaries will continue deep into the spring, draping front-runners Trump and Clinton in uncertainty and preventing both from fully setting their sights on the general election.

With an overwhelming white electorate and liberal pockets of voters, Wisconsin was favorable territory for Sanders. In a sign of Clinton’s low expectations in the Midwestern state, she spent Tuesday night at a fundraiser with top donors in New York City. The focus of the campaign now turns to New York which holds its critical primary on April 19.

Clinton congratulated Sanders on Twitter and thanked her supporters in Wisconsin. “To all the voters and volunteers who poured your hearts into this campaign: Forward!” she wrote.

Because Democrats award delegates proportionally, Sanders’ victory in Wisconsin will not cut significantly into Clinton’s lead in the pledged delegate count. With 86 delegates at stake in Wisconsin, Sanders will pick up at least 45 and Clinton will gain at least 31.

The state-by-state nominating contests are choosing delegates to the parties’ national conventions that

will select the presidential nominees.

Sanders must still win 67 percent of the remaining delegates and uncommitted superdelegates in order to win the Democratic presidential nomination.

With most of Wisconsin’s delegates allotted, Clinton now has 1,274 delegates to Sanders’ 1,025, based on primary and caucus results alone. When including superdelegates, Clinton has a wider lead — 1,743 to 1,056.

It takes 2,383 delegates to win the nomination.

Clinton’s campaign has cast her overall lead as nearly insurmountable. But Sanders, a self-declared democratic socialist, has taken his dark-horse candidacy from a mere annoyance to Clinton to a serious challenge for the former secretary of state, who had largely been expected to take the Democrat nomination in a walk when the contest began last year.

While Trump has been the dominant force in the Republican race, he battled a series of campaign controversies in the leadup to Wisconsin, including his campaign manager’s legal problems following an altercation with a female reporter and his own awkward stumbles in clarifying his views on abortion.

Wisconsin’s Republican

establishment, including Gov. Scott Walker, also campaigned aggressively against the businessman.

Exit polls in the state underscored the concerns about Trump that are surging through some corners of the Republican Party. A majority of Republican voters said they’re either concerned or scared of a potential Trump presidency.

More than a third said they were scared about what Trump would do as president, and about 2 in 10 said they were concerned, according to surveys conducted by Edison Research for The Associated Press and television networks.

With his victory Tuesday, Cruz won at least 33 Wisconsin delegates, while Trump carried at least three. Six delegates are still up for grabs, pending the outcome in two congressional districts.

With Wisconsin results included, Trump led with 740 delegates to Cruz’s 508, while Kasich had 143. It takes 1,237 delegates to win the nomination.

Trump still has a narrow path to claim the nomination by the end of the primaries on June 7. But by losing Wisconsin, the real estate mogul has little room for error in upcoming contests.

Trump would need to win

DEMOCRATIC presidential candidate Sen Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., gestures to supporters during a campaign rally.

57 percent of those remain- ing candidacy of John Kaing to clinch the Republican sich. The Ohio governor’s nomination before the July only victory has come in convention. So far, Trump his home state, but he’s has won 48 percent of the still picking up delegates that could otherwise help delegates awarded.

Complicating the prima- Trump inch closer to the ry landscape for both Cruz nomination or help Cruz and Trump is the continu- catch up.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, April 6, 2016, PAGE 11

OFFICIALS and students at the signing yesterday of a Memorandum of Understanding at Government High School.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

INSURER BACKS COB SCHOLAR SCHEME

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

COLLEGE of the Bahamas officials yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with Tristar Insurance Agents & Brokers Ltd for the company to become an official donor of COB’s President’s Scholar’s Programme.

The MOU signing took place at the Government High School (GHS), where Tristar Insurance has pledged to provide targeted corporate mentorship

and financial support for the 2015/2016 school year, via its Tristar Education Optimisation Programme (TEOP). Thirty students in grades 11 and 12 at GHS were inducted into the TEOP last year.

A $50,000 commitment

by Tristar Insurance, the TEOP will ultimately result in one GHS student and TEOP participant receiving a four-year scholarship to attend COB and entry into COB’s President’s Scholar’s Programme (PSP), where he/she will have the opportunity to learn directly from

COB President Dr Rodney Smith, the mentor for the presidential scholar.

Tristar Insurance has also pledged to provide summer job opportunities for the selected student while he/she is attending COB, and upon graduation from COB, the student is guaranteed a job with Tristar Insurance in its broker development programme.

“You have often heard that it’s been said that the youth are the future of our nation; we at Tristar have decided to be proactive in making a positive impact

on our youth to deliberately improve the quality of that future,” said Harold Antor, president and CEO of Tristar Insurance Brokers & Agents Ltd. Dr Smith said of the signing and Tristar Insurance’s commitment to supporting education: “Tristar has an interest in developing Bahamian youth, through education and character building, which marries well with the college’s mission to support and drive national development through teaching, research and innovation, and service to the

DR RODNEY SMITH, president of the College of the Bahamas and Harold Antor, CEO of Tristar Insurance Agents and Brokers Ltd, pictured during the memorandum signing. Corina Neely, president of First Care Medical Plan, is also pictured far right.