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SEE WOMAN SECTION

$47m lost at Road Traffic

Auditor General warns of a ‘severe lack of order’ at department

By KHRISNA VIRGIL Tribune Staff Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

THE auditor general has warned of a severe lack of order and control surrounding safeguarding the assets and collection of revenue at the Road Traffic Department, while revealing an estimated $47m in losses from vehicle license revenue resulting from employees and motorists “circumventing rules and regulations”.

At a minimum, it is believed that there is an under recording of vehicle licence revenue of $10m due to management not having control over the licensing inventory.

In the audit of the department for the period July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2015, Auditor General Terrance Bastian said the department could not attest that correct revenue is being reported at the end of each fiscal year.

In probing operations of the department, Mr Bastian further highlighted several

other instances of apparent fraud and “collusion” involving inspectors, writers and cashiers as they carried out daily tasks.

The revelations were unearthed in an audit report that was tabled yesterday in the House of Assembly. It focused on vehicle licence revenue, licence plate revenue and payroll processing.

“We observed through inquiries of management that the Road Traffic Department (RTD) did not maintain a register containing the registered number of all licensed motor vehicles,” the report said.

“Based on the requirements outlined in Section 5 of the (Road Traffic) Act, the RTD should be maintaining a register of the name and address of all registered owners, insured persons and insurers of licensees. We further noted that a listing of all active and inactive plates could not be produced for audit inspection.”

SEE PAGE THREE

IZMIRLIAN: NO SENSE IN BAHA MAR BID

SARKIS Izmirlian last night declined to enter the formal Baha Mar sales process, and accused the $3.5bn project’s receivers of playing ‘rope a dope’ with him.

Baha Mar’s original developer, in a letter issued to the Deloitte & Touche re-

ceviership team just as the deadline to submit bids to acquire the project expired, said it “makes no sense” for him to enter the process.

Mr Izmirlian called the process “opaque” and “surreptitious”.

SEE BUSINESS SECTION

FIVE HELD OVER CLAIM OF SEX ASSAULT ON TEENAGER

By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net FOUR boys and a girl are in police custody in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a 19-year-old girl.

Assistance Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean said a “full scale” investigation was launched after a video of the alleged assault was posted on social media on Sunday.

SEE PAGE EIGHT

BODY OF MAN IS FOUND STUFFED INSIDE SUITCASE

POLICE officers at the scene off Soldier Road yesterday where a man’s body was found in a suitcase. Photo: Tim Clarke/Tribune Staff

BY SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net

THE partially decomposed body of a man was found stuffed in a suitcase in an abandoned building off Soldier Road early yesterday morning.

This latest homicide brought the country’s murder count to 47 for the year, according to The Tribune’s records.

Officer-in-Charge of the Central Detective Unit Chief Superintendent Clayton Fernander said officers received an anonymous tip shortly after 10am that led them to the scene.

“As a result of information officers went to Red Sea Road off Soldier Road and Sumner Street.

When officers arrived they checked the twostory abandoned building and on the first floor they

discovered the lifeless body of a man in his early 30s, in a large suitcase with multiple injuries to his body,” Chief Supt Fernander said.

“At this point we do not know the cause of death.

We believe that the body was there for about 24 hours. Emergency Services personnel were called to the scene and confirmed the man was dead. What we are working with is the little

information that we got. We have no motive, no cause of death and no identity at this time.”

Chief Supt Fernander declined to comment on whether the victim was stabbed or shot.

The body was found four days after a man was shot in the chest during an argument on Quarry Mission Road.

SEE PAGE EIGHT

NOTTAGE: VOTE HURT BY ‘BPL ALREADY BRINGING SAME-SEX MARRIAGE TALK LOWER ELECTRIC COST’

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

WITH momentum ahead of the June 7 constitutional referendum appearing to be with the “no” campaign, National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage said yesterday that he believes talk of same-sex marriage will negatively impact the vote on amendments to the

Constitution.

“It will impact the vote negatively because the question and amendments have nothing to do with that,” he told reporters during an interview following a House of Assembly session yesterday.

“The fact that these matters are being brought up now is a bit mischievous

SEE PAGE FIVE

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

DEPUTY Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis credited PowerSecure yesterday for reductions in local electricity prices, saying “dramatic” improvements are already being reaped in the country.

Mr Davis was asked if Bahamas Power & Light

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

(BPL), formerly the Bahamas Electricity Corporation, has given the government its long-awaited business plan.

He said yes, but it is unclear whether the plan will be released to the public. “(Electricity services) has already dramatically improved,” he said. “Check your bill. Compare it to SEE PAGE EIGHT

PAGE 2, Tuesday, May 10, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

Urban Renewal celebrates nation’s mothers

A CROWDED room as the Urban Renewal Commission held a pre-Mother’s Day luncheon and fashion show for seniors at St Joseph’s Parish Church Hall on Boyd Road on Saturday.

Photos: Derek Smith/BIS

A RARE CHANCE TO SEE MERCURY PASS ACROSS THE FACE OF THE SUN

MERCURY

THE PLANET Mercury is seen in silhouette, lower left, as it transits across the face of the sun in this NASA picture.

LOCAL astronomy enthusiast Dr David Sands yesterday introduced dozens of Bahamians to one of the rarest astronomical occurrences - a Mercury transit across the face of the sun.

Dr Sands made his special Solarscope available for anyone wanting to view the transit at the Green Parrot restaurant, East Bay Street.

The retired paediatrician told The Tribune that a Mercury transit had not been seen in almost ten years, explaining that a transit occurs when one of the inner planets, Mercury or Venus, passes between the Earth and the Sun.

Most of the time, the inner planets pass either above or below the Sun. Yesterday’s Mercury transit lasted seven and a half hours, between 7.12am and 2.42pm.

According to Dr Sands, there are only certain points in these planets’ orbits, called nodes, when they are in the plane of the Earth’s orbit. For Venus, these nodes occur in June and December while for Mercury, they occur in May and November. Transits can occur only in those months.

The next transit of Mercury will not happen until 2019.

DR David Sands with his solarscope.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, May 10, 2016, PAGE 3

Officials ‘prepared to prosecute’ if law broken at Road Traffic

By KHRISNA VIRGIL Tribune Staff Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

IF further investigations on the findings of a recent audit report into the operations of the Road Traffic Department uncover activity of a criminal nature, officials are prepared to prosecute those involved to the fullest extent of the law.

In response to a newly released auditor general’s report over several aspects of the department, Ross Smith, road traffic controller, said while a number of weaknesses were identified, he is in the process of setting the foundation for a corrective plan.

Meanwhile Transport and Aviation Minister Glenys Hanna Martin told the House of Assembly that the damning results of the report are attributed to an antiquated system, which is largely manually operated.

“Mr Speaker, the findings in this report point to and unfortunately repeated age-old issues which are largely directly attributable to the antiquated operational features of that department which in turn create systematic internal weaknesses,” she said before tabling the report.

“This is exacerbated by the fact that hundreds of thousands of vehicles are inspected and licenced annually by the hands and over-

from page one

sight of this manual process.

The Road Traffic Department today despite its critical importance and despite its complex network of activities, functions almost exclusively on a manual, paper-based system,” she said.

“This mode of operation seriously impairs the department’s efficiency, challenges standards of customer service, can lead to the compromise of the integrity of systems and unfortunately creates the potential for fraud.”

During a press conference at the department, Mr Smith said: “Once we find information of a criminal nature it has to be reported to the police and the police will deal with the matter and bring any necessary charges against those individuals.”

“The auditor general’s findings identified a number of weaknesses in the internal controls of the department,” Mr Smith added.

“I am in the process of reviewing the report and over the next several days, I will meet with representatives from the Auditor General’s Department with a view to setting the foundation for a corrective action plan.

“Since the recommendations contained in the auditor general’s report relative to the Abaco office, several new procedures have now been implemented which have overtaken some of the

recommendations made in the auditor’s report.”

He was referring to the audit report of the Road Traffic Department in Abaco at the Marsh Harbour office.

Last November, The Tribune reported that at the time of the audit, there were 17,502 validation, inspection and decal stickers missing from the department’s physical inventory valued at approximately $656,710.

Overall, that audit found the total weaknesses in the department resulted in the loss of a proper audit trail for stickers and contributed to the department’s inability to account for stickers and other revenue generating documents valued at $662,705.

Minister Hanna Martin said at the time that Royal Bahamas Police Force officials were probing missing resources. However, it is unclear of whether anyone was found guilty of any wrongdoing.

Mr Smith added: “On a concurrent basis, I will be reviewing the findings to determine what implications there are regarding the Road Traffic Department personnel, and where those findings are substantiated, immediate action will be taken in accordance with Public Service procedures and the criminal law.”

To correct the inefficiencies of the department,

GLENYS HANNA MARTIN Minister Hanna Martin said officials have already commenced actions to correct all issues. The new system cost taxpayers $8.3m.

This includes a new custom designed driver’s licence system that has been completed and is now being

tested, she said.

“The construction of the vehicle licence system which commenced in December 2015 was completed about three weeks ago.

“The user acceptance testing will commence here in The Bahamas on June

20. The systems will begin roll out and go live on October 3 for vehicle licence system and the drivers licence system on December 1.”

She said the government is also in the process of revamping the system, which manages license plates.

$47M LOST AT ROAD TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT

The report continued: “In order for the RTD to forecast revenue for motor vehicles, it would be essential for a register of information on the number of registered vehicles to be maintained. Due to RTD being in contravention of its Act in this regard, the determinable amount of revenue that would be due to the government in any given year is unknown.

“If a forecast would be performed based on the total number of licence plates produced and issued, approximately 374,000 plates, to the public as of June 30, 2015, one would estimate that the motor vehicle licence revenue should be at a minimum of $73m (374,000 x $195) instead of the reported average of $26m per annum.

“If the approximate number of 374,000 plates was reduced by 50 per cent there would still be an estimated loss of $10m as compared to the actual recorded revenue noted herein.”

The report also noted that when new licence plate inventory was looked at, the RTD was unable to provide auditors with a listing of all new licence plates generated and issued to the public during the years covered in the audit.

“Since it is indeterminate by the RTD as to the amount of new plates produced for all vehicles during the years under the audit, it would be suffice to say that from the production records of the Ministry of Public Works, there is an under recording in the new licence plate revenue line item of approximately $234,000.”

Fraud There were numerous instances of what appeared to be fraudulent insurance certificates, Mr Bastian said in the report. This was especially seen on a particular insurance company’s letterhead in instances where the act was discovered. The report did not name the company.

“There is a noticeable lack of oversight in the licensing process. The behaviour being displayed by the staff of the RTD in circumventing rules and regulations is unacceptable. No licence should be issued to any person where the insurance certificate is not seen and/or retained on file for proper audit trail.”

“The Act definitively states in Section 23(1) that

an invalid insurance certificate is an offence that is punishable by imprisonment and a fine. Invalid insurance certificates places an immense burden on the public as there is no immediate recourse in the event of accident. There seems to be a lack of monitoring by the appropriate staff,” the report said.

There was also a special investigation conducted into the issuance of a duplicated motor vehicle licence.

According to Mr Bastian’s report, the duplication occurred during the month of December 2014.

“It was noted that the original licence was issued at the Carmichael Road location on November 26, 2014 and the duplicated licence was issued at the head office location on December 2, 2014. It should be clarified that the duplicated licence contained the original licensee’s name, licence plate number, and expiration date.

“In speaking with the actual licensee and viewing the original issued licence we confirmed that the information presented on the original licence was duplicated. This situation was further exacerbated when the fraudulent licensee admitted to this malfeasance to the original owner in order to obtain an authentic licence in August 2015.

“During the investigation neither the original documentation nor the fraudulent documentation could be found in the cash batches provided for November 2014 and December 2014.

However, it was noted in reviewing the system postings that the fraudulent licence was recorded using the original owner’s name and licence plate number on December 2, 2014.

“Since the duplicated licence was recorded in the system, we acknowledge that a licence was issued without the proper retention of the inspection certificate, prior year permit, and a copy of the insurance certificate.”

Mr Bastian said as this is in clear violation of the law, it is evident that “collusion” had to occur during the inspection, writing, and cashiering phases in the head office and Carmichael Road location to enable the issuance of this duplicated licence.

The inspectors, writers and cashiers who may be involved in this act of “gross negligence” should be made aware of the consequences of their actions as it pertains to the violation

of the law, Mr Bastian said.

“Since this act was executed by willing participants in the RTD, it is obvious that the problem is not with the public alone, but with the RTD staff.”

It was strongly recommended that the persons complicit in this incident be removed with immediate effect and action be taken.

Payroll processing In auditing the payroll process, Mr Bastian said it was observed that a salary payment in the amount of $358,750 was allowed to be processed and paid to a staff member during the month of January 2015.

He said this amount appeared to have circumvented all controls around payroll processing inside the RTD. It was noted that the Public Treasury issued a stop letter to the bank on January 26, 2015 and the paying bank remitted the overage of $355,220.83 to the Public Treasury via a draft dated January 28, 2015.

Upon requesting the supporting documentation for the remittance of the overpayment to the government, it took four months to receive the requested information, Mr Bastian said. It was further observed that there was no physical approval of the payroll during this pay period by the officer in charge as there was no documentary evidence to support the approval, the audit said.

“It is evident that there was a grave breakdown in the internal controls around payroll processing within the RTD. The operational risk associated with the over payment of the $355,220.83 is that the payment could have ultimately gone undetected not only within the government’s processing, but also within the bank’s

processing.

“Responsibility, ownership and accountability appeared not to have permeated the accounting function as the evidence around the return of funds was not retained within the RTD to support this erroneous act.”

The audit also found that there were five employees who were making less than the annual minimum wage. Article 40 of the Bahamas Public Service Union Agreement states that the new salary increases for persons whose salary is under $10,700 should be $11,450 effective from Sep-

tember 2014.

Mr Bastian also put forward a recommendation that management of the RTD advance a plan for the department to be relocated to another building as soon as practicable.

This is due to observations on the building’s condition including a substance resembling mould in the ceiling, continuous overflows in the bathroom, inoperable faucets in the bathrooms, distinct odour emanating from the carpet and staircase railings that were not stable among other things.

PAGE 4, Tuesday, May 10, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

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Ocean blasting: Groups seek ban as big Atlantic test looms IT’S been compared to hearing dynamite explode, or standing next to a jet engine.

Seismic surveying involves blasting the ocean floor with sound waves that bounce off the sea bed and are recorded by ships.

It’s extremely useful in finding deposits of oil and natural gas. But there is concern that it can be harmful to marine life, including endangered whales, turtles and dolphins.

With what would be one of the largest tests ever planned for the Atlantic Ocean now being considered by federal officials, two US senators from New Jersey and environmental groups from around the country are trying to ban the practice in the Atlantic Ocean.

Three companies have applied for permits to use seismic surveying, and a fourth would use another sound-based technology to search for oil and gas deposits under the ocean floor between Delaware and Florida. Their main obstacle is a permit authorising them to harass or harm marine animals while doing the work. The National Marine Fisheries Service is considering the applications.

Environmentalists say the noise and shock waves from the testing can injure or even kill marine animals. The blasting could be nearly continuous, every few seconds around the clock, for a year.

“We describe it as dynamite-like explosions under the water,” said Ingrid Biedron, a marine scientist with the Florida-based Oceana group. “It is extremely loud. The sound from one survey gun can travel up to 2,500 miles. That’s the distance from Washington, DC, to Las Vegas. This could sonify that whole area of ocean.”

New Jersey environmental groups fought unsuccessfully for two years to block a similar but much smaller project off the coast of their state that was carried out last summer. Its stated purpose was to study sediment on the sea floor dating back millions of years to study climate change, but it used the same technology.

“As bad as that was, these permits are orders of magnitude worse,” said Cindy Zipf, executive director of New Jerseybased Clean Ocean Action. “The harm would also be much worse, including to the Right Whale, the most endangered animal in the ocean.”

Permit applications from the companies acknowledge the sound waves can disturb marine animals and potentially affect their hearing but doubt that any would be killed or even seriously harmed.

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management wrote in 2014 that, “To date, there has been no documented scientific evidence of noise from air guns used in geological and geophysical seismic activities adversely affecting animal populations.”

The International Association of Geophysical Contractors says the industry takes care to avoid marine life, adding “there has been no observation of direct physical injury or death to free-ranging fishes caused by seismic survey activity. Any impacts to fish from seismic surveys are short-term, localized and have not led to significant impacts on a population scale.”

“The claims that environmental groups have been circulating are speculative and anecdotal, at best, pointing to what ‘might,’ ‘could,’ or’ may’ happen,” said Nikki Martin, the association’s president.

Richie Miller, president of one of the companies, Houston-based Spectrum Geo Inc., said that in his 30 years in the business, it has been unusual to even encounter many marine mammals.

“We’ve never experienced any injury or fatality to marine mammals from our operations, and I’ve never seen or heard of it elsewhere in the industry,” he said.

Miller said the language of the permit defining a disturbance of a marine animal as a “take” has created great misunderstanding.

“A single ‘take’ is the same thing as a ferry boat running through the ocean and a dolphin moving out of the way,” he said.

“That’s characterised as an impact. If a marine mammal gets near to us, we stop, but we rarely have to do that.”

Zipf said that within days of the start of the New Jersey testing in 2015, at least three whales were found dead. None of the animals was tested to determine how it died, or whether its hearing was affected.

Martin said seismic surveying has the potential for “a plethora of beneficial uses for the United States”.

“Eighty per cent of the energy in 2040 will still be produced from fossil fuels,” she said. “It’s difficult to identify where these resources are without our geophysical surveying. It’s a long-term play that the industry plans to be part of for a long time.”

New Jersey’s two Democratic US senators, Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, have introduced a bill to ban seismic testing in the Atlantic Ocean. In addition to the two New Jersey senators, the bill has three other co-sponsors, all Democrats.

It is considered likely to draw opposition from senators from oil- and gas-producing states.

But there is bipartisan opposition to the testing; US Reps Mark Sanford, RSouth Carolina, and Bobby Scott, D-Virginia, sent a letter to federal regulators in December from 31 House members from both parties asking for a halt to the practice.

By Wayne Parry of the Associated Press

Oh yes, the referendum EDITOR, The Tribune.

MAY I address the potential impact of the amendments when all is done and one presumes the voters approve (not guaranteed).

Amendment to Article: 8… not retroactive but how many applications remain unprocessed is it hundreds or thousands? Immigration, please advise.

Amendment to Article: 10... this just gives the nonBahamian husband in a marriage, live-existing, the right to apply and obtain citizenship. The key words here are “right” and “obtain” and in the principle of the amendment what is meant by “...making application in such manner as may be prescribed” - why isn’t the prescribed manner part of the amendment? We need to divorce “politics”

totally from the giving of citizenship and as governments change the terms or the requirements to attain citizenship change. As the courts said recently The Bahamas is solely governed by laws not political policy.

How many applications are there waiting processing under this header?

Amendment to Article:14 ... inevitable to be included as otherwise there would be a conflict-discrimination as Bahamian women have this right. Has government looked at the issue of that child being a citizen of another country - The Bahamas does not permit dual citizenship; one is required at 21 years to decide, Bahamian or...I note it does not give rights to the foreign woman who bears the child.

Amendment to Article:

26... I am of the thinking that this is not drafted correctly - The Matrimonial Act says marriage is between man and woman... the Constitution is superior to legislation so The Constitution must say what marriage is with a qualifier as is used in the case in the 1969 Lotteries & Gaming Act, acknowledge discrimination and add support of the constitution to the discrimination. Editor as written Article: 26 proposed will be challenged I am reasonably sure will not prevail at Privy Council (it will lose).

Ministry of Immigration - before June 7, advise… how many citizenship application await processing?

I suspect it is ‘ooo’s!

W THOMPSON Nassau, May 7, 2016.

Morality and democracy the debate EDITOR, The Tribune.

THANK God that, mercifully, the fiasco and total wastage of public funds on Junkanoo/Carnival has come and gone. The unwashed masses had their block party; plenty of loose behaviour; whining up; sexual gyrations and, I am sure, a degree of unprotected and licentious sexual escapades. The results, across the board, will be manifested within nine months.

Of course, as like last year, there will be no audited financial statements and monies, no doubt, will again go missing with no accountability. The “people” have had their block party and gratuitous entertainment.

Now we must confront the real issues that matter and get on with the daily grind.

The main issue, for some strange and inexplicable reason is the upcoming referendum bills set for a vote on June 7, 2016.

The so-called Constitutional Commission, despite its title made many recommendations for constitutional reforms but the administration of the day opted to put only four bills to the electorate dressed up as “gender equality bills”.

These bills remind me of the fabled Bull Frog who loved to dress up in soldier’s clothes.

They are designed to hood wink the unsuspecting masses (as if that were possible) into believing that all of a sudden the Christie Administration is all gung-ho about removing discrimination based on a sex (which has yet to be credibly defined from a legal and constitutional position); race; colour; religious beliefs or, God forbid, political affiliation.

Both the PM and Virgilius Alfred Gray (PLPMICAL) are on record as saying that they hoped that the majority of the work at BAMSI is or has been allocated to PLP supporters and contractors. If this is not rank and overt discrimination, you tell me what it is. I fully understand the way politics and patronage are played and doled out in our wonderful nation. It is very much the same all over the world where human beings have come together as societies and communities.

The bills will be defeated, again, and there will never be another opportunity anytime soon to achieve what has proven to be very elusive in the Bahamian context. They will fail because, again, the public information and discourse have proven too limited; too confusing and too agenda driven.

FNMs, regardless of the editorials of armchaired wannabe politicians, inclusive of the editors of the dailies, will remember the

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net saga that was played out by the PLP some years ago.

With unemployment hovering around 18 per cent amongst the regular adult Bahamians and estimated at 30 per cent amongst our younger people between 18 to 35 years of age the political directorate would be concentrating on jump starting the economy. The silence on this is deafening. Entrepreneurs are not being encouraged and, for sure, no funding is readily available. The average Bahamian has been consigned to picking peas out of shaving cream and, of course, bowing or bending down to the political directorate.

While our erstwhile politicians and their paid retainers are criss-crossing New Providence (they have left very small footprints across the Family of Islands) in a vain attempt to sell snake oil to the people of this wonderful nation, our infrastructure is crumbling; crime and the fear of crime continue without abatement and the so-called religious leaders are worshipping at Pharaoh‘s altar.

Now, the government of the day is seeking to legislate abstract concepts of morality in a so-called democracy.

No individual that any of us vote for is ever able to represent you personally as you would act at all times and in every matter.

It is a given that no two people are alike and that no other person can ever be you or me. Thus, in a democracy, an individual can only come so close as to what you or I might really wish for or want.

Thanks in large part to my late and deeply lamented biological father, the Reverend Divine Illuminator, Ortland H Bodie Sr, I am a trained metaphysician of the highest degree. Morality is inherently in all human beings but we must exercise free will in bringing it out. This, I submit, is not the role of a central government in a democracy, such as ours.

Bills number two and four are Trojan horses. I could care less what learned jurists; paid sycophants; bag men/women; political hacks and clerical prostitutes have to say. They are mouth pieces for sale for a fistful of dollars. Remember the so-called Yes Campaign for Gaming? Some of the same individuals who were like Niccodemus of old (who went in by night) are back with a vengeance.

They have no credibility.

My standard when voting is: ‘Is the proposed law immoral or illegitimate or wrong for individuals?’ If

the answer is ‘yes’ then I vote against the same and I invite all right thinking Bahamians to reject ALL of the bills as currently drafted. I suggest that we push back the date of the referendum if the PLP administration does not wish to end up with eggs (not the Chinese ones) all over its collective face to a date after the upcoming national conventions.

The danger which we face with these bills is the apparent confusion between law and morality. What is often lawful has no moral value.

My detractors and those who prefer to shoot the messenger rather listen to the message, often ask me: “Don’t you believe in democracy?” I pose a rhetorical question in return: “To do what?” They are always stumped for an answer.

There is an apparent intolerance towards individuals and organisations who oppose these nefarious and evil bills. I make no apologies for my stance and to hell with those who think that they have a monopoly on wisdom and divine guidance. Allow me to throw out a constitutional bone for your consideration. In centuries gone by, slavery was completely legal in the USA and, in fact, was enshrined in the Constitution of that great nation. Did that make slavery moral?

Legal; yes but immoral.

I differ from the Hon Alfred M Sears on many issues but, despite, his being around for a while, his recent public comments on real constitutional reforms are food for serious thoughts. In fact, with all due respect, to ALL of the others who are seeking political ascendancy within our great party, the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), brother Sears, so far, has been the only coherent and credible individual to conceptualise and lay out a plan of action for the future of the nation.

Everyone knows of my political loyalty to the current DPM, the Hon Philip ‘Brave’ Davis (PLP-Cat Island,) and I do not anticipate that that will change anytime soon. As a pragmatic individual, however, who is loyal to God; family and nation (in that order) I have no more time to waste with rhetoric and pablum.

The DPM must, in short order, lay out his own progressive vision for the party and, by extension, the nation. The PM is lost in the eighth dimension. There is absolutely nothing that he and his inner circle are able to do any further for this country. To God then, in all things, be the ultimate honour and glory.

ORTLAND H BODIE Jr Nassau, May 8, 2016.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, May 10, 2016, PAGE 5

Social Services fraud probe forwarded to police force

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE investigation into a “fraudulent” scheme at the Department of Social Services in which several employees purchased groceries using food coupons has been forwarded to the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Social Services Minister Melanie Griffin said yesterday.

Mrs Griffin told The Tribune that the scheme, brought to light last month

by Auditor General Terrence Bastian’s damning report on the Department of Social Services’ (DOSS) internal controls “is some-

thing that is all in the hands of the police now, so they will have the opportunity to do their jobs.”

Mrs Griffin’s comments came three weeks after it was revealed that staff members at the department participated in a scheme in which they used $1,034 worth of food coupons intended for Bahamians on welfare to purchase groceries. By using the coupons for ten different clients, several employees of the DOSS were able to obtain grocery items on August 30, 2015.

In his report, Mr Bastian and his team also criticised the Department of Social Services for “gross

negligence” in allowing $4.237m to be paid to suppliers without proper authorisation, exposing it to potential fraud and corruption.

A day after the report was tabled in Parliament, Mrs Griffin said further investigations would be made into the matter; however, she could not confirm whether or not the investigation would be an internal or external one. About a week later, Chief Superintendent Clayton Fernander said police had not yet been called in to investigate the matter.

When questioned yesterday on the matter, Mrs Griffin said: “Since the re-

port has been completed we are now in a position to take further action.

What we’ve done has always been a process. First of all we took steps under the rules and regulations of the public service, and we’ve also proceeded with forwarding the matter to the police for their further investigation. “…So that is something that is all in the hands of the police now, so they will have the opportunity to do their jobs.”

Mrs Griffin also said while the matter is of great concern to the Ministry of Social Services, it ultimately points to “a systemic problem in our coun-

try where we are trying to operate a 21st century on a 15th or 16th century system”.

“The system is archaic, and it is open for abuse, and that is what is happening.

That does not justify it, but what I’m saying is that we have to deal with that.

“And my ministry has been dealing very comprehensively with ensuring that we modernise the system, and that is the reason why we would have introduced the prepaid card, whereby we’ve also putting in place the RISE programme, where we computerised all the centres and there’s ongoing training.

“And so we expect to be

able to mitigate against opportunities for fraud.”

Mr Bastian’s report covering the period July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2015 - exposed a litany of internal weaknesses in the department’s accounting section and raised questions about how effectively top officials were providing oversight and management during the period in question.

The report also highlighted internal weaknesses in which money is sometimes used to pay for services that clients don’t receive, contributing not only to waste of public funds but compromising of the health of clients as well.

GROUP DOES NOTTAGE: VOTE HURT BY NOT TRUST PM SAME-SEX MARRIAGE TALK COMMENTS ON REFERENDUM from page one

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

SAVE Our Bahamas yesterday said Prime Minister Perry Christie’s recent statements that same-sex marriage would never happen in The Bahamas during his lifetime should be viewed under the adage that “a promise is a comfort to a fool”.

The group, which opposes the fourth Constitutional Amendment Bill in the upcoming gender equality referendum, yesterday insisted that the sentiments pushed

by Mr Christie and other leaders have not changed the committee’s belief that the bill would effectively open the door to same-sex marriage.

Pastor Lyall Bethel, pastor of Grace Community Church and associate member of the Save Our Bahamas committee, said the group’s stance has not changed “despite all the smoke and mirrors circus that is going on.” Pastor Bethel told The Tribune that the “circus” was evident in the actions of members of the transgender community whom he said rushed to the House of Assembly to show their support for the proposed amendments and then “distanced” themselves from the referendum.

He has also implied that spokespersons from the transgender community were coached into appearing ambivalent about the outcome of the referendum.

“I believe that our prime minister has already demonstrated to this voting electorate that the old adage is still true, ‘a promise is a comfort to a fool,’” said Pastor Bethel.

“Were we not assured endlessly and repeatedly that he would abide by the people’s wishes in the last referendum? Yet despite that resounding ‘no’ by the people, gambling joints have popped up all over the country, and not even an acknowledgement from (the prime minister) that he has anything to apologise for,” Pastor Bethel added.

He was referring to the 2013 gambling referendum.

Most of the people who voted said “no” to both questions on the ballot but the government later regulated web shops in spite of the results.

However that vote was considered an opinion poll and its results were not legally binding as is a constitutional referendum.

“We encourage all Bahamians of voting age to go and register to vote before May 25 and vote no against bill four on June 7.

You can’t afford not to vote

as this vote is binding, the government has to obey the people’s vote,” the pastor urged.

On Friday night, Mr Christie told The Tribune that he was “almost embarrassed by” the line of thinking that the upcoming referendum would open the door to same-sex marriage.

He went on to imply that a “yes” vote would be “morally” correct.

Save Our Bahamas came out in opposition to bill four after the Christie administration refused to amend the Constitution to define marriage as a union between a “born male” and a “born female” only.

The government has dismissed fears that the bill could inadvertently lead to same-sex marriage, stressing that the Matrimonial Causes Act would protect the status of marriage in the Bahamas.

At the YES Bahamas’ campaign launch, Mr Christie said the purpose of the upcoming vote is only to ensure that Bahamian men and women are equal under the Constitution.

Mr Christie stressed that in the Bahamas – under the Matrimonial Causes Act marriage must be between a man and a woman, and the fourth amendment will not change that. The other three referendum bills deal with issues of citizenship.

because it would appear as if there are very responsible people in our community who are prepared to suggest that (the bills have to do with same-sex marriage) when they know full well that they are not connected.”

Talk of same-sex marriage and rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community have come to define the debate about the referendum. Government officials and organisers of the YES Bahamas campaign have pushed back against this narrative, stressing that the upcoming vote is about equal rights for men and women in the Constitution.

Dr Nottage, however, said he has no regrets about the government not including the words “at birth” in the fourth proposed amendment which would prohibit discrimination based on one’s sex, which is defined as being male or female.

“No regrets because we’ve been informed that including the words at birth would’ve created more confusion than is the case now,” he said.

Some pastors have suggested that those words, along with the Constitutional Commission’s recommendation that a provision explicitly saying that the anti-discrimination amendment would not conflict with laws prohibiting same-sex marriage, would have allayed fears about the ramifications of the amendment if they were included.

Nonetheless, Dr Nottage said: “I understand that there is a certain segment of the community who are

DR BERNARD NOTTAGE genuinely concerned about ity for people regardless of same-sex marriage, I un- their sex. Those are simple derstand that, but to sug- propositions, nothing comgest that this will lead to plicated about that.” same-sex marriage ought “I think there’s a lot of not to be a consequence of erroneous misinformation their fears but based on the being circulated by people facts as they are. There are who oppose the amendsome people who are even ments,” he continued. “I suggesting that it is the in- trust that Bahamians will tent of the government that make sure they acquaint same-sex marriage be vali- themselves with the true dated by these changes and impact of the amendments that’s not true.” and vote to support them.”

Despite pushback, Dr Dr Nottage, who is the Nottage said he doesn’t be- minister responsible for lieve it’s necessary for pro- referendums, also said he ponents of the amendments to start encouraging Bahamians to at least vote for the first three amendments which, unlike the fourth bill, concern citizenship, even if they can’t support the fourth bill.

“I wouldn’t say that to anybody,” he said. “I think people should support the four bills, which leads to a path for citizenship for people who qualify for it and the path for equal-

could not yet verify the cost of the referendum, saying it will cost about just as much as the gaming referendum of 2013. Dr Nottage has previously said the gambling vote cost the government just over $1.2m.

He also became mildly defensive when asked if he thinks the government should give public funds to the referendum’s vote “no” campaign, telling The Tribune only the minister of finance can speak to the issue.

“I’m a member of the government,” he said. “That’s not an appropriate question to ask me. I already told you where to go with that question.”

Since the vote “no” campaigns requested public funds several weeks ago, government officials, including Prime Minister Perry Christie and Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, have refused to give a definitive response to the question of what it intends to do.

PAGE 8, Tuesday, May 10, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

Speaker: Judges should not be called before Parliament

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

HOUSE of Assembly Speaker Dr Kendal Major said yesterday that parliamentarians should not seek to call judges before Parliament to answer for their rulings.

He urged members of the House Committee on Privilege not to pursue “unchartered territory” by calling

Justice Indra Charles before the group.

Last month, the judge granted an injunction to Save the Bays (STB) that bars parliamentarians from accessing or making public the personal information of the non-profit organisation.

In late April, Marathon MP Jerome Fitzgerald moved a resolution in the House of Assembly to determine whether Justice Charles, STB Legal Director Fred

Smith and lawyer Ferron Bethel should be held in contempt of the House of Assembly.

Justice Charles’ decision set off a debate about separation of powers between the judiciary and the legislature, with Dr Major insisting that a judge cannot dictate the behaviour of legislators in the House of Assembly.

However Dr Major said yesterday: “Honourable

members and particular the Committee on Privilege, honourable justices of the Supreme Court also enjoy immunity in the execution of their duties.

“They too must be seen as mutually exclusive from the Parliament. This relationship is truly unique and correctly referred to as separate yet equal.

“As Parliament has the latitude to investigate any and all matters it certainly

will not seek to demand a justice to appear before its committee. I believe this would be gross violation of the doctrine of the separation of powers for a judge to be called before Parliament to explain their actions in the execution of their duties.

“In this instance, I would therefore admonish you through the honourable chairman. In your deliberations remain circumspect as

you carry out your duties.

In essence, I strongly urge you not to pursue such uncharted territory.”

The Office of the Attorney General has filed a motion to have the injunction set aside.

In response, at a hearing on April 29 Justice Charles said its application would have to be heard in full.

The hearing concerning the matter is scheduled for May 12.

BODY OF MAN IS FOUND STUFFED INSIDE SUITCASE

THE BUILDING where the body was found.

Photos: Tim Clarke/Tribune Staff from page one Police said that shortly after 11.30pm Thursday, the victim was involved in an argument with another man at a park that led to him being shot.

The suspect fled the scene on foot in an unknown direction.

CROWDS gather at the scene where a body was found.

The victim was rushed to hospital where he died of his injuries shortly after his arrival.

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

‘BPL ALREADY BRINGING LOWER ELECTRIC COST’

from page one

May 2012; there has been across the board improvements. Our promise is to ensure a lower cost of electricity from May 2012.”

Last year Mr Davis said after PowerSecure’s management deal was finalised, Bahamians could expect a 40 per cent reduction in electricity costs “immediately.”

Yesterday he said there has so far already been a “more than 40 per cent re-

FIVE HELD OVER CLAIM OF SEX ASSAULT ON TEENAGER

duction” compared to May 2012.

“These are the things that are readily available,” he said. “Look at your bill in May 2012 and look at it now. Look at how many times your light has turned off in the same period and compare it to now.”

During a signing of a fiveyear management services agreement for BPL in February, Prime Minister Perry Christie also said he was “hopeful that the signing

benefiting from that. Tell them to show if the base price has been reduced. It hasn’t.”

Indeed, experts say falling oil prices is behind lower electricity costs.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Bahamas’ oil import bill was expected to be slashed in half in 2015 because of the decline in global oil prices, saving the country about $240-$250 million.

The IMF said at the

time that the Bahamas should take advantage of this “breathing space” to complete restructuring plans for the state owned power provider and to embrace renewable energy sources.

However experts expect the fall in global oil prices to be temporary.

Paul Maynard, president of the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU), acknowledged this in an interview with The Tribune yesterday, saying he

expects PowerSecure to create lower energy prices by switching the Bahamas from its reliance on oil to “propane and natural gas.”

“I am hoping that it happens within this year, by the end of it,” Mr Maynard said when contacted.

“The transition won’t cost that much but they will have to make temporary provisions while decommissioning the plants that we have now while they build new ones.”

SPELLING BEE CHAMP PREPARES FOR US CONTEST

from page one

He said a formal complaint was made yesterday.

The video, which shows two young men and the girl, engaged in a sexual act was shared more than 300 times on Facebook 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. Investigations continue.

would reduce the cost for electricity for consumers in a significant way.”

Nonetheless, it is not clear if BPL, which only recently released its business plan to the government, has had a role in the reduction of electricity costs.

“They have not done anything about that,” FNM Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest countered yesterday in response to Mr Davis’ statement.

“The cost of oil worldwide is down and they are

DONOVAN BUTLER

BAHAMIANS who are planning to follow the progress of National Spelling Bee champion Donovan Butler in the Scripps National Spelling Bee later this month will have to wait until later than normal in the contest to find out whether he correctly spells the first word given to him.

In past years, the speller from The Bahamas was eighth to go, based on the alphabetical listing of the US state or country that the speller represents. But this year, The Bahamas champion is number 243 among the 285 spelling champions

participating.

Donovan, a 13-year-old eighth grade student at St Augustine’s College, won the Bahamas National Spelling Bee at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island on March 20 when he beat 19 other finalists.

The competition begins on May 24 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. All spellers will take the preliminaries test together in the Maryland Ballroom from 8.30am to 9.30am with the next two onstage preliminary rounds, when contest-

ants will be given words to spell, on May 25, with half of the spellers competing from 8am to 11.45am and the other half - including Donovan - from 1.15pm to 4.45pm.

The announcement of finalists will immediately follow the conclusion of the third round and will be broadcast live on ESPN3.

The finals will begin on May 26 at 10am and continue later during prime time beginning at 8pm.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is largest and longest-running educational promotion in the United States administered

on a not-for-profit basis by the EW Scripps Company and local spelling bee sponsors in the United States, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Department of Defense Schools in Europe, The Bahamas, Canada, Ghana, Jamaica, Japan and South Korea.

Its primary purpose is “to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts, and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives”. The Bahamas has participated in the annual event since 1998.

READERS RESPOND TO PM OVER SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

AFTER Prime Minister Perry Christie said that same-sex marriage will never happen in The Bahamas during his lifetime, readers gave their reaction on tribune242.com.

TalRussell said: “Rt Honourable Prime Minister, if you, for one moment believe that you are speaking for Jesus, or even Bahamalanders in general, you is in error. PM read your Bible cause you cannot read more than nine verses that refer to homosexuality. But read on PM, cause there are well over 100 verses that refer to judging others. The same

Bible does also teach that judging is a sin. PM sin is sin and you are publicly done up and walking around this Monday morning, as a sinner.”

Honestman criticised the Prime Minister’s “populist pronouncement”: “Typical populist pronouncement from the Prime Minister

on a matter that is quite frankly way down the list of critical issues for the country. Instead of this bold statement why not declare: No more CORRUPTION within my government in my lifetime. No more MURDER records in my lifetime. No more government INCOMPETENCE like BAMSI in my lifetime.

No more SELLING OUT TO THE CHINESE in my lifetime. No more stalling on FREEDOM OF INFORMATION in my lifetime. No more SELLING OUT OUR YOUTH by failing their EDU-

CATIONAL NEEDS. I could go on but I’m getting bored.”

Jackbnimble asked: “Is he using reverse psychology? Didn’t he recently make a statement that The Bahamas must learn to coexist with global views on homosexuality? Or this just to get more yes voters to ‘jump in the line’? Also, isn’t it true that they expect some ‘future generations’ to bring a referendum to deal with it? Isn’t this the reason for leaving ‘at birth’ off the end of sex in the 4th question?

Guess if that’s the case, it won’t happen in his lifetime

but clearly in his children or grandchildren’s.”

Sheeprunner12 offered this: “This issue of marriage is at the core of society . . . the structure of the family, the building block of a society . . . there is nothing more important to a country than the structure/survival/stability of the family . . . Is Perry saying that the Marriage Act is more sacrosanct than the Constitution???? Any government can amend the Marriage Act any day.”

And Chucky said: “Hard to believe so many get caught up in these dogmas,

clearly equal rights for men and women is a must. Why not just amend the constitution to say that? What’s going on here is an attempt to use this non issue, to keep people occupied and in the hopes that we get so caught up in this, that we forget everything else.

Sadly, it seems to be working. Hide the ball anyone?

Heard of it? This is just a game, and you be the fools.

What about the real issues in society?”

• Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.

THE TRIBUNE

MAN GUILTY OF MOLESTING BOY HAS APPEAL DELAYED

Tuesday, May 10, 2016, PAGE 9

PAIR ACCUSED OF CONSPIRACY TO MURDER

By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN contesting his conviction concerning the sexual assault of an eightyear-old boy had his substantive appeal hearing adjourned to June 23.

Navardo Johnson, 35, was unanimously convicted in December 2014 by a Supreme Court jury of having unlawful sexual intercourse with the child.

The sexual assault occurred in January 2013.

Johnson had pleaded guilty to the charge earlier that year when formally arraigned in the Supreme Court but withdrew his plea at the sentencing hearing, claiming that his lawyer at the time had told him to plead guilty.

He denied ever committing the crime but his denial was not accepted by the jury.

He was subsequently sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for the offence.

Johnson is seeking to have the Court of Appeal overturn the conviction.

However, when his case was called in the Claughton House courtroom yesterday, Johnson revealed that he had accidentally forgotten his written submissions at the Department of Correctional Services.

MAN CHARGED WITH STABBING FREEPORT MAN TO DEATH

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net A 22-YEAR-OLD male resident of Grand Bahama was charged with murder in the Freeport Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Raheem Gibson, 22, of Pinetail Street, Freeport appeared before Magistrate Charlton Smith in court two. He was charged with the murder of Pedro McKenzie, also known as ‘Pimpin,’ who was fatally stabbed last week in the Arden Forest area.

RAHEEM GIBSON, who is accused of murder.

It is alleged that on May 3, at Sergeant Major Road, Gibson intentionally caused McKenzie’s death. The incident was recorded as the eighth murder for the year in Grand Bahama, according to The Tribune’s records.

The accused was not represented by counsel and was not required to enter a plea to the murder charge, which is an indictable offence.

Magistrate Smith informed the accused that the matter would proceed either by voluntary bill of indictment or a preliminary inquiry. He adjourned the matter to July 25, 2016 and remanded Gibson to the Bahamas Department of

JAMARIC GREEN, pictured outside court yesterday.

By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net A MAN and a woman appeared in Magistrate’s Court yesterday afternoon accused of plotting the death of a man who was found lifeless in a car.

Jamaric Green, 30, and Caryn Moss, 25, stood before Magistrate Andrew

Forbes facing a charge of conspiracy to commit murder under Sections 89 (2) of the Penal Code, Chapter 84.

It is alleged that they, being concerned with others between April 30 and May 1, conspired to murder Oneil Marshall.

Shortly after midnight on Sunday, May 1, police were on mobile patrol when they

CARYN Moss outside court. saw smoke coming from a vehicle in the parking lot of the old City Meat Market building located off Market Street north, according to initial police reports.

Police examined the vehicle and found the body of an adult male with gunshot wounds. The victim, later identified as Oneil Marshall, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Photos: Lamech Johnson/Tribune Staff

Magistrate Forbes told the two accused they would not be required to enter a plea to the allegation until the matter is transferred to the Supreme Court by way of a voluntary bill of indictment.

The presentation of the indictment is scheduled for June 21.

Green and Moss were denied bail as the court lacked

the jurisdiction to consider a bond. However, they were informed of their right to apply to the Supreme Court for pre-trial release.

Both were remanded to the Department of Correctional Services in the interim.

Green and Moss were respectively represented by attorneys Jomo Campbell and Ian Cargill.

Bahamian guilty of hacking celebrity emails

NEW YORK Associated Press

A BAHAMIAN man pleaded guilty yesterday to hacking into celebrities’ email accounts to steal unreleased movie and TV scripts and private sex videos, a crime that prosecutors say could have caused great harm to networks and movie studios if he had succeeded in selling them for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Alonzo Knowles, 24, of Freeport, Grand Bahama, entered the plea in federal court to criminal copyright infringement and identity theft charges, bringing a speedy conclu-

sion to a case that resulted in his December arrest in Manhattan.

Prosecutors say he was peddling personal information from at least 130 celebrities in the entertainment, sports and media industries and claimed he also could sell private sexually explicit photographs and videos.

Knowles flew from The Bahamas to New York City to sell 15 scripts and personal information on several celebrities for $80,000 to a law enforcement agent posing as an interested buyer.

Prosecutors said he showed the agent sexually explicit materials of one celebrity as he revealed samples of materials he hoped to sell

for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The government said the investigation began after Knowles contacted a radio show host offering to sell scripts to a popular television show. The host contacted the show and the network, and those entities contacted law enforcement.

A plea agreement recommended that Judge Paul A Engelmayer send Knowles to prison for between 27 months and 33 months at a sentencing scheduled for August 25.

As part of the plea, Knowles also agreed to forfeit 25 unpublished TV and movie scripts, along with unpublished music. He

has remained incarcerated since his arrest. The celebrities and the TV shows have not been identified.

Outside court, a defence lawyer declined to comment.

At an earlier hearing, Assistant US Attorney Kristy Greenberg said prosecutors had reached out to television and movie studios and learned that the scripts had great value, particularly scripts of one network’s top show. She said that after substantial production costs, networks would have been left deciding whether to scrap programmes and start fresh or whether “to continue knowing that the viewership would be down

because the secrets are out”.

At the same hearing, Judge Engelmayer indicated he took the crime seriously, saying it was alleged Knowles proposed to sell “life-changing, private information” belonging to a large number of people.

Prosecutors say Knowles - who called himself Jeff Moxey - stole the information by infecting the computers of victims with a virus or by falsely notifying them through social networks that their computers had been hacked and telling them they need to provide their login credentials to undo the harm.

MURDER TRIAL DELAYED AS SUSPECT HAS NO ATTORNEY

By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

EFFORTS are still being made to appoint counsel for a woman facing trial concerning the murder of a web shop employee in Long Island.

Daphne Knowles, of Cartwright’s, Long Island appeared before Justice Bernard Turner yesterday with no attorney present for

the expected start of trial relating to the killing of Andrea Carroll in November 2014.

In a status hearing last Thursday, it was indicated to the accused that efforts would be undertaken to resolve the matter.

When the case was called yesterday morning, however, no attorney had appeared for the murder accused.

Justice Turner further adjourned

the matter to Wednesday, May 11, and told the jury pool to return on that date as well.

Knowles is alleged to have intentionally caused the death of Carroll between November 28 and 29, 2014.

Carroll was found lifeless with a head injury and her hands and feet bound.

It is further alleged that Knowles conspired with others for some 58 days to commit robbery and actually

robbed Carroll of $68,000, which belonged to Bowe’s Web Games Ltd. She pleaded not guilty when formally arraigned last May on charges of murder, robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery.

The accused remains remanded at the Department of Correctional Services.

Cephia Pinder-Moss and Basil Cumberbatch are prosecuting the case.

PAGE 10, Tuesday, May 10, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

The future of democracy: where there’s a will there’s a way

By NICOLE BURROWS

O

N FRIDAY and Saturday, the College of The Bahamas will host ‘The Future of Democracy Conference’.

Dr Ian Strachan, a principal organiser of this event, has invited me to contribute to a wider body of work which will be presented at the conference. I appreciate the inclusion, for the mere fact that he thought I would have something to say that people would want to hear.

My presentation is scheduled to be given in the first session on Friday morning.

I invite you to come out not only to hear my words, but to hear the brilliant array of presenters on both days; it’s such a diverse mix that you are bound to leave this event with something new in your mind. You may even find some inspiration there.

Now, my presentation, per my usual style, won’t be traditional ... in a number of ways. I won’t say exactly how, or why … I will allow you to discover that for yourself. But because I chose to write on a specific topic – and I wanted to stay on topic and in character – there were some general questions asked by conference organisers to get the ball rolling for the event, which I couldn’t address in my presentation. So I thought I’d take this opportunity to talk about them here.

The conference is meant to broaden the discussion about “The state of Bahamian democracy … and the futures that are possible”.

It asks questions like “How do we deepen democracy?” “How do we expand popular participation?”

It seeks a “substantive and deeper public engagement”.

How do we “improve prospects for renewal in party politics?” “How do we make government more accountable and transparent?”

“How do we improve the quality of governance” in our country? “How do we get better representation?” How do we achieve “bottom up constitutional reform?” And what is the “role of civil society?”

Not long ago, a law enforcement official was over-

heard saying “you think this a democracy? This ain no democracy.” Riveting, that someone of this title and stature would utter these words, but it does raise the question: Is there really a democracy in The Bahamas? Others have asked the same question, in recent years, throughout all walks of Bahamian life.

A democracy is a system of government where citizens are represented by those they elect, and every citizen is a part of the country’s decision-making processes. That’s an abridged textbook definition.

A democracy suggests control by a majority, and includes the concept of majority rule … something you might recall the early Pindling government used to win votes, alliances and independence from British rule. But their historic flaw was that they were so focused on being in charge that they forgot to provide quality leadership, to be people of substance, leaders of substance, to provide good governance and a society with enforceable laws against corruption and bribery and to allow the freedom of information that would ensure government that was transparent to the people and therefore accountable to the people.

But the people placed an unfounded and somewhat irrational trust in their leadership, and in the salvation by a leader and a government without seeing a need to ask them relevant questions or hold them to account.

Some say this was owing to the fact that most Bahamians at the time were not well or deeply educated, particularly not in politics and government, so it was easier to fool them – if indeed you wanted to. Some say that’s why we find ourselves here today with our current state of democracy.

The people couldn’t see, or they chose not to see, they were too trusting, or they were ignorant of certain realities. They were too passive and in many ways still are … the end result of a combination of years of co-

lonial rule and the impact of the religious doctrine that accompanied it.

Was there really a fight for majority rule? For democracy? Some learned men requested independence and self-governance, but did the masses of Bahamian people push for it? Were they fired up … incensed and impassioned, I mean, beyond the black v white agenda? Did the people understand what self-governance and self-reliance meant? Did they understand it enough to pass it on to their descendants?

If the answer to any of these questions is “no” then we cannot wonder too deeply about why we are where we are today.

T

here is a gap, more like an abyss, between an accountable government and the people holding them to account. The leaders are on one cliff of the abyss and the citizens on the other.

Responsibility and ownership of both the leadership and the citizenry is lacking.

So I have to ask, do we really understand democracy?

Do we really want it?

If we just go by the textbook definition of democracy alone, true democracy is not our reality. We have a couple of problems, besides understanding what it is and if we want it or will fight to get/keep it.

In our present reality, a control by a majority is a farce. Celebrating majority rule today is a farce.

The power is not now and was never but for a moment firmly in the people’s hands. The constitution in our supposed democracy is meant to give ultimate pow-

er to the people, but they don’t understand their power, they struggle to work in unison for any real common good, and in the process others have usurped their power.

So where is the real democracy? And where is its future … if it even exists?

Hence the upcoming conference.

And I submit we hope for one of two things to happen for us in the decade(s) ahead: either we bolster what democracy we do have and use the opportunity to make it even stronger by changing our system of government, or we look forward to the relief provided by becoming a possession or territory of another country once again and surrendering what independence we do have.

The truth is, if we have no opportunity to control or oust incompetent leaders, without major upheaval, except routinely every five years, then no democracy really exists here.

Further, when democracy by definition involves the participation of all, where every Bahamian is free to participate in society, in government, in politics, and especially now, in the economy, we can’t call ourselves a democracy if fundamental equal rights and freedom are not supported by the Constitution.

Yes, the will of the majority should safeguard us from tyrannical leaders, but something must also safeguard every person from the “tyranny of the majority” ... because the majority as a group often does not know what is best or does not do what is best; they

‘

It is tricky to convince people who don’t care that they should care. You stand no chance of convincing them purely on the basis of discussion, if they just don’t care.

The only thing you can do is try to change their way of thinking so that they do care. But does The Bahamas have time for that?’

may be inclined to yell “crucify him”, when it is neither good nor right.

It is tricky to convince people who don’t care that they should care. You stand no chance of convincing them purely on the basis of discussion, if they just don’t care. The only thing you can do is try to change their way of thinking so that they do care. But does The Bahamas have time for that?

Obviously, you can’t depend on the people to change overnight. Education is a process – good education is anyway – and we are already far behind in that.

You can only improve the quality of governance by improving the quality of the people and that takes us back to education … enlightening Bahamians to appreciate their history requires that they have a working and applicable knowledge of their history.

Because we are in deep waters already, and changing the people is not quick or easy, it may be quicker and easier to change to a new system of government which will serve each of us better in the long run, via a built-in separation of powers, checks and balances, and transparency and accountability of government as the benchmark.

And in the meantime, to

get better representation, we will need to first make an example of bad representation, and remove it, then instil the mechanisms of transparent and accountable government that forces good and responsible leadership principles, beginning with a Freedom of Information Act. “Bottom up constitutional and electoral reform” can’t be accomplished short of a revolutionary way of thinking and a revolutionary change in the system of government under which we operate. Otherwise, what is constitutional change for?

We cannot change the present Constitution as much as is needed and expect it to remain bound to the same system of government that we have right now. It will breed greater confusion, further dysfunction and abuses of power.

We are, according to our Constitution, a sovereign nation. So we – the people – hold the sovereign power.

It’s time to wield it.

The Future of Democracy Conference will be held at the College of The Bahamas, Harry C Moore Library and Information Centre, on Friday and Saturday, May 13 and 14. Visit the College of The Bahamas website or Facebook page for details.

CONSOLIDATED WATER BACKS HOMECOMING EVENT Funeral Service

Mrs. Efthimia Grammatico, 81 of Shirley Street, Nassau, The Bahamas, who died on Thursday, 5th May, 2016, will be held at the Graveside Woodlawn Gardens Cemetery, Soldier Road, Nassau, on Thursday, 12th May, 2016 at 10:00 a.m.

Mrs. Grammatico was predeceased by her husband, Joseph Grammatico.

She is survived by her son, Patrick Grammatico; daughters, Selena Grammatico, Teresa Roberts and Maryjo Higgs; grandsons Marcus Grammatico, Justin Roberts, Joshua Higgs, Nathan and Matthew Grammatico; granddaughters, Jennifer Knowles and Joslyn Roberts; brother, Christopher Benson; sisters Joanna Grammatico, Katie Pearce and Peggy Benson; sons-in-law, West Roberts and Dave Higgs; daughter-in-law, Sandra Grammatico; grandson-in-law, Jason Knowles; granddaughters-in-law, Gabrielle Higgs, Marcella Grammatico and Nica Prosa; brother-in law, Louis Grammatico; sister-in-law, Angela Benson; great grandchildren, Jake and Jordan Knowles, Morgan and Milena Grammatico, Joseph Roberts and Rayne Higgs.

READY for homecoming: Barraterre Development Association executives and representatives of Consolidated Water (Bahamas) Ltd (from left) Welliya Cargill (Administrative Assistant, CWCO), Bernice Wilson (Council Member, BDA), Jeffrey Burrows (Operations Supervisor CWCO), Shantel Taylor (President BDA), Bryan Russell (General Manager, CWCO), Patrice Darling (Treasurer, BDA) and Pandora Knowles (Administrative Assistant, CWCO).

THE Barraterre Devel- of performers and sailors at she could remember. “This plaiting of the maypole. Enopment Association is look- the event. year they again answered tertainers Geno D, D-Mac, ing forward to the annual Association President our call for aid and we ap- Veronica Bishop, Tropical homecoming festival this Shantel Taylor said that preciate it from the bottom Breeze and others will be weekend and has received Consolidated Water (Baha- of our hearts.” performing. Funds raised renewed financial support mas) Ltd (CWCO) has been The celebrations will in- from the event will assist from one of its longest making contributions to the clude a regatta, native sing- in expanding the central standing supporters to as- Barraterre Development ers and entertainers, and gazebo at Barraterre and sist with covering the costs Association for as long as cultural events such as the revamping the regatta area.

Special thank you to the Doctors and caregivers who assisted her in her last couple months.

By the Associated Press

In lieu of flowers donations may be sent to Meagan Louise Ostomy Foundation, P.O. Box S.S. 6668, Nassau in memory of Efthimia Grammatico.

Arrangements Kemp’s Funeral Home Limited.

RECOVERING RECORDER FROM SUNKEN SHIP ‘A CHALLENGE’

UNITED States federal investigators say recovering the voyage data recorder from the sunken cargo ship El Faro will be a challenge.

Investigators from the National Transportation

Safety Board returned on Thursday to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts, from a mission to the wreck site at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean 40 miles off The Bahamas.

They say they found the

recorder on April 26 in 15,000 feet of water on a beam attached to a mast, but were unable to recover it. They photographed the area and say the recorder, which is built to withstand the water pressure, appears to be in good shape.

The 790-foot freighter sank last October during Hurricane Joaquin after losing propulsion while travelling between Jacksonville, Florida, and Puerto Rico near Crooked Island.

All 33 people on board died.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, May 10, 2016, PAGE 11

ATTORNEY General Allyson Maynard-Gibson, Minister of Labour Shane Gibson, Minister of Social Security Melanie Griffin and Minister of National Security Bernard Nottage.

Initiative aims to improve security and justice system

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE government yesterday launched its Citizen Security & Justice Programme, an Inter-American Development Bank funded initiative aimed at strategically increasing security and efficiency in the justice system.

The CSJP, a $20m loan project from the IDB, is aimed at the reduction of youth-related crime and violence in selected communities, improved job readiness for youth and young adults, and increase the judicial rate of case resolution.

The programme will also seek to modernise the country’s correctional services system in an attempt to reduce offender recidivism.

At a launch ceremony at the British Colonial Hilton

yesterday, National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage said the CSJP loan represents the “single, largest investment in a coordinated and comprehensive policy to address crime”.

“I’ve said this before, but I think it is important to reiterate it,” he said. “The investment goes beyond supplying new arms for police officers, or building more prison cells for incarceration.

“Instead, through social interventions for nonviolent conflict resolution, youth employment training and strengthening of public employment services, continuing the successful work of the swift justice initiative and through a focus on the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders, we have employed a wide ranging, strategic approach to ensure the safety of our citizens.”

In January, Dr Nottage outlined how the Christie administration would use the $20m loan.

At the time, he said the initiative would use $4.8m to produce non-violent resolution programmes in the country. This includes training people to address societal norms that promote the acceptance of violence.

The programme will also use $4m to address unemployment among at-risk youths between the ages of 15 to 29. Specifically efforts will be made to develop the “soft skills” of at-risk youth by teaching them teamwork and how to accept responsibility while also providing 1,000 of them with remedial education.

Another 1,600 at-risk youth will be given “comprehensive demand-driven training for employment with special emphasis in the hospitality and retail

UPGRADES underway at Fort Charlotte include a re-routed entranceway for vehicular traffic and an increase to the activities programme at the fort.

Photo: Tim Clarke/Tribune Staff

RENOVATIONS BEGIN TO ACCESS AT FORT CHARLOTTE

ACCESS to Fort Charlotte is receiving a major facelift as the historic site ramps up programmes and activities in time for its peak summer traffic.

Last month, officials at the Antiquities, Monuments & Museums Corporation (AMMC) in conjunction with the Ministry of Works and Urban Development started construction of an improved access point for vehicular traffic near the entrance road at the fort.

These upgrades include a layby for buses and an expanded sidewalk system.

Plans are also underway to increase re-enactments and include a scheduled daily flag raising/lowering ceremony.

Dr Keith Tinker, Director of AMMC, said the upgrades at Fort Charlotte are geared towards improving the overall visitor experience at the site while cre-

ating additional revenue to maintain the facilities.

“Renovations began last month and are well underway at the fort,” he said. “The improved access point allows us to better secure the premises and create a welcome point for guests arriving at the site.

Persons visiting Fort Charlotte are a mix of tourists and locals. This particular fort is our largest and offers great potential for increased activities. Through this exercise, our primary goal is to enhance how visitors perceive the attraction and provided added value through the historic reenactments and flag raising ceremonies.”

This month, 16 rangers from the Royal Bahamas Defence Force will begin training to perform daily cannon firing, flag lowering and raising routines and other duties included

in the partnership between AMMC and the force.

Once fully executed, the programme will provide 30 full-time ranger jobs with teams working seven days per week.

AMMC’s Living History programme will also be expanded within the coming months. Live demonstrations of straw plaiting, basket weaving, cooking, military drills and cannon firing will transport visitors back in time to when the fort was occupied by the West India Regiment and introduce patrons to the old Bahamian way of living. The programme started in 2013 and is popular with tourists, locals and school groups.

Additional upgrades at Fort Charlotte will include new signage and other improved interpretation features. Once upgrades are complete, the admission fees will be increased.

sectors.”

He also said that $5.6m from the loan would be used to strengthen the justice system to ensure that people are prosecuted and sentenced in a timely manner. This will be done by, among other things, creating integrated electronic systems for case management, digital recording and scheduling.

Another $3.2m from the loan, Dr Nottage said, will be used to “improve the effectiveness of the Department of Correctional Services and Department of Rehabilitative Welfare Services to reduce offender recidivism.”

Dr Nottage has said that his ministry will be primarily responsible for using the loaned funds but will work in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Social Services.

ATTENDEES at yesterday’s launch of the Citizen Security and Justice Programme.

Photos: Tim Clarke/Tribune Staff

PAGE 12, Tuesday, May 10, 2016

The people who helped

carnival to shine WITH street parades and star performers, Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival has caught the eye, and the spotlight. Behind the scenes, though, a great number of people worked hard to contribute to play a part in its success. Photographer Shawn Hanna captured on camera some of those working in Da Cultural Village as they made their preparations for the start of the carnival weekend.

THE TRIBUNE