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By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net TWO teens who admitted they were wrong to participate in the filming and publishing of the indecent assault of a 19-year-old girl could face three years in prison when they return to court for sentencing next week. SEE PAGE SEVEN
Pinewood Gardens constituency, this newspaper was informed. The revelation was “a surprise� to Mr Bain, an FNM source claimed. Senator Rolle further “railroaded� the opposition parliamentary team, the source said, accusing them of not being concerned with serving Bahamians, but only minded to fulfil their personal interests. However, the main focus of her tirade, sources said, was Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner whom she SEE PAGE SIX
MINISTER BLAMING FNM IN ROAD TRAFFIC ROW ‘A SAD EXCUSE’ By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
DNA Leader Branville McCartney yesterday blasted Transport and Aviation Minister Glenys Hanna Martin for seeking to blame a previous FNM administration for the chronic financial problems plaguing the Road Traffic Department. Mr McCartney, in a statement, said blaming the
former Ingraham administration for the Road Traffic Department’s (RTD) woes is a “sad excuse� on Mrs Hanna Martin’s part since she has had ministerial oversight of the department “for nine years out of the last 14 years� and “more particularly for the last four years�. Mr McCartney also questioned if the police probe into the department’s SEE PAGE SIX
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tacted this newspaper yesterday expressed anger over this assertion and accused “newcomer� Senator Rolle of “traipsing around conducting party business as though she is an authoritative figure� within the organisation. During a recent meeting, the two FNM members spoke at length about their political futures and dissatisfaction with certain members of the party, The Tribune understands. At this meeting Senator Rolle informed Mr Bain that the party decided not to offer him a nomination for the
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By KHRISNA VIRGIL Tribune Staff Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net  FREE National Movement members of Parliament are said to be “up in arms� over statements that were reportedly made by Senator Lanisha Rolle during a meeting with FNM political hopeful Lincoln Bain alleging that party Leader Dr Hubert Minnis has intentionally delayed ratifying opposition parliamentarians, The Tribune was told. Several sources who con-
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POLICE Commissioner Ellison Greenslade, in his role as Provost Marshal, reading the referendum proclamation at the Supreme Court. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
REFERENDUM TO COST $1.57M
By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net  NATIONAL Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage revealed yesterday that the upcoming constitutional referendum will cost $1.57m.
Speaking in the House of Assembly, Dr Nottage said it has been “anticipated� that no more than that figure will be used. “It is anticipated that $1.57m will be required for the referendum and that is what has been budgeted.�
The government spent $1.2m on the 2013 gaming referendum. Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Perry Christie originally estimated that the vote cost the government more than $1m. SEE PAGE TEN
DAVIS: I HAVE NO REASON TO SAY SORRY FOR 2002 VOTE
By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
DEPUTY Prime Minister Philip “Brave� Davis yesterday said he had no reason to apologise for voting against the 2002 constitutional refer-
endum, saying former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham inspired the results when he “politicised� the vote. Meanwhile, former PLP Cabinet Minister George Smith became the highestprofile member of his party to apologise for his stance
on the failed 2002 referendum yesterday. “It is never too late to do the right thing,� Mr Smith said in a statement. “And so for my part I apologise for the failed effort in 2002.� SEE PAGE TEN
HAITIANS HELD OVER $2M COCAINE HAUL
By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net  SIX Haitian men are in police custody after they were caught with nearly $2 million worth of cocaine late Tuesday. Chief Superintendent Samuel Butler, officer-incharge of the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), said a combination of team work and “excellent textbook� police work led to
the drug bust and the arrest of the suspects on a 60-foot freighter near Eleuthera. This cocaine interdiction came hours after a woman from Suriname was caught at the Lynden Pindling International Airport with seven pounds of cocaine. “We were successful in interdicting a large cocaine seizure. The Drug Enforcement Unit, acting on intelligence from the southern SEE PAGE THREE
SUSPECTED packages of cocaine are retreived from a freighter. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
PAGE 2, Thursday, May 12, 2016
YOUTH members from Pentacostal Tabernacle Church entertained some of the disabled mothers for Mother’s Day.
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SOME of the gifts donated to Grand Bahama mothers.
A MOTHER’S DAY TREAT FOR DISABLED PARENTS
FIFTEEN disabled mothers across Grand Bahama were given a Mother’s Day surprise on Saturday. They were treated to gift baskets and lunch along with prayer and fellowship by Challenged Champions, a charity for the disabled, in partnership with the Pentecostal Tabernacle Church of Pinder’s Point. The church youth gave a concert to the disabled women who suffer from paralysis, autism, and loss of mobility, speech or hearing. “Most of them have been abandoned by their families, and rely on God’s love and the kindness of strangers to see them through,” said Grace Shepherd, founder of Challenged Champions. The gift baskets – made up of health, personal care items, games and electronics – were donated by Super Bucks Pharmacy, Health Enhancing Pharmacy and Challenged Champions and distributed as far across the island as West End.
Touched by the occasion, Sharon Jones, a quadriplegic who has suffered great duress without family over the past five years said: “I am greatly encouraged by the thoughtfulness and this gift of love. I know Jesus has heard my prayers and will soon heal me, so that I can be an encouragement and bless others.” Stressing the need for public support for the many needy disabled on Grand Bahama, Ms Shepherd said that “only with the community coming together can we address the daily challenges for the growing number of needy disabled. The need is tremendous and no donation is too small.” Public donations of food, healthcare and personal care items for the elderly and disabled are welcome and can be made at the Uniform Factory behind KFC in downtown Freeport on Monday to Saturday between 10am and 6pm or by calling 351-4960 for collection.
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SHARON JONES, a quadriplegic, is all smiles after receiving gifts for Mother’s Day.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, May 12, 2016, PAGE 3
Power outages ‘caused by accident, fire and cable fault’
By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMAS Power and Light yesterday denied that the recent wave of power outages was the result of “generation shortfalls,” while expressing confidence that its present fleet of generators is “capable of meeting existing customer demand.” BPL, in a statement yesterday, said the past two weeks of intermittent power
outages, particularly those that took place on Tuesday, were not due to issues with power generation, but the result of three separate incidents that caused “just over half” of BPL’s customers “to experience some period of supply interruption” in the previous 24 hours. The company said a vehicle accident on Shirley Street, a cable fault in the Imperial Park area, and a fire in the New Providence well-fields “that impacted overhead transmission
lines” were the cause of those outages. Further, BPL said that during the last month, its system was impacted by “other events”, such as generator trips, third party interference, and “planned and emergency maintenance,” which “may have resulted in what customers deem to be frequent outages.” Nonetheless, BPL’s statement said the company “understands the frustration of its customers when outages
occur,” and asked for its customers’ “patience and full support as it works on immediate and long term fixes to improve energy reliability in the country.” “In many instances, especially those that occurred on Tuesday, the impact to our system is unavoidable. However, BPL can assure its customers that when there is a problem its teams immediately respond to minimise the duration of the outage and the number of customers impacted.
“The company remains focused on its objectives to provide its customers with improved service and will continue to implement strategies and technologies to mitigate future occurrences and expedite recovery when necessary.” The statement added: “BPL asks for its customers’ patience and full support as it works on immediate and long term fixes to improve energy reliability in the country.” Last month, BPL ex-
pressed confidence that it will meet peak summer demand, while acknowledging that it has been tackling challenges at its Clifton Pier Power Station. In a statement sent to Tribune Business, BPL acknowledged that there have been periods of supply interruption to some customers, some of which it said was due to challenges at the Clifton Pier Power Station. Nonetheless, BPL said it was working to correct each challenge as it arises.
THE BOAT containing the suspected drugs haul.
SOME of the suspected drugs seized from the freighter.
Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
HAITIANS HELD OVER $2M COCAINE HAUL
from page one
islands, determined that a large 60-foot freighter did not call to a port in Inagua,” Chief Supt Butler said. “We continued our surveillance of the vessel and off the northern tip of Eleuthera we intercepted the boat around 7.30pm. The vessel had six males on board and they were taken into custody. We ferried the vessel into New Providence around 5am. DEU officers searched and found several concealed compartments. “In them we found a number of packages with suspected cocaine. We are still early in the investigation, but we feel really happy in short order we will
have a group of persons before the court. Based on the documentation we found on the men, the vessel originated out of a port in Haiti and they are all Haitian nationals.” Chief Supt Butler said the DEU believes this shipment is connected to other drug seizures in the Bahamas but “we are working to confirm it.” He also said the DEU will “leave no stone unturned” and will find who is funding these operations. “This is a drug trafficking network of persons collaborating together,” Chief Supt Butler said. “Sometimes we mistake what the operation looks like because you only see the mules but behind the
scenes there is a person with large means, who purchased the large vessel and who purchased the cocaine and who facilitates the movement of the drugs through territories.” In February, DEU officers seized nearly $2m worth of cocaine from a boat in Inagua. Five Haitian men were also arrested in the seizure. According to reports, DEU officers, along with Operation Bahamas Turks
and Caicos (OPBAT), and Inagua police, acting on intelligence conducted a search of a vessel that came from Haiti. During the search, officers discovered 126 kilos of suspected cocaine.
THE OFFICER in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Unit, Superintendent Samuel Butler, pictured speaking to the media after yesterday’s drugs seizure.
THREE MEN IN HOSPITAL AFTER LATEST SHOOTINGS
By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net THREE men are recovering in hospital after they were shot in three separate incidents Tuesday night. In the first incident, shortly after 9pm, police said a man was sitting in his vehicle with a female friend at Stokes Cabana at Yamacraw Beach, when four men armed with firearms approached and robbed them of a cell phone. The suspects then shot the man before fleeing in a red vehicle. The victim was taken to hospital where his condition is listed as stable. In the second incident, shortly after 10.30pm, police said a man was walking in the area of John Road
and Market Street, when a man armed with a shotgun approached him and shot him before fleeing on foot. The victim was taken to hospital where his condition is listed as stable. In the final incident, shortly before midnight a man was standing outside a house on Homestead Street, when another man, armed with a handgun, approached him and shot him before fleeing on foot. The victim was taken to hospital where his condition is listed as stable. Investigations are underway in all of these incidents. 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.
WOMAN FROM SURINAME HELD OVER COCAINE DISCOVERY A WOMAN from Suriname is in custody following the seizure on Tuesday of a quantity of cocaine at the Lynden Pindling International Airport by Drug Enforcement Unit officers. Police said around 2.30pm, DEU officers on duty at LPIA searched
the woman’s luggage when she arrived on an international flight and found just over seven pounds of cocaine. The woman was subsequently arrested and is expected to appear in court later this week to be formally charged.
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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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Queen Elizabeth II: Chinese officials were ‘very rude’ LONDON (AP) — Britain’s 90-yearold monarch has made a rare foray into political affairs, being caught on film characterizing Chinese officials as “very rude” in their dealings with British counterparts during a state visit last year. Queen Elizabeth II made the unguarded comments Tuesday while talking to a senior police officer at a rain-soaked garden party on the grounds of Buckingham Palace. With uncharacteristic bluntness — rarely if ever heard in public — the queen said the Chinese had not dealt properly with Barbara Woodward, the British envoy to China. “They were very rude to the ambassador,” Elizabeth said. The comments were recorded by a palace-authorised cameraman working for three British networks and distributed to broadcasters under a pool arrangement allowing them to use the material. Two reporters close to the queen did not hear the comments but they were easily discernible on the videotape. In the video, the Lord Chamberlain, a senior palace official, introduced the queen to police Commander Lucy D’Orsi and explained that the officer was in charge of policing for the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping in October. The queen quickly responded: “Oh! Bad luck.” The official told the queen that D’Orsi had been “seriously undermined by the Chinese” in the handling of the visit. When D’Orsi asked if the queen knew it had been a “testing time,” the monarch interjected: “I did.” The officer recalled a moment when Chinese officials walked out of a meeting with Woodward, the ambassador, and told the British the trip was off. “They walked out on both of us,” D’Orsi said. “Extraordinary,” the queen said. “It was very rude and undiplomatic I thought,” D’Orsi said. It is not clear if the queen knew she was speaking loudly enough to be easily understood on tape. Elizabeth’s broadside was unusual. As a constitutional monarch, she is prohibited from being actively involved in politics. She has assiduously earned a reputation for great discretion, and it is completely out of character for her to publicly criticize another country’s diplomats. If anything, she has been so careful to adhere strictly to her defined constitutional role that some commentators say they have no idea what she thinks about world affairs. It is now clear, however, that she was at least annoyed by some of the positions taken by the Chinese delegation during a state visit that was vital for Britain’s political and business leaders, who seek evercloser ties with China to bolster trade. Kerry Brown, a former British diplomat in China who directs the Lau China Institute at King’s College in London, said the comments strip away the “this is the golden age” rhetoric that prevailed during the state visit. He said no one on either side had “breathed a word” about the difficulties. Both sides responded quickly to the break in the queen’s neutral approach — by downplaying its importance and asserting that the state visit had been a triumph. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Lu Kang, asked about the queen’s remarks at a daily news briefing in Beijing
on Wednesday, declined to address them directly, but said Xi had made a “very successful visit” to Britain last year. “The working teams from both sides made huge efforts to make this possible. This effort has been highly recognized by both China and Britain,” Lu said. Despite Lu’s comments, China appeared to regard the queen’s comments as sensitive. Information about the remarks was difficult to find on China’s heavily censored Internet and government monitors cut the signal of the British Broadcasting Corp. when it reported on the comments. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the visit “got a bit stressful on both sides” but had been “highly successful”. He said that “our relationship with China is very strong and has been greatly strengthened by the success of that visit”. The remarks were recorded at one of the queen’s summer garden parties, where she traditionally greets a long line of guests as she makes her way to the royal tent for tea and sandwiches. It is customary for Peter Wilkinson, a cameraman working for UK networks, to walk in front of the queen and record her interactions with guests. The material, rarely before deemed newsworthy, is later provided to the networks for possible use. Both the Metropolitan Police and the palace refused to comment on what they described as private conversations. The palace stressed that Xi’s visit had been “extremely successful”. It was the second embarrassment on Tuesday for the palace, where Prime Minister David Cameron was overheard at a separate event describing Nigeria and Afghanistan as “possibly the two most corrupt countries in the world.” The leaders of both countries will attend an anti-corruption summit organised by Cameron in London this week. During Xi’s four-day state visit to Britain, officials had added layers of pomp and splendor — including a state banquet at the palace. Xi was welcomed with a 41gun artillery salute, and taken to Buckingham Palace in a royal gilded carriage drawn by white horses. The queen gave Xi and his wife a personal tour of the Royal Collection at the palace. She gave them a special collection of Shakespeare’s sonnets and spoke glowingly of the two countries’ “global partnership” at the elaborate state dinner. There were no public hints of tensions at the time, although Prince Charles — the heir to the throne, and a supporter of the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama shunned by the Chinese — did not attend the gala banquet. The two countries signed more than £30bn ($46bn) in trade agreements during the trip, and Cameron said Britain would be China’s “partner of choice” in the West. This is not the first time British royals have been caught making undiplomatic remarks about the Chinese. Prince Charles branded Chinese diplomats “appalling old waxworks” in a private journal entry that had described the 1997 ceremony to hand Hong Kong back to Chinese rule. In 1986, Prince Philip reportedly told British exchange students in China they would get “slitty eyes” if they stayed in China too long. By Gregory Katz of the Associated Press
Miller hypocrisy Marriage for three EDITOR, The Tribune. Re:Leslie Miller SO Leslie Miller wants to exile transgenders and wants God to end the Earth now, I am sure God spends a lot of his spare time mulling over Mr Miller’s words of wisdom. You have got to love the hypocrisy at least two of the cabinet (as Mr Miller knows) are homosexual do they have to be exiled as well? THE REALIST Nassau, May 3, 2016.
EDITOR, The Tribune Re: Gay weddings ‘not while I live’ (The Tribune, May 9) Gays should understand that most Bahamians regard marriage as a sacred institution with certain well-defined moral commitments. Furthermore, many consider the union to be incomplete if without one or two children ... and perhaps an occasional sweetheart. KEN W KNOWLES MD Nassau, May 9, 2016
The real problem at Road Traffic EDITOR, The Tribune. OUR politicians really need to stop treating us like fools. Neko Grant and Glenys Hanna-Martin can point fingers over the missing millions all they want; the public already knows what the real problem is at the Road Traffic Department. The current minister admitted that such wholesale theft is made possible by the antiquated “paper“ system that is used by the department, but she didn’t explain why over the course of nearly a decade in charge, she never did anything about it. Mr Grant says “It wasn’t me,” yet the backward system was never upgraded on his watch either. The reason for inaction in both cases is clear: A more efficient, even partially digital system would make scores if not hundreds of department employees redundant overnight. As it stands, even with the paper system it seems as if most of those who ride the time-
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net clock at the Clarence E. Bain building have little or nothing of value to do on a daily basis. Everyone who has applied for a driver’s license or has registered a car knows the drill: one booth to hand in your paperwork, a second booth to get it back, a third booth to make your payment, a fourth to receive your final documents. This swollen, bloated system has nothing to do with necessity and everything to do with political expediency. In the minds of our politicians, the Road Traffic Department does not really exist to license cars and drivers; it exists to employ as many Bahamians as humanly possible, qualified or unqualified, by hook or by crook, all in an effort to secure their votes. Public Hospitals Authority, Post Office, De-
partment of Agriculture, Ministry of Works, Business License office, Royal Bahamas Police Force – the same goes. These are operations that masquerade as official institutions working for the benefit of the public, but whose actual purpose in the minds of politicians is to amplify their opportunity to conduct job-for-vote swaps with members of the public. As a result, public service efficiency in this country is a contradiction in terms and graft, bribery and corruption are the order of the day. In the end, it is we the people who suffer because it is our money that has been pilfered. This is as clear as day yet not a soul in leadership seems willing to admit it. Who among our politicians will be brave enough to come clean and tell us what we already know? TOM PAINE Nassau, May 11, 2016.
Lanisha Rolle is a liability EDITOR, The Tribune. I SINCERELY respect Dr Hubert Minnis’ role as leader of the FNM. Minnis exercised his prerogative as leader of the opposition party by appointing Lanisha Rolle in early 2015 to the Senate in lieu of Heather Hunt, who was rumoured to be a supporter of FNM MP Loretta Butler-Turner. While some have taken issue with Minnis over the appointment, in the final analysis, most if not all politicians have a proclivity for engaging in tribalism. One can hardly fault Minnis for wanting to surround himself with obsequious loyalists. In politics, nonconformists will always face opposition for not toeing the party line. Senator Lanisha Rolle is a staunch loyalist of Minnis. I vividly recall earlier in the year Rolle being embroiled in a controversy after she telephoned a talk show and berated several FNM MPs, including Butler-Turner, in defense of Minnis. Rolle finally issued
an apology, but it came in March, well over a month after publicly scolding the MPs. The apology did little to resonate with those who were deeply disturbed by her actions. And it caused Minnis needless bad publicity at a time the FNM can ill afford to look disarrayed in the eyes of the electorate. Rolle’s public rant gave many the impression that the FNM is a deeply fractured party. Now there are fresh reports of yet another controversy brewing within the FNM with Rolle at the centre of it – once again. If The Tribune report about Senator Lanisha Rolle allegedly uttering some disturbing and alarming assertions are accurate, then the onus is now on Minnis to discipline her, as she, it would seem, has not learned anything from the first incident. If it is true that she made disparaging remarks about Butler-Turner, Rolle should be removed from the Senate and from the front-lines of the FNM, as this latest alleged incident shows that she is not politi-
cal material. It would prove beyond doubt that she has no business being in either the Upper or Lower Chamber. Rolle is a liability to not only Minnis, who must now be shaking his head in disbelief, but also to the FNM. She is hurting the FNM. I cannot for the life of me understand why the FNM executive team would tolerate this kind of behaviour, unless the party has already ceded victory to the PLP in the 2017 general election. Whatever the case may be, while I understand that Minnis might feel obligated to defend Rolle, as she is one of his strongest backers, it isn’t worth the trouble she is causing the FNM party. If the FNM loses the general election next year, political analysts in their post mortem, will undoubtedly point to Rolle as one of the key contributors to the FNM’s undoing. I have nothing against her. But she just isn’t worth the hassle she is causing this party. KEVIN EVANS Freeport, GB, May 11, 2016.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, May 12, 2016, PAGE 5
THE WRECKED airport on Crooked Island following Hurricane Joaquin.
Photo: Rashad Rolle/Tribune Staff
Hurricane relief concessions extended ‘on a case-by-case basis’
By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net ALTHOUGH the government’s storm relief exigency order has expired, Hurricane Joaquin victims can still apply for concessions through the National Emergency Management Agency, according to agency Director Captain Stephen Russell. “We’re still working them on a case-by-case basis,” Captain Russell said yesterday. “The (exigency) period is over, and those persons who made requests have up until the anniversary of the storm to make good on it once you have an official letter from NEMA.” “We got quite a bit of persons that did apply, some didn’t bother with it because they just didn’t have the money.” He added: “Persons can
still apply for assistance on the islands. They have to go through their administrators and once they have signed off on the form, they forward it on to us. “We would seek Ministry of Finance approval to honour their request.” The central and southern Bahamas were ravaged for two days by the category four storm that brought torrential rain and high winds as it slowly moved through the islands on October 1 and 2, 2015. Prime Minister Perry Christie declared his intention to sign an exigency order on October 7. The order covered relief of residents in Acklins, Cat Island, Crooked Island, Exuma, Inagua, Long Cay, Long Island, Mayaguana, Rum Cay, Ragged Island, Samana Cay and San Salvador which suffered hardship or loss as a result of
Hurricane Joaquin, and whose claims/applications in respect of such goods are certified by the NEMA director. The import of goods with tax exemptions was permitted for a period of 90 days beginning October 3, and further exemptions were given on motor vehicles. The government also previously declared the waiver of landing fees, departure tax for non-commercial flights bringing in relief goods, and Department of Customs processing fees on imports in the above-mentioned islands for a period of one month. The islands of Acklins, Crooked Island, and Long Cay were declared sufferance port areas for a period of three months. Captain Russell noted that the initial exigency order had been extended to allow for a second 90-day
TEEN HURT AS CAR HITS POLE
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
A TEEN was seriously injured in a traffic accident in Grand Bahama on Wednesday when the vehicle he was driving crashed into a utility pole. Police said the 19-yearold was driving a two-door
grey 2004 Chevy Malibu sometime around 11am on Queen’s Highway when the vehicle crashed into a wooden pole and he was ejected. EMS personnel took the teenager to the Rand Memorial Hospital, where he is detained in serious condition. Police are advising mo-
torists to drive within the speed limit and to always wear their seatbelts.
period, which ended April 3. Free National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis this week urged the government to extend the exigency order originally granted to affected residents of the Southern Bahamas. Dr Minnis also called for tax collection to be halted in those islands until 2018 to ensure that life in those areas returns to normal as soon as possible. On Tuesday, Minister of State for Finance Michael Halkitis told The Tribune that an extension was “likely.” “We normally get an indication from the affected islands of the desire for an extension and act accordingly,” he said. “We recognise that people may need time to get into a financial position to take advantage of the exigency orders.”
PUBLIC NOTICE Culture 101 Musical Play Cancelled Please be advised that Culture 101, scheduled to be put on at the Dundas Centre for the Performing Arts on Friday, 13th May and Saturday, 14th May, has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. All donations will be used for the upcoming production of Culture 201 featuring the lives of E. Clement Bethel and Winston Saunders, scheduled for November, 2016. We apologize for the inconvenience caused and thank you for your cooperation in this regard. If you have any further questions, please contact Mrs. Delores Thompson at the Dundas Centre for the Performing Arts.
PAGE 6, Thursday, May 12, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
FNM ‘up in arms’ at Rolle comments from page one insisted is unfit to lead and has not proven herself. She pointed to Mrs Butler-Turner’s tenure during the previous Ingraham administration as minister of state for social development, suggesting the MP was only handed the junior Cabinet appointment because the party could not do better. When contacted yesterday, both Dr Minnis and Senator Rolle declined to comment. This matter, The Tribune was reliably informed, is at the heart of an internal in-
vestigation underway in the party and has stirred up another round of controversy and contention within the organisation. The probe is being handled by party Chairman Sidney Collie. Mr Bain confirmed to this newspaper on Tuesday that he was called into a meeting with Mr Collie to discuss the matter. He added that he also observed Senator Rolle meeting with other party executives. However, he was tight-lipped over what sparked the meetings. “This is an internal party matter so I won’t go into too much details about the ba-
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sis of the investigation,” Mr Bain said when he was contacted by The Tribune. “However, I can say that comments were made to me by another FNM political hopeful that raised alarm and that I found to be disturbing,” Mr Bain claimed. “So, yes, there was a meeting between myself and the party chairman.” Senator Rolle was embroiled in controversy earlier this year after she called a radio show in January and criticised Mrs Butler-Turner and other FNM members of Parliament. She accused sitting FNM MPs of being “jealous”
of the party leader and said Mrs Butler-Turner, Dr Minnis’ former rival for leadership, would not have the support of voters
FNM SENATOR LANISHA ROLLE over Prime Minister Perry Christie. After she was criticised by members of her party, Mrs Rolle finally publicly
apologised for her remarks. She and Mr Bain are both angling for a nomination to run in the next general election on the FNM’s ticket.
MINISTER BLAMING FNM IN ROAD TRAFFIC ROW ‘A SAD EXCUSE’
from page one
operations would yield any fruitful results, pointing to several seemingly unsolved scandals involving missing or misappropriated government funds, with at least one of those scandals involving a department directly under Mrs Hanna Martin’s ministerial purview. Mr McCartney’s state-
ments were in response to Mrs Hanna Martin’s statements in the House of Assembly on Monday in response to a newly released auditor general’s report that revealed that millions of dollars in losses from vehicle license revenue resulting from employees and motorists “circumventing rules and regulations.” Mrs Hanna Martin has acknowledged that the department has long been plagued with “repeated age-old issues” and that the Christie administration had previously tried to address the issues plaguing the department with plans for modernisation. Mrs Hanna Martin said by the end of the Christie administration’s previous term a request for proposal process (RFP) had reached the final stage and a firm was selected in principle from eight proposals to implement an automated motor vehicle and driver’s license system. However, she said that process was rejected and abandoned by the former Ingraham administration, allowing for the deteriorating state of affairs at the department to “not only continue, but indeed accelerate at an exponential rate”. Mr McCartney said yesterday: “Blaming the former administration is a sad excuse. The PLP is the gov-
ernment and as this minister used to loudly say to the then government when she was in opposition, ‘fix it’.” And, despite pledges by Road Traffic Controller Ross Smith that officials are prepared to prosecute those involved in the scandal to the fullest extent of the law, Mr McCartney expressed doubt that the government would live up to its word. In particular, Mr McCartney referred to last year’s move by the government to summon the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) to probe the findings of Auditor General Terrence Bastian’s report on alleged fraud and other irregularities at the Post Office Savings Bank (POSB). At the time, Mrs Hanna Martin, the minister responsible for the post office, acknowledged the need for a “radical shift” in oversight “required for what in fact is a critical financial institution” in the country. However, Mr McCartney said the government has since “been quiet as a church mouse with regards to that police probe”. “We, the Bahamian people, are the ones paying for all of this misappropriation of funds,” Mr McCartney added. “Our children will also have to pay. We, as Bahamians, are suffering day in and day out, but yet we accept this foolishness. The reality is that if we had good
governance with proper checks and balances in our system of governance and on our political leaders we would not be in this mess.” Mr Bastian’s audit, which covers the period July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2015, was tabled in the House of Assembly on Monday. It focused on vehicle license revenue and payroll processing. The report said: “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,” Mr Bastian noted.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, May 12, 2016, PAGE 7
Two teenagers admit guilt over nude girl video
from page one
Shanton Forbes, 18, and a 16-year-old boy, both of Yellow Elder Gardens, appeared before Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans facing two counts of voyeurism and a charge of indecent assault concerning a video showing a nude gitl being harassed by a group of males that was circulated on social media. The 16-year-old cannot be named because he is a juvenile. It is alleged that the offences occurred between April 1 and May 8. Both teens pleaded guilty to the three charges. Police prosecutor Corporal Claudia McKenzie told the magistrate that the victim’s father went to police on May 9 to lodge a complaint after seeing a video sent to him by his sister. He told police the video showed his daughter naked, being dragged and tortured by a number of boys in a building with which he was unfamiliar. “The (complainant) was interviewed and she stated that about a month ago, she was walking from Yellow
18-YEAR-OLD Shaton Forbes arrives at court yesterday and, right, a 16-year-old is led into court. Photos: Tim Clarke/Tribune Staff Elder Park with a (female) friend, the friend’s brother, male cousins and another male friend,” the prosecutor said. “When they arrived in the area of the (water) pump, the males dragged her under the pump and soaked her,” the prosecutor said. “She noticed one of the males called ‘China’ started to record it on his Samsung phone. Her friend told the males to ‘ease up’ and they stopped. Her friend took her inside to dry off and gave her clothes to change. However, the bathroom did not have a door. She was the only one in the house,” the court heard. Moments later, the com-
WOMAN COULD FACE DEATH PENALTY IF CONVICTED OF KILLING
By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
A WOMAN who maintains she had no involvement in the murder of a web shop employee could be facing the discretionary death penalty if convicted by the Supreme Court jury. Daphne Knowles, of Cartwright’s, Long Island, was called on to answer to charges of murder, conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery moments before jury selection took place in her trial yesterday concerning the death of Andrea Carroll in November 2014. Knowles answered “not guilty” to all three allegations before a jury of 10 women and two men who were selected to hear evidence in the matter. The accused is charged with murder under Section 291 (1) (a) of the Penal Code, Chapter 84, a charge that attracts the discretionary death penalty of the court if a conviction is reached. In 2011, after a ruling from the London-based Privy Council, the Ingraham administration amended the death penalty law to specify the “worst of the worst” murders that would warrant execution.
Under the amended law, a person who kills a police or defence force officer, member of the Departments of Customs or Immigration, judiciary or prison services would be eligible for a death sentence. A person would also be eligible for death once convicted of murdering someone during a rape, robbery, kidnapping or act of terrorism. The jury was asked to return to court on Tuesday, May 17, for evidence to be taken. Knowles is alleged to have killed 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 cash belonging to Bowe’s Web Games Ltd. The accused remains remanded to the Department of Correctional Services. Knowles, who was previously unrepresented up until Monday, is now defended by attorney Sonia Timothy. Cephia Pinder-Moss and Basil Cumberbatch are prosecuting the case. Justice Bernard Turner is presiding over the trial.
DEATH NOTICE Mr. Robert H. Sands, Age 76
\
Mr. Robert H. Sands of Lakeland, Florida and formerly of Nassau, Bahamas, died on Monday, May 9, 2016 after a brief illness. Robert was predeceased by his wife, Carol Sands. He is survived by his partner, Dorothy Lawrence, son, Dave Sands and daughter, Kelly Newman, of Lakeland, Florida; granddaughter, Megan Newman, grandson, Jaxson Newman; brothers, Wayde Sands and William (Billy) Sands of Nassau; nephews: Tony Sands, Reginald Sands, Donnie Carey, D. Andrew Sands, Paul Sands, Steve Kemp, William Sands; nieces: Mellony Sands Hart, Debbie Lamb, Denise Higgs, Deidre Barr, Darlene Smith, Sharon Kemp, Bonnie Thompson and numerous other family and friends. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 21, 2016 at Calvary Bible Church, Collins Avenue, Nassau.
plainant’s female friend and the boys entered the house where the boys then began to harass her, though they did not touch her breasts or vagina, the prosecutor said. “During the incident, her (female) friend was in the front room laughing,” the prosecutor added. Sergeant 1492 Dale Strachan downloaded the video and a team of officers went to Yellow Elder to photograph the scene of the alleged incident.
The 18-year-old accused was questioned by police about his involvement and he admitted to taking a picture. However, he denied video recording what occurred. The 16-year-old accused reportedly admitted to being present at the time, the court was told. When the 16 year old was asked if he agreed with the facts read by the prosecutor, the minor said he did not recall telling the police he was involved. However, he maintained that he did commit the three offences. Magistrate Vogt-Evans, after accepting their guilty pleas and formally convicting them, asked the oldest teen if he wished to say anything. “I am sorry for what I’ve done and I accept my punishment,” Forbes said. Addressing the minor, the judge asked if he wished to say anything. “I apologise for what I
did. What I did was wrong. I apologise to the family of the young girl for having the video all over the place,” the juvenile said. Magistrate Vogt-Evans asked to see the 50-second video clip, noting she was unaware of the occurrence. While viewing the clip, the minor hung his head while the 18-year-old looked away from the magistrate. The judge asked: “This was the two of you touching her, trying to pull her leg open?” Both teens said “no”. The magistrate asked the elder teen if he worked. Forbes said he worked parttime in various trades, including masonry, mechanics and landscaping after dropping out of high school. The minor is in the 10th grade and claimed he is due to retake his BJC examinations at the end of the month. The judge asked: “You see what you took part in? How would you like it if
your mother was the one this happened to?” “I wouldn’t like it at all,” Forbes said. “You mean you couldn’t find something better to do? What could’ve been going on in your head? Did you ever apologise to her?” the magistrate then asked. Responding to the last question, both said they did and acknowledged her subsequent statement that this incident “could stay with her (the complainant) for the rest of her life.” “This court has no toleration for that kind of behaviour,” Magistrate VogtEvans said. She adjourned sentencing to May 18 as she wished to be fully informed on the convicts’ social background due to one of them being a minor. Forbes was remanded to the Department of Correctional Services and the minor to the Simpson Penn Centre for Boys.
PAGE 8, Thursday, May 12, 2016
E
VERY time Auditor General Terrance Bastian and his team releases a damning report, I become more and more convinced that we live in a society where “tiefin”, in one form or another, has become the order of the day. To use a phrase I heard bandied about this week, “we don’t need no VAT, we need a moratorium on ‘tiefin’!” There was a time when “tiefin” made up a small portion of our losses, but it seems that most of the budgets for various departments of government are hampered by theft. Once if folks stole, it used to be one for them and five for the government/taxpayers. These days, it’s six for me and two for taxpayers (aka yinna). The most disturbing facet of the Auditor General’s (AG) report is that it appears that so many people are now getting into the game. We need to become more of a cashless society. Anywhere cash is used for a transaction –- Passport Office, Post Office, Road Traffic, Bank of the Bahamas, Bahamas Customs, Department of Immigration, etc – there ought to be an expectation that all monies collected will not be accounted for. Some civil servants help themselves
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THE TRIBUNE
The tiefin’ at the heart of our society
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A Young Man’s View
By ADRIAN GIBSON
to taxpayers money to supplement their salaries, “irregardless” (to use a Bahamian word) of the fact that they took on a job knowing in advance the salary that it pays. When will we see an accounting for the funds collected by the police for licensing of firearms and for police records? Sadly, it appears that the higher up the social ladder some may climb, the more their cut of the pie increases. We have seen this with certain ministers and MPs who have been accused and/or publicly condemned by Commissions of Inquiry for graft, corruption and outright stealing from the public purse. Indeed, we have heard of instances where there is a thieving ring, where folks share the joy around, with the ringleader taking the majority share of ill-gotten gains and dividing what remains among his underlings. What’s more, whistleblowers are, in some cases, someone who has been cut out of a deal. At that point,
The misuse of government property is particularly annoying when you consider irregular and dishonest use of red-plated vehicles and the petrol that is used daily. These vehicles are often found at places that are unlikely to be part of government business (beaches, clubs, sweetheart house, bars, food stores) and yet our culture is such that hardly a protest is heard.’
once a participant is slighted, he then has a come to Jesus moment that leads to the lid being blown off the entire shebang! However, I do not believe that the majority of whistleblowers are participants in the sleaze and corruption we constantly hear about. The level of criminality and corruption in the Bahamas is so pervasive but yet so heavily concealed and covered with forthright indignation and denial. When one acknowledges the scope and depth of the problem, one could easily become overwhelmed, giving up and responding by taking a stiff drink due to the notion that the problem is insurmountable. Yet, for our nation’s advancement and development, it must be strongly addressed. The AG’s various reports speak to a culture that envelopes the entire civil service and many, if not all, of the quasi-government corporations. Notwithstanding the protests of the many honest people that work throughout those agencies, there is a culture that begins with, and is highlighted by, the removal of pens, pencils, copy paper, tissue, hand towels, sugar, cream, computer monitors, printers, money and making unauthorised overseas phone calls, etc. There is virtually nothing that is used or supplied in the public sector that has not, at one time or another, been diverted or stolen. There is no grade or rank
AUDITOR General Terrance Bastian, whose reports have revealed a series of weaknesses in government - including the latest, reporting on money missing at Road Traffic. of staff that is beyond re- of the department for the staff that “she had misapproach. I recently heard period July 1, 2012, to June propriated a ‘large’ amount a story of a previous Ad- 30, 2015, Auditor General of funds” when in that posiministrator at the Princess Terrance Bastian said the tion. This was purportedly Margaret Hospital who was department could not at- done by sending Money Orfound with large quantities test that correct revenue is ders to other islands in the of prime cut meat melting being reported at the end of Bahamas, even though no in his back trunk. That meat each fiscal year. Disgrace- funds had been received to belonged to taxpayers but, ful! back these before they were given where it was found, it According to Mr Bastian, issued. was obviously not intended there were several instances Well kiss my leg! for patient consumption. of apparent fraud and “colThen there is the case of a The misuse of govern- lusion” involving inspec- cashier at the Cable Beach ment property is particu- tors, writers and cashiers as Post Office who was “short” larly annoying when you they carried out daily tasks. $1,259 in the imprest (petty consider irregular and dis- What the heck is this? cash) fund due to the monhonest use of red-plated When are we moving ies having been ‘borrowed’. vehicles and the petrol that away from the archaic, frus- The shortage again related is used daily. These vehicles trating, manual system we to Money Orders, originatare often found at places now use? ing from Abaco, where no that are unlikely to be part What was the end result funds had been received to of government business of the probe into the miss- back their payment before (beaches, clubs, sweetheart ing resources at the Road they were sent. house, bars, food stores) Traffic Department’s AbaUnfortunately, though and yet our culture is such co office valued at more someone might be a lightthat government vehicles than $660,000. handed thief, employees are used as replacement veWhere are the decals, are merely transferred from hicles for the primary fam- discs and inspection stick- one department to another ily automobile and hardly a ers at the Marsh Harbour after “tiefin” public funds protest is heard. department? I don’t want and living high of the hog! to hear anything about “ac- Why are we not arresting, he outrage at the counting lapses in tracking charging and prosecuting AG’s findings the resources”. I need a their backsides? probably ought to concrete answer. As if all of this wasn’t be kept at a minimum. I Road Traffic Department enough, the AG and his am tired of the feigned in- Controller Ross Smith said team stated that documents dignation of politicians and that as a result of the find- from the Ragged Island senior public servants, an ings, three current civil Post Office reveal $159,919 indignation that will fade servants are under inves- in Money Orders being isaway before the newsprint tigation and that a worker sued from that island’s is dry. Someone has to take who resigned was also be- Post Office. This included responsibility. Someone ing questioned by police. I Money Order changes not has to take the fall. That’s don’t recall seeing anyone paid into the Post Office, what honourable people being charged on the news? but the audit revealed that do! When are heads going What happened? based on the documents to roll? When are resignaWhere is the transport provided, some $63,914 tions from the Cabinet and management system that “was not brought to acas directors of government has been promised and pur- count”. The former cashier departments going to be de- portedly been “underway” admitted that while she was manded? Do they not think for forever? in Ragged Island, she had that we, the people, are misappropriated a “large“ tired of their mental mas2. In recent months, the amount of funds from the turbation only to do more AG warned of an “alarming Post Office. According to of the same once the issue amount of alleged theft” at the report, the former cashfalls off the front page? the Post Office, with at least ier at Ragged Island also Over the last few years, one of its practices branded admitted to the processing we have had a number of “a breeding ground for im- of Money Orders without AG’s reports that reveal the proprieties”. following established acextent of the theft and corThe audit of the Govern- counting procedures. So, ruption that prevails within ment’s 2013-2014 accounts, why is she not before the the civil service. which was tabled in the courts? House of Assembly yesterWhy have we not heard 1. This week, the AG day, called for the Post Of- of firings and major restrucwarned of a severe lack of fice to be restructured and turing within the Post Oforder and control surround- “immediate actions” taken fice? ing safeguarding the assets where there is evidence of The AG said that while and collection of revenue theft by staff. the Exuma-based district at the Road Traffic DepartThe flaws and weakness- postmaster was responsible ment, while revealing an es- es identified by Mr Bastian for collecting and reconciltimated $47m in losses from and his staff include the ing funds on Ragged Island, vehicle licence revenue Postmaster’s bank account she at times permitted the resulting from employees at Bank of the Bahamas in postal clerk to perform and motorists “circumvent- Freeport which continues these duties. ing rules and regulations”. to be “unreconciled” with The report stated that The revelations were un- funds deposited and dis- once Money Orders were earthed in an audit report bursed from this account cashed, the amount was to that was tabled on Monday were regularly being sent to be forwarded to the senior in the House of Assembly. Nassau via cheque, regard- clerk’s personal account at It focused on vehicle licence less of whether it was in sur- the Royal Bank of Canada revenue, licence plate reve- plus or overdrawn. The AG or the Bank of the Bahanue and payroll processing. required an “explanation” mas. According to the report, and recommended that this Mr Bastian has previousat a minimum, it is believed bank account is suspended ly warned of “an underlying that there is an under re- until it is properly recon- tone of fraud” at the Post cording of vehicle licence ciled. Office Savings Bank, with revenue of $10m due to And then there is the customers able to deposit management not having case of a former Post Of- and withdraw sums more control over the licensing fice cashier in Ragged Is- than 100 times’ greater than inventory. land who admitted in an legal limits. In particular, What’s more, in the audit interview with the AG’s he zeroed in on how one
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THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, Thursday, MayMay 12,12, 2016, 2016, PAGE PAGE 9 9
So, where is the government on its collection of hundreds of millions of outstanding real property tax? Or are corrupt officials being greased yet again to turn a blind eye to gross non-compliance?’ account holder was able to withdraw more than $923,000 from the Post Office Savings Bank over the 15 months to April 8, 2015, even though the law and ‘Savings Bank Rules’ stipulate that account balances cannot exceed $6,000 in any one year. Then there was the “inexplicable” case of another Post Office Savings Bank client who withdrew $668,553 more than he had deposited between May 2012 and April 2015, even though the law, again, prohibited credit in excess of $6,000. This particular client had deposited $613,915 with the Post Office Savings Bank over that three-year period, yet had withdrawn a collective $1.282 million from their five separate accounts. And yet, we hear of no prosecution? Whatever happened to swift justice? We have been defrauded. Where are the internal controls? The accountability? Don’t we have a commercial crimes unit on the Royal Bahamas Police Force? In the AG’s 2011-2012 report he expressed concern about “the antiquated accounting systems in place”, the large number of inactive savings bank accounts and the fact that the Post Office Savings Bank had failed to comply with its legal requirement to file its financial statements by calendar year-end “for a number of years”. Years later, do they even have an anti-money laundering policies and procedures manual? Sadly, Family Islanders - especially those with no other bank - will be most impacted. 3. The AG has previously pointed to errors of varying degrees of seriousness that affected several departments and ministries, including the Ministry of Financial Services and Investments (where the “expenditure function was …
not in full compliance with government accounting procedures manual”), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (which was “over budget on total expenditures due in part to overseas missions”), and the Customs Department (where numerous audits confirmed that incorrect rates of duty were applied in “many instances”). 4. The Passport Office is another unholy mess. I am suspicious about the silly policy that once a person pays $200 in addition to their normal passport fee, that passports would then be expedited. Such a policy only makes the Passport Office a bigger hotbed of corruption. What about the disappearance of $25,400 at the Freeport Passport Office? The police were called in to investigate but we haven’t heard much more. Where is our money? And who is being prosecuted? The “special audit” of the Freeport Passport Office, which examined the 14-month period ending on August 21 this year, found that while its cashbook was updated daily for revenue receipts, no such action occurred when it came to deposits. What disciplinary action – and by that I mean firing – was taken against that unnamed official? Mr Bastian said that between July 1, 2014, and August 21, 2015, the Freeport Passport Office’s records showed that $301,175 was collected for processing passports and identity certificates. Yet just $275,775 was sent to the Government’s bank accounts, thus creating the $25,400 shortfall. 5. The AG has also called for the Government to create a Departure Tax Collection Centre at Lynden Pindling International Airport on the grounds that airlines and travel agents were tak-
THIS year’s Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival Road Fever Parade - will this year’s event prove to have been more successful than last year’s at attracting visitors? ing too long to remit sums collected to Customs. “This process is plagued with challenges due to the delay of payments to Bahamas Customs,” the AG said. “Customs collected approximately $44 million in departure tax, and have an outstanding balance of approximately $6.5 million.” The AG suggested that “the departure tax would be collected on a daily basis and deposited on a daily basis. This would eliminate outstanding departure tax and improve the timely collection of revenue.” Has this recommendation been accepted? 6. The Auditor General also called on the Hotel Licensing Unit to pursue the $1.333 million in outstanding guest taxes due at end of June, 2012, noting that sums collected were up by $3.117 million to $43.388 million. Has this been collected? 7. In the 2011-2012 audit of the Government’s finances the AG expressed concern over dishonoured cheques submitted to the Public Treasury. Has the Public Treasury got a grip on $20 million worth of “dishonoured cheques”? Perhaps the Minister of Finance or his junior could furnish taxpayers with a response.
8. Previously, the AG’s report expressed grave concern that some civil servants have been allowed salary deductions that exceeded 75 per cent of their monthly salary, breaching the limit set by a June 29, 2009, Treasury guidance note. Has that been addressed by the Public Treasury? Moreover, the AG has called for salary advances made to public officials between 2006 and 2011 to either be recovered or written off. These sums were purportedly “not fully satisfied” within the six months allowed for repayment, according to the Government’s own systems. Have those funds been recovered? 9. Sometime ago, Dr Roy Kelly, Dr Graham Glenday and Wayne Forde wrote a report entitled “The Conditions for improving real property tax in the Bahamas” report. The report addressed the outstanding real property taxes and made recommendations to the government. According to that report, foreigners owning vacant land in The Bahamas owe the Government more than $156.623 million in unpaid real property taxes, with a report recommending the greatest of these debtors be the “logical” first enforcement targets. The document, never
previously revealed to the Bahamian people, discloses the extent to which just over 5,800 non-compliant taxpayers owe the bulk – some 75 per cent – of the $633.416 million in unpaid real property taxes that were sitting on the Ministry of Finance’s books in 2010. The report stated: “There are 47,596 outstanding taxpayers who owe a total of over $633 million. The majority of outstanding arrears are owed by the commercial properties (61 per cent), followed by vacant land (25 per cent) and owner-occupied properties (15 per cent). On average, the commercial taxpayer owes $23,000, while the owneroccupied taxpayer owes $10,490 and the vacant land taxpayer owes $7,096.” “The Government should undertake a comprehensive collection and enforcement approach structured around a combination of payment and collection incentives, sanctions and penalties, combined with the necessary political will to ensure follow up action be taken against noncompliance to the full measure of the law,” they wrote. So, where is the government on its collection of hundreds of millions of outstanding real property tax? Or are corrupt officials being greased yet again to turn a blind eye to gross non-compliance? 10 When will we get more information on Resolve Bahamas? Resolve’s chairman yesterday revealed that “the majority” of bad loans transferred from Bank of the Bahamas related to “high-end homes” and condominiums, rather than commercial credit as initially thought. The Resolve transaction saw Bank of the Bahamas exchange a net $45.4 million worth of “bad” commercial loans with the Government-owned SPV in exchange for $100 million worth of promissory notes (government bonds). Who, besides the 13 bad borrowers already named, are these people that are being given special protection? Since nine out of 13 (69
per cent) of the “bad” loans were originated under the first Christie administration between 2003 and 2007, did any of the nine get loans they were unqualified for due to political patronage? Did the FNM do the same with other four? How many bad loans at the Bank of the Bahamas are politically motivated? Isn’t it interesting that one of the transactions (the Malv Investments/Munnings loans) originating as far back as 1987? 11. And then there is the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival. We know that it did not generate a greater tourism yield. However, I will await the post-mortem on this year’s Carnival. Someone needs to explain how we could spend $12.8 million last year on a big party and $7 million this year but have Family Islands without ambulances, fire trucks, proper mailboat services and docks, schools desperately in need of repairs and so on. I would like the Minister of Tourism to reveal how much money, if any, is being paid to Bahamas National Festival Chairman Paul Major? I attended the carnival festivities. Why was Wyclef paid $70,000 again? 12. The Public Accounts Committee is a jokey, weak committee headed by the Opposition. They have seemingly been neutered and lost the will to investigate and report to the public. I continue to await their investigative report following the AG’s report, which was based on a study for July 1, 2012, to September 30, 2014, that revealed that 11 contractors were paid $171,000 to conduct small home repairs, but on onsite inspections conducted by the AG, it was revealed that little to no work was done at all. We must get serious and sweat the small stuff. Then, and only then, will we see appreciable reduction in the losses from theft, corruption and “gangsterism.”. Comments and responses to ajbahama@hotmail.com
PAGE 10, Thursday, May 12, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
Why Bahamians should vote yes in the referendum By GEORGE A SMITH IT is never too late to do the right thing. And so for my part I apologise for the failed effort in 2002. I honestly believe that the right course of action for all Bahamians is to support the four bills in the upcoming constitutional referendum on gender equality. I was a signatory to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas in 1972. We sought to draft a Constitution that would guide this new nation in a manner to ensure that there was no discrimination on the basis of race and religion. It is surely time for us to improve upon the independence Constitution that has so ably guided our nation these past forty-three years. We now have the awesome task, duty and responsibility to remove all forms of discrimination on the basis of sex, which is defined as male and female. The right to non-discrimination must be afforded all Bahamian men and women. We can achieve this by voting “yes” for the four alterations to the Constitution on June 7, 2016. It is not true that a “yes” vote for bill four would lead to same-sex marriage. It is
GEORGE SMITH, who was a signatory to the Constitution and who says he is sorry for the failed effort to amend it in 2002. simply not so. To suggest that is dishonest. Some of the unfortunate comments made about bills two and four have brought out the very worst in us. We are a better and kinder people than that. All we seek to do with these constitutional alterations is to make The Bahamas a fairer and equal society. I am a Catholic, and am proud that a “yes” vote for the four bills is entirely consistent with the Catholic Church’s social teachings, which are frequently reinforced by our pontiff, Pope Francis. I have served as a member of Parliament and Cabinet minister. I was a signatory to our nation’s independ-
THE SIGNING of the Bahamian Constitution in 1972. George Smith says he believes the proposed amendments to the document would be supported by Sir Lynden Pindling. ence Constitution. I am en our democracy; we will their vote and to be guided by ber that it is never too late absolutely convinced that, ensure that future genera- the facts, not by trepidation, to do that which is right. were he alive, ‘the Father of tions of Bahamians, men confusion and misinformaMay God guide us and the Nation’, Sir Lynden Pin- and women, will have the tion. Voting yes, yes, yes and bless this Land we love so dling, who I knew very well, right to enjoy the same op- yes is the right thing to do for dearly. would have unquestionably portunities, privileges and our country, our democracy, and categorically supported protections under our laws our sons and daughters, and • George Smith is a foreach of the four bills. I therefore strongly urge for generations of Bahami- mer Cabinet minister and By voting “yes” on June Bahamians to carefully con- ans yet unborn. Progressive Liberal Party 7, we will not only strength- sider and prayerfully ponder We must always remem- MP for Exuma.
REFERENDUM TO COST $1.57M
from page one
Dr Nottage also reminded the public that Bahamians who registered to vote for the 2012 general election are eligible to participate in the upcoming gender equality vote. These people, according to Dr Nottage, need not re-register but should bring a passport or voter’s card on June 7, referendum day. However, those who are newly eligible to vote because they turned 18 following the last general election are urged to register by May 25, as this is when the referendum register will close. In the meantime, he said, the process of selecting returning officers for the 38 constituencies
throughout the country is now underway. They will select the presiding officers for the more than 500 polling divisions in the country. Dr Nottage said the symbol of the scales of justice will be on the side of the “yes” box and the symbol of a gate will be on the side of the “no” box. He said the law requires every employer to permit each employee who is registered to be absent from work during the hours of the poll for two hours in addition to the normal “meal hour”. However, he said, this does not apply to an employee who begins work before 10am and leaves before 4pm. The polls open at 9am and close at 6pm. Bill one as written would
give Bahamian women who are married to foreign men the right to pass their Bahamian citizenship to any child of that union no matter where that child is born. The Constitution currently says that only Bahamian male citizens by birth have that right. Bill two as written would allow a Bahamian woman married to a foreign man the right to secure for her husband the same access to Bahamian citizenship as a Bahamian male has in relation to his foreign wife. Bill three would grant any unmarried Bahamian man the right to pass on his Bahamian citizenship to any child he fathers with a foreign woman with proof of paternity. The fourth bill seeks to end discrimination based on sex. PROVOST Marshal Ellison Greenslade shows the referendum proclamation at the Supreme Court. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
DAVIS: I HAVE NO REASON TO SAY SORRY FOR 2002 VOTE
from page one
The comments of Mr Davis and Mr Smith came after former Chief Justice Sir Michael Barnett said during a Rotary club meeting that “some form of contrite admission” may help persuade Bahamians who are bitter about the PLP’s actions in 2002 to vote “yes” to the amendments on June 7. Though he wasn’t inclined to issue an apology, Mr Davis said he hopes vindictiveness does not influence people’s decision. “I would hope no illeffects (take place from that),” he said. “We’re all motivated by any number of things. There is always this element of payback that exists in many of us. I just hope that they will be able to overcome their disappointment over the failure (in 2002).” Mr Davis said he could not speak on behalf of the PLP but said he has nothing to apologise for with respect to the 2002 referendum. “A person would only apologise when they accept that they have done
something wrong,” he said. “I don’t know that in the context of the last referendum with the Constitution, I voted ‘no’ but I did so not because I did not believe in the rights of the sexes but rather because it was included in a number of other amendments to the Constitution that bred a lot of confusion and (my vote was a message) not to the bills but rather the whole process.” He added: “If (the citizenship issues was) an amendment on its own I don’t think it would’ve gotten the response that it did back then.” Mr Davis also blamed the former prime minister for the failed vote in 2002. “Recall that when that happened, when the issue became political, and when the then prime minister said ‘whoever wins the referendum wins the election’, you then forced people as it were to decide well, ‘I don’t want the FNM to win so I gon’ vote ‘no’ or ‘I don’t want the PLP to win so I gon’ vote yes.’ That’s what happened. The consequences of that statement by the then prime minister himself divided the coun-
try.” When asked about fears from some that the fourth Constitutional Amendment Bill would benefit the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, Mr Davis dismissed the worry. “If you cut it, it don’t make you a woman. If you slice it or add to it, it don’t make you a man. And that’s the end of it,” he told reporters. While in opposition, the PLP’s parliamentarians initially supported the amendments in 2002. PLP members later withdrew their support, expressing concern about poor consultation process. Mr Ingraham’s statement predicting that the party whose side came out ahead in the referendum would win the next election came less than a week before the vote took place, well after the PLP had already withdrawn its support for the referendum and began campaigning to encourage a “no” vote. The PLP won the general election a few months later.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, Thursday, May May 12, 12, 2016, 2016, PAGE PAGE 1111
Pastor calls for yes vote in referendum
By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net A LOCAL pastor has called for Bahamians to support the upcoming referendum on gender equality, saying that the “patriarchal old-world mindset of man rule” in Bahamian society must change in order to “level the playing field” for both genders in the country. Elder Paul Joseph, a community activist based in Grand Bahama, lamented the division in the country on the constitutional referendum, asserting that all stakeholders must “come together on one accord to remove and pull down all gender-based barriers for the national good.” This, Elder Joseph said, is especially important due to women and children in this country continuously being “minimised and overlooked” as victims of crime. Elder Joseph’s statements come amid a fierce debate over the four Constitutional Amendment Bills,
with widespread fears that the fourth bill, which seeks to end discrimination based on sex, could pave the way to same-sex marriage in the country. Concerns have also been raised from some pastors over whether or not government officials are deceiving people about the true intent of the referendum. Government officials and organisers of the YES Bahamas campaign have pushed back against those narratives however, stressing that the upcoming vote is about equal rights for men and women in the Constitution. “While the nation prepares for a June 7 gender equality referendum that would level the playing field with respect to equality between men and women, and remove inequality and discrimination on the basis of sex, our women and children are minimised and overlooked as victims in the war on crime,” Elder Joseph said in a statement. He added: “The patriarchal
old-world mindset of man rule in Bahamian society must change if we are going to truly save our Bahamas. All stakeholders must come together on one accord to remove and pull down all gender based barriers for the national good.” Under the first Constitutional Amendment Bill, a child born outside of The Bahamas would become a Bahamian citizen at birth if either the child’s mother or father is a citizen of The Bahamas by birth. The second bill would give the foreign spouse of a Bahamian woman the same right to apply for citizenship that the foreign wife of a Bahamian man enjoys. The third bill would allow a Bahamian father of a child born out of wedlock to be able to pass his citizenship to that child subject to legal proof that he is the father. The fourth bill seeks to end discrimination based on sex. The gender equality referendum will be held on June 7.
ELDER PAUL JOSEPH, who says the patriarchal mindset in The Bahamas must change.
CAMPAIGNERS TO HOLD MARCH IN FREEPORT
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
THE YES Bahamas campaign in Grand Bahama will hold a vote “yes” march in support of the four constitutional referendum bills on Saturday, May 21, in Freeport. Committee members Geneva Rutherford, Constance McDonald, Allison Smith, along with
volunteer Sarah Kirkby, made the announcement at a press conference on Wednesday. The march will begin at the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce at 9am and travel to the Harold DeGregory Building, where there will be a mini rally. Speakers include Canon Harry Bain, Maurice Moore and lawyer Tamar Moss, among others. Persons are asked to
make and bring placards to the march. Ms Rutherford said: “We will march in support of amending our Constitution to show fairness to both Bahamian men and Bahamian women. “We want to make sure that in The Bahamas after the June 7 referendum, our sons and daughters have equal rights; our unmarried Bahamian fathers can pass on their citizenship
to their children; our men and our women have the same rights to pass on their citizenship; and that we never again allow any law to be passed in The Bahamas that would discriminate against anyone based on them being a male or a female.” “We ask all those in favour of removing the last vestiges of discrimination from our Constitution to join us in this march,” she
said. A Facebook page ‘Walk For Fairness’ has been created, and Ms Kirkby is encouraging persons to visit it and show their support for the vote yes campaign and invite others. Constance McDonald, co-chair of the campaign in Grand Bahama, said it is important that Bahamians let their voices be heard. She encouraged people to get registered to vote.
“The register closes on May 25 and it is very important that you are there to make your voice be heard and let your vote be counted,” she said. “You have to be a part of what is going on. What is happening in The Bahamas right now is historic and significant and you must be a part of it, and try to be on the right side of history, doing the right thing, at the right time.”
MIXED VIEWS AMONG MEMBERS OF THE CHRISTIAN COUNCIL
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
THE Grand Bahama Christian Council has announced that while the majority of its members support some of the constitutional amendment bills, many are against bills two and four. GBCC President Rev Peter Pinder said some are apprehensive about the second bill for fear of an influx of foreign spouses getting Bahamian citizenship. The second bill would give the spouse of a Bahamian woman the same right to apply for Bahamian citizenship that the foreign wife of a Bahamian man currently has. “This conclusion is drawn from the very large number of illegal immigrants living in our country and from the many Bahamians travelling or living abroad for educational and other purposes many of whom are likely to marry persons of other nationalities. It is believed that persons born abroad and becoming citizens of the Bahamas as adults are likely to have loyalty to the
lands of their birth,” he said. Bill four is the most controversial as many religious leader feel it will lead to gay marriage. This bill seeks to end discrimination based on sex. “While we all recognise that bill four has no direct reference to same sex marriage, most of our leaders believe that it has the potential in years to come to be interpreted by liberal judges, especially if it reaches the Privy Council level, to imply such a reference,” he said. Rev Pinder said their concern has been heightened by the seeming unwillingness of the government to enshrine in the Constitution that marriage is between a man and a woman. He said the council’s executive leadership team has taken note of the many educational forums that were held for the purpose of educating the wider population on the four bills passed by Parliament that will be presented to the citizens in the form of a referendum on June 7. He stated that many pastors and church leaders
THE WORDING OF THE FOUR BILLS IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM Bill 1: Approval of alteration to Article 8 and the repeal of Article 9 of the Constitution. Do you approve of The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2014? Under the proposed change to the Constitution, a child born outside of The Bahamas would, after the coming into operation of this amendment, become a Bahamian citizen at birth if either its mother or father is a citizen of The Bahamas by birth. Yes [ ] No [ ] Bill 2: Approval of alteration to Article 10 of the Constitution. Do you approve of The Constitution (Amendment) (No 2) Bill, 2014? Under this proposed change to the Constitution, the foreign spouse of a Bahamian citizen would, after the coming into operation of this Article, be entitled to apply for and obtain citizenship subject to satisfying: (i) existing national security or public policy considerations; and (ii) new provisions guarding against marriages of convenience. Yes [ ] No [ ] Bill 3: Approval of alteration to Article 14 of the Constitution. Do you approve of The Constitution (Amendment) (No 3) Bill, 2014? Under this proposed change to the Constitution, a Bahamian father of a person born out wedlock after the coming into operation of this amendment would be able to pass his citizenship to that person subject to legal proof that he is the father. Yes [ ] No [ ] Bill 4: Approval of alteration to Article 26 of the Constitution. Do you approve of The Constitution (Amendment) (No 4) Bill, 2014? Under this proposed change to the Constitution, it would be unlawful to discriminate based on “sex”, which would be defined as “being male or female”. Yes [ ] No [ ]
have participated in those educational forums and a number of them have consulted with attorneys for greater understanding and clarity. Rev Pinder said they
are, however, saddened by the seeming confusion and frustration being expressed by many Bahamians. “We recognise that women in this country have oc-
cupied some of the highest offices in our land. This is an indication that as a nation we believe in gender equality. This is a position we support.” Rev Pinder said that
while the group has expressed their views, they urge all believers in the country to prayerfully determine their personal responses to the bills guided by the Holy Spirit.
PAGE 12, Thursday, May 12, 2016
Butler-Turner questions oversight of Buildings Act By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net THE House of Assembly yesterday passed a bill to amend the Buildings Regulation Act in order to significantly increase the penalties people who breach the law could receive. Lawmakers anticipate that the increase in penalties will encourage compliance with the law. The amendment would change the Buildings Regulation Act so that people found to contravene it could be imprisoned for a term not exceeding two years as opposed to the original six months. They could also receive a maximum fine of $10,000 as opposed to the original $500 fine. The amendment did not prove controversial, with most parliamentarians supporting the measure. Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner, however, questioned whether the regulations will be enforced and noted that Family Is-
lands in particular are left out from oversight. Using her constituency as an example, she said Long Island residents would have fared better during last year’s Hurricane Joaquin had building inspectors done a better job ensuring that structures on the island were up to standard. “I recommend strongly to the government that while we’re looking at updating building regulations, we have a more holistic approach to The Bahamas,” she said. “Everything that revolves around these regulations as it relates to the more developed islands, I appreciate it, but I have people who have buildings within my constituency that have been badly affected by the hurricane and I’m sure that if regulations were in place, if inspectors were in place and carrying out their duties, that many of the things that we have experienced would’ve been mitigated.”
On enforcement of the regulations, she added: “Unfortunately for us we are willing to put a lot of penalties on the books that are not carried out. Just coming here a while ago I was behind a surrey. A few years ago they used to have something called pooper catchers. That was a regulation. But from Shirley Street right around the market range, some horses left some special gifts in the road. It’s the enforcement. “It doesn’t sound like a big problem but when we don’t enforce our rules then they are meaningless. We are extending from six months to two years for someone to perhaps go to prison and from $500 to $10,000. But if there is no one to enforce these rules, who is going to jail and who is going to pay the extra money? “How serious are we when we come in here and we spend our valuable time debating these regulations and nothing happens.”
THE TRIBUNE
LORETTA Butler-Turner MP questioned if regulations will be enforced following the passing of the Buildings Regulation Act.
CONCERNS OVER CHEMICAL DISPOSAL AFTER RECENT FIRE
By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
A RECENT fire near Mario’s Bowling Alley and
Entertainment Centre on Harrold Road has led some residents to question the disposal process for chemicals in this country. The Tribune was told that
ANNUITANT VERIFICATION As part of its verica�on of benets procedure, Colina Insurance Limited requires all recipients of annuity payments to produce evidence of their con�nuing eligibility to receive such payments twice each year — during the months of May and November. To be veried during the month of May 2016, annuitants must visit any of the following Colina loca�ons and be veried by one of our Customer Service Representa�ves: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
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Clients may also visit CFAL (308 East Bay St., 3rd Fl.) The following documents must be presented at �me of verica�on: ■ Annuity card, and ■ Valid Passport, Driver’s License, or Voter’s Card Annuitants residing outside of The Bahamas, or those who are unable to visit our offices physically may download the Life Cer�cate Form from the Company’s website, www.colina.com, complete it, have it validated by a Notary Public and delivered to our office at the address below. Colina Insurance Limited 21 Collins Avenue, P. O. Box N‐4728 Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas Annuitants who fail to verify on or before May 31, 2016 will have their payments suspended un�l such �me as this process is completed. Should you require addi�onal informa�on, please contact our Customer Service Centre at 356‐8300.
‘Colina’ and the Colina Globe are Registered Trademarks of Colina Insurance Limited
thick, black smoke emanating from a property near the New Providence landfill on April 27 was a result of burning paint tins, scattered throughout a plot of shrubbery behind the facility. A source explained that inquires made at the Cable Beach Police Station proved fruitless, as officers insisted that a unit would “look in to the matter” once one became available. The Tribune understands that no report of the blaze was ever filed. A short time later the source returned to the scene of the blaze, encountering two men believed to be employees of a nearby business or labourers at the landfill. “They told me they had the fire under control,” the
source said. “It was almost as if they didn’t want me to go near it or around it. But, at this time the smoke and smell were getting worse. They told me to relax and leave it alone.” The source told The Tribune that they returned a short while later to discover that the fire had burned out. “Once it was done, then I realised the extent of what I was dealing with. It was just old paint and paint supplies. It seemed as if someone who could dump their tins of old paint dumped it at this site and lit it on fire.” According to chemical studies, many paint products include chemical components, which should never be burned, such as Teflon and dioxins, which produce
very hazardous gases if set on fire. The World Health Organisation (WHO) describes dioxins as environmental pollutants that have the potential to enter the body and last a long time because of their chemical stability and their ability to be absorbed by fat tissue, where they are then stored in the body. The Tribune contacted management of Renew Bahamas, the company responsible for the dayto-day management of the city landfill, to determine how paint waste products are treated and disposed. Chief Commercial Officer Michael Cox indicated that Renew does accept and disposes of paint waste supplies.
However, Mr Cox added that Renew has been speaking to the Chamber of Commerce over the last three months about trying to encourage a take back scheme with the paint suppliers/sellers to increase the amount of tins collected to dispose of them adequately in a cost-effective way. Mr Cox explained that the supplies would be incinerated in a controlled manner. The fire in question was responsible for the immediate closure of the nearby Meridian School. The school has been plagued by smoke emanating from the New Providence landfill as a result of recurring fires at the dumpsite. It is unclear who is responsible for the fire in question.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, May 12, 2016, PAGE 13
RAISING A SHIELD AROUND THE NATION
A HELICOPTER taking part in Exercise Marlin Shield - which sees Bahamian and US forces working together to improve security. THE Royal Bahamas licit and illicit, entering the Marlin Shield training ex- Providence, Eleuthera and Defence Force (RBDF) US and creates challenges ercise complements the Exuma will experience an and United States secu- for Bahamians in enforcing decentralisation strategy increased military presrity counterparts are tak- sovereignty and respond- of the Defence Force, and ing part in Exercise Marlin ing to security threats,” said will ensure that the DeShield - training operations a US Department of De- fence Force continues to aimed at enhancing the fense spokesperson. Marlin build operational capacity country’s capabailities - this Shield aims to actively exer- through regional partner month in The Bahamas. cise ways to combat these engagements.” Aided by US Northern challenges hand-in-hand. Exercise Marlin Shield, Command and US Spe“The strong, collabo- which lasts for two weeks cial Operations Command rative partnership with - is the culmination of two North, the exercise allows the Bahamas is critical to years of planning conferthe RBDF to practice in- both North America and ences, exchanges and exerteroperability and bilat- hemispheric security. Ad- cises eral operations through ditionally, the partnership It comes on the heels of maritime and land-based between the Bahamas and last month’s Coral Cays training at remote loca- the US is a relationship Exercise, which was a table tions throughout the archi- based on trust, mutual ben- top exercise discussing the pelago. This engagement efit and mutual respect for RBDF role and responsibilis designed to enhance the sovereignty. This strong ities in the event of a mass Defence Force’s capabili- partnership is significant- migrant unrest, as well as a ties and competencies in ly demonstrated by US rehearsal drill. national security initiatives Northern Command’s, and Marlin Shield is dewith its regional partners US Special Operations scribed as “a bilateral, for an improved maritime Command North’s com- counter-terrorist one aimed domain presence within its mitment for the successful at improving the interoperarea of responsibility. execution of Exercise Mar- ability context between the “The geographically dis- lin Shield.” Defence Force and the US persed island nation of The Acting RBDF Com- SOCNORTH”. Bahamas is a key transship- mander Captain Tellis During the exercise, arment point for goods, both Bethel reiterated that “the eas in and around New
MORE THAN 90% OF READERS DID NOT FIND CARNIVAL MORE APPEALING THIS YEAR IN The Tribune’s latest online poll, we asked readers if Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival was more appealing to them this year than in 2015. The majority - 92.41 per cent - thought that Carnival was NOT more appealing this year, with just 7.59 per cent saying it was. After former Chief Justice Sir Michael Barnett suggested leading PLP figures should apologise for encouraging Bahamians to vote “no” to the 2002’s constitutional referendum’s questions, online readers gave their reaction. Honestman said: “‘Sorry’ is not in the PLP vocabulary.” There was this from Zakary: “This still has a good chance of passing since they only need more ‘yes’ voters to show up at the polls than ‘no’ voters. In terms of getting the majority to show up, that’s doubtful. The gaming referendum had about 40 per cent - 45 per cent turnout. The referendum back in 2002 had about a 59 per cent - 61 per cent turnout if I remember correctly. The gaming referendum was a failure in democracy because they could not convince the majority to enter the voting booth. Will this one be a failure too?” Jackbnimble had this to say: “Sir Michael said he is afraid that if Bahamians do not support the amendments next month, ‘it is not likely that they will be made for a long time’. That’s the whole point of this exercise in democracy. To get them to leave the Constitution
alone. A no vote will ensure that.” Publius didn’t think there was any point in an apology: “‘I’m sorry’ changes nothing, educates no one and fixes nothing. Both the PLP and the FNM played politics with the process in 2002, leading to the failure of the referendum. Are we going to get the FNM to apologise for its actions? No. And at this point it really does not matter. So sick and tired of everything in this country coming down to politics.” And there was a lively response to Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis after he credited PowerSecure for reductions in local electricity prices. DonAnthony said: “Lower electricity rates are simply because the price of oil has fallen significantly. PERIOD. And I have as much impact on the price of oil as he or BPL does, which is none.” SP explained the crude oil situation: “Crude oil hit $30.00 a barrel August of 2015, now currently hovering around $38.00 to $44.00 a barrel and expected to freefall now that Iran is back in the picture and Opec failing to convince the Saudis not to increase production. With Venezuela and Trinidad’s economies in recession caused by
the global oil glut, further downward pressure on pricing is to be expected as they pump more oil to prop up failing economies. The real question here is, Why did it take a full year after crude oil spot prices dropped more than 50 per cent for Bahamians to realise any savings?” Abaconian said: “Wait till oil prices rise again. Electricity will be higher than it ever was before. These fellas haven’t done a thing to decrease the cost of electricity. They are just riding on the coat-tails of something that they have zero influence over.” VDSheep thought the Bahamas should go down an alternative energy route: “Government ought to have outsourced BEC contract to the Germans – they are the leader in alternative energy use in the whole world today. Germany produces more alternative power than any country. US companies too often prefer fossil fuel - it’s what drives their thinking. Big oil has one concept: fossil. The Bahamas is well placed for alternative energy: sun, tidal and wind to start with. How do we get politicians to make right decisions that benefit the people? That is the real question! If any Bahamian government is smart enough it will go to the IMF or World Bank (with a proper plan) and borrow enough money to make the entire Bahamas alternative energy useful!” • Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.
ence, particularly in the air and sea. The public are advised to pay heed to radio
and broadcasted warnings about areas to avoid during the first two weeks in May.
PAGE 14, Thursday, May 12, 2016
REPRESENTATIVES from Atlantis Engineering Department at the seminar.
THE TRIBUNE
VANDREA BABB, of Sherwin Williams Nassau, and Sherwin Williams’ US representative.
Seminar for contractors to become annual event THE SUCCESS of a hands-on contractors seminar last month has encouraged Sherwin Williams Paint, the established Nassau-based company, to offer it as an annual event. Over 50 contractors, engineers and businesses attended the day-long event last month at the Melia Nassau Beach Resort, at which invited clients, companies and engineers received industry knowledge and practical training from top paint professionals. Introducing new paint products and techniques to market, Sherwin Williams showcased new lines of decorative concrete stains and coatings and Total Wall masonry finishes. Clients were invited to try out the new products and techniques under the guidance of industry professionals - new painting and caulking tools along with industry tips given to ensure a perfect paint application. “We firmly believe that hands-on is the best way to showcase our products,” Reto Giovanoli, Sherwin Williams’ General Manager, said. “It teaches valuable information about industry products, and we believe the notion that seeing is believing.” Hosting industry training seminars and offering hands-on training provides the market with important knowledge and techniques,
and provides a platform to showcase new product line ups, but more importantly, educating and teaching the proper techniques, allowing local Bahamian painters and companies to apply coatings and prepare surfaces efficiently and correctly. “Giving know how back to our clients is important to us,” said Mr Giovanoli. “This allows them to offer more and improved services to their clients, enabling them to potentially make more money. Also, by training them on how to use the product properly, it limits product failure and negative callbacks due to product failure.” The positive feedback from those that attended has led Sherwin Williams to plan their Contractor Hands-On Seminar annually. Two more professional events are planned for the year: a Color Studio an Color Palette launch aimed at local architects and interior designers and another directed at local custom millwork professionals showcasing their specialty wood finishes line of products. Information about the events can be found at the Sherwin Williams locations at Prince Charles Drive and Cable Beach, by email to sherwinwilliamspaintinfo@ coralwave.com or visiting their Facebook page.
MR BROWN, of Brown’s Painting
SCOTIABANK BACKS CANCER SOCIETY BALL IN keeping with Scotiabank’s commitment to the community, the bank announced its bronze sponsorship of the Cancer Society of The Bahamas’ 15th Annual Gala Ball. “Community is at the heart of what we do at Scotiabank. We are proud to partner with the Cancer Society for its annual gala. “Proceeds from this major fundraiser go toward completion of the Cancer Caring Centre, a temporary home for patients from other Bahamian islands who fly to the capital for treatment,” said Maxine
Seymour, manager of sponsorships & philanthropy at Scotiabank. The ball is scheduled for Saturday, May 28 at the Melia Nassau Beach Resort. Prime Minister Perry Christie and his wife Bernadette are the patrons. Freddie Munnings Jr is the featured artist. Cocktails are at 7pm and dinner will be served at 8pm. In addition to sponsoring the ball, Scotiabank employees participated in the Stride for Life annual fun run/walk hosted by the Cancer Society of The Bahamas this past Saturday, May 7.
PAGE 16, Thursday, May 12, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
REPUBLICAN presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a rally on Saturday in Lynden, Washington.
Trump fights shy of releasing tax returns
BLACKWOOD, N.J. Associated Press
DEMOCRATIC presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton took aim at Donald Trump on taxes Wednesday and quickly found an unlikely ally: 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Clinton noted at a New Jersey campaign rally that Trump had yet to release his tax returns and said he would slash taxes for the nation’s wealthiest people if elected president. Hours later, Romney issued a withering post on Facebook, ac-
cusing Trump of hiding a damaging revelation in his tax returns. “There is only one logical explanation for Mr. Trump’s refusal to release his returns: there is a bombshell in them,” Romney wrote. “Given Mr Trump’s equanimity with other flaws in his history, we can only assume it’s a bombshell of unusual size.” Clinton and Romney called on Trump to release his tax returns following an Associated Press interview Tuesday, in which the presumptive Republican presi-
dential nominee said he doesn’t have an obligation to release the records and won’t do so until an audit of his finances is completed. “There’s nothing to learn from them,” he said in the interview. While Trump will likely face Clinton in the general election, the Democratic front-runner took a much softer approach than Romney in New Jersey, which holds a June 7 primary. When a man in the crowd yelled, “What about his tax returns,” Clinton said the nominees of both parties
typically release them. Clinton pointed out that she and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, had put out more than three decades of tax records. “You’ve got to ask yourself why doesn’t he want to release it,” she said. The state’s governor, Trump ally Chris Christie, said it was “ironic” that Clinton was talking about the issue given her use of a private email address and server while serving as secretary of state. “I hardly believe that Hillary Clinton is in any place to be giving a critique on transparency,” he said. In challenging Trump on taxes, Clinton turned to a well-worn strategy that President Barack Obama used against Romney in 2012, pressuring him to release his personal taxes. Romney eventually made
public two years of his tax returns. Romney, who has been critical of Trump’s rise in the GOP primaries, rejected Trump’s reasoning for not releasing documents. “There is nothing that prevents releasing tax returns that are being audited. Further, he could release returns for the years immediately prior to the years under audit,” Romney wrote. Clinton delivered a broadside on Trump’s plans for the nation’s tax code, saying it would provide $3 trillion in tax cuts for those earning more than $1 million a year. She said his tax plan was “written by a billionaire for billionaires”. Trump released a tax proposal in September that would reduce the
number of tax brackets to four and envisions a top income tax rate of 25 percent, down from the current 39.6 percent. Under his plan, no business of any size would pay more than 15 percent. While low-income and middle-income earners would also pay less — couples earning $50,000 or less would send in a one-page form to the IRS declaring, “I win” — the plan would disproportionately benefit the wealthy as well as Trump himself. Trump has recently backed away from the plan, describing it as a starting point for negotiations, and said he would try to do more to help the middle class. And he has said recently that he would support a higher rate for the wealthy than the rate he originally proposed.
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THE TRIBUNE
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Thursday, Thursday, May May 12, 12, 2016, 2016, PAGE PAGE 1717
The Sears manifesto promises political revolution
T IS not yet recognised what a bombshell senior Queen’s Counsel and former Attorney General Alfred Sears has dropped with his message – “manifesto” is a better word – in The Tribune on Monday, which has profound implications for our immediate future, both politically and constitutionally. Although not specifically saying so, he has clearly injected himself into the race to be our country’s next leader, and not simply as a struggling no-hope candidate but, in my opinion, as the head of the pack. In his preamble, he embraces the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) as the party “best suited ... to place the Bahamas on a more sustainable economic path and foster a more socially cohesive society”. Clear, but what PLP? It will not, thank goodness, be the one we have now. His detailed (a) through (j) agenda of nearly 50 points will revolutionise the way political business is done, with term restrictions for Prime Minister, removing many of his exclusive powers, shrinking the number of cabinet ministers hungry for power and salary, requiring reports to the public after every cabinet meeting, and creating an Integrity (yes!) Commission. By actually mentioning nine young Bahamians “and many others” of both sexes with whom he has met and shared ideas “over the last five years”, he clearly hints that he is seek-
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Richard Coulson welcomes the emergence of a new leader for The Bahamas and predicts a rapid political rise. ing new faces to replace the old guard and seek a new way forward. He can only do this if he becomes party leader able to influence who will run for constituency seats. Is Mr Sears the man to accomplish this ambitious objective? All the omens seem to be in his favour. His reputation is unblemished by any whiff of shady behaviour. As Chairman of the College of The Bahamas Council, he enjoys the personal gravitas, intelligence and fluency necessary for any political chieftain. And who exists to thwart him? If Perry Christie were younger, he has the experience and following to do so, but even his friends are now urging him to stand down facing age and uncertain health after a long and distinguished career. One has the impression that he may have actually encouraged Mr Sears to make his move, to assure that the party will fall into good hands. The other wannabe candidates for leadership are comparative pygmies who would implode as party leader: “Brave” Davis, the classic no.2 man, tainted with suspicion of cronyism; Fred Mitchell, the neversmiling Darth Vader consumed with xenophobia
Is Alfred Sears the man to accomplish this ambitious objective? All the omens seem to be in his favour. His reputation is unblemished by any whiff of shady behaviour. As Chairman of the College of The Bahamas Council, he enjoys the personal gravitas, intelligence and fluency necessary for any political chieftain.’
against any resident foreigners; Jerome Fitzgerald, the muscular enemy of sedition hob-goblins, whose students, with all their Godgiven abilities, still graduate often unemployable; Obie Wilchcombe, well-meaning but unable to improve the tourism product. No wonder Mr Christie has been reluctant to retire.
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he contents of the manifesto, when read closely, reveal such strong features as recommending a study of proportional representation and fighting against foreign organisations like Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and US authorities “blacklisting” the Bahamas for alleged weak anti money-laundering regulations. I would have preferred an endorsement of a Freedom of Information Act but overall the manifesto provides an admirable structure on which to build future change. The legal community may debate the recommended abandonment of appeals to England’s Privy Council, but this move seems timely and well-warranted. On human rights issues like the death penalty, prevailing sentiment in the UK is plainly out of step with Bahamian thinking. On commercial litigation, the appellate jurisdiction of the Caribbean Court of Justice is now well designed to resolve disputes competently. Mr Sears’ one questionable point is his blunt recommendation to “Remove the British Monarch as
Head of State” to be replaced with a “Bahamianborn President”, presumably a ceremonial figure similar to our present Governor General, the monarch’s representative who would vanish since no longer needed. This sounds straightforward, but Bahamians would have to approve a basic constitutional amendment to Art. 32 removing the reference to “Her Majesty”. Are the people that ready to get rid of Queen Elizabeth II and her heirs? Of course, her powers are purely ceremonial, presumably meaningless, but ceremony continues to have a grip on practical matters. What would happen to the royal titles that have been granted? Would Dame Marguerite revert to just Mrs Pindling? And the recently knighted Sir Franklyn Wilson have to change his new letterhead? And the Royal Bahamas Police and Royal Bahamas Defence Force have to change the labelling of all their many “royal” artifacts? What’s the logic of being called Queen’s Counsel when the Queen no longer has any authority here? Would the Governor General’s Youth Awards become simply the President’s Awards, and would members of the English royal family remain prominently involved? Canada, a country renowned for its status as a modern, freedom-loving democracy, has remained loyally subject to the Queen as head of state – ceremonial of course, but still technically reigning. If Canada sees no need for change, why should The Bahamas? With that exception, the Sears Manifesto seems well designed to attract the loyalty of the PLP rankand-file, eager to embrace a “new deal”. He will enter the next party Convention
ALFRED SEARS, whose “manifesto” has propelled him to the forefront of talk about who will succeed Prime Minister Perry Christie. already anointed as the candidate to oust the brilliant but mercurial Andre Rollins from Fort Charlotte. From that position, with even the slightest nod from Mr Christie, he will be able to control proceedings armed with his carefully prepared plans and cohorts of young supporters. The hundreds of party captains and stalwarts will fall in line and accept his preferences for constituency choices and even for shadow cabinet appointments. The other aspirants for the top job will have to fold their tents and resign themselves to cabinet posts approved by Mr Sears, or simply accept positions as back-benchers – or even nobenchers. With political domination of the PLP achieved, I venture to predict that Alfred Sears will lead the party to victory in the general selection. Whatever good qualities are held by Dr Minnis and Mrs ButlerTurner, of the Free National Movement, or Mr McCart-
ney of the Democratic National Alliance, none had the statesmanlike imagination to create a comprehensive manifesto matching Mr Sears’ production. They may attempt to respond with competing “party platforms” but any such efforts will be seen simply as a game of catch-up, a leaky bucket that won’t carry water. Mr Sears’ political rise will be as rapid and unexpected a change as that of Donald Trump in the United States. Fortunately, in The Bahamas the change will be beneficial, while in the US it will be catastrophic, evenif it leads only to the destruction of the hoary old ‘GOP’ rather than a reversal of national leadership. • Richard Coulson is a retired lawyer and investment banker born in Nassau and from a long line of Bahamians. He is a financial consultant and author of A Corkscrew Life - adventures of a travelling financier.
PAGE 18, Thursday, May 12, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
How you can help our environment - with a bag OFFICIALS from AML Foods Ltd say the first phase of its Bring Your Own Bag initiative could reduce local plastic bag use by two million bags in one year. After distributing 10,000 free reusable shopping bags on Earth Day late last month, the company is now setting its sights on next year’s goals. Step one of the Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB) programme is a part of the company’s goal of distributing 125,000 eco-friendly bags throughout the Bahamas by the end of 2017. Last month, volunteers distributed the bags at AML
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If each customer used two ecofriendly bags once per week that would reduce their plastic bag use by four to five plastic bags per week. Over the next year, we would have removed two million plastic bags out of our natural environment.’ stores in New Providence and Grand Bahama. “We are looking at this as a starting point, a way to engage our consumers and begin the conversation surrounding the impact of plastic bags on our natural environment,” said Renea Bastian, Vice President of Marketing
and Communications at AML. “We estimate that if each customer used two eco-friendly bags once per week that would reduce their plastic bag use by four to five plastic bags per week. Over the next year, we would have removed two million plastic bags out of our natural
environment. That’s a significant start.” To keep the momentum going, AML say they will partner with their direct vendors and local businesses to hit next year’s target distribution goal of 125,000 bags. The company already uses biodegradable plastic bags at all of its retail outlets but wanted to take things a step further with ‘Operation BYOB’. “Customers were very receptive to the idea of becoming plastic-free consumers,” Ms Bastian said. “In addition to the BYOB project, we will continue our ongoing programme where shoppers can purchase additional reusable bags at any of our retail locations with part proceeds from each sale being donated to the Bahamas National Trust.” Experts say that one million sea birds and 100,000 sea animals die annually as a result of plastic accumulation in the world’s oceans.
AML Foods Ltd is encouraging people to cut down on plastic waste by bringing their own bag. ‘Operation BYOB’ is designed to reduce the impact within the local community. AML’s efforts are being supported by the Ministry of the Environment and other partners, including the Bahamas National
Trust, Keep Grand Bahama Clean, Windsor Preparatory School, students of Bishop Michael Eldon School Eco Club in Grand Bahama, the Royal Bahamas Defense Force and Regency Theatre YARD group.
THE TRIBUNE
‘The Bahamas’ own street philosopher’
Win a trip to Rio with your Visa card! You could win an all-expense-paid trip for 2 to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, courtesy of Visa.† HERE’S HOW: •
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#WinVisa †Conditions apply. Subject to credit approval. Offers subject to change without notice. Visit bahamas.scotiabank.com/WinVisa for full Terms & Conditions or pick up a brochure in branch.®Registered trademark of the Bank of Nova Scotia, used under licence. American Airlines® reserves the right to change AAdvantage® program rules, regulations, travel awards and special offers at any time without notice, and to end the AAdvantage® program with six months notice. Any such changes may affect your ability to use the awards or mileage credits that you have accumulated. Unless specified, AAdvantage® miles earned through this promotion/offer do not count toward elite-status qualification or Million MilerSM status. American Airlines® is not responsible for products or services offered by other participating companies. For complete details about the AAdvantage® program, visit www.aa.com/aadvantage. Scotiabank issues the Scotiabank/ AAdvantage® card. American Airlines®, AAdvantage® and Million Miler are trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. ®Visa is a registered trademark of Visa International Service Association, used under licence by The Bank of Nova Scotia.
Thursday, May 12, 2016, PAGE 19
PAGE 20, Thursday, May 12, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
CANDIDA Carey with a nice Mahi Mahi near Eleuthera. WITH AN extensive network of reefs and uprisings, the Bahamas offers an extraordinary number and variety of reef and bottom fish. There are Mutton, Barracuda, Shark, Triggerfish, Snapper, Grunts, Yellowfin, Lionfish, Amberjack and Horse-eye jack, Porgies, King Mackerel, Grouper ... and on and on. The reef system, coupled with the warm and nutrientrich waters carried in by the Gulf Stream creates a paradise for fish, and that makes the Bahamas a paradise for fishermen. Excellent reefs for fishing can be less than a mile offshore and less frequented reefs are accessible in al-
most every direction from wherever your lodging is. Keep checking the Bahamas Sport Fishing Network (BSFN) expert page for fishing reports throughout the Bahamas: this will be helpful in tracking the “hot spots” and providing advice on gear and fishing methods being used. For a sample of the spectacular fishing to be had in The Bahamas, expert advice, tournament dates and results, informative features and photo galleries visit the BSFN page at tribune242. com or www.bsfn.biz. BSFN slideshows can be found on USA Today’s website in the Travel section at experience.usatoday.com.
BRONSON Russell with a Yellowfin Tuna in Abaco.
CAPTAIN Travis Kelly with an Abaco Wahoo.