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Silence on plan to stop killings L! ADS SEL PHOTO 351 002 / 502-2
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Nottage offers little new in crime fight By KHRISNA VIRGIL Tribune Staff Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net THE day after three men were slain in the capital in two separate shooting incidents, National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage had very little to say when he was questioned on the government’s approach to arrest violent crime in the country. “We are constantly monitoring crime in the country. We are constantly instituting strategies and we will continue to do so,� Dr Nottage responded when this newspaper questioned him yesterday on the government’s strategy to tackle
A MAN made his initial court appearance yesterday on a charge of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl during the Long Island regatta earlier this month. John Thomas Pratt, 24, of Bahama Avenue, stood before Magistrate Constance Delancy facing a single charge of unlawful sexual intercourse, alleged to have been committed on June 4 at Salt Pond, Long Island. Pratt, however, was not re-
By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net FORMER National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest insisted yesterday that the delayed release of results for the gender equality referendum was inexcusable, and has lowered confidence in the electoral process. Mr Turnquest called for SEE PAGE NINE
WOMAN LEAPS FROM WINDOW TO ESCAPE HOUSE BLAZE
growing crime trends. Apart from a murder count of 56 for the year, according to The Tribune’s records, police have also reported a recent spate of armed robberies, with ten recorded during the past weekend alone. The government’s silence regarding the scourge of crime yesterday sparked criticism from FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis, who questioned whether fixing the “crime epidemic� was a priority for the Christie administration. He said by doing nothing, the government is ignoring this festering issue. SEE PAGE TWO
MAN ACCUSED OF SEX ATTACK ON 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL AT REGATTA By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
DELAY IN REFERENDUM RESULTS WAS ‘INEXCUSABLE’
quired to enter a plea to the charge, which is an indictable offence. He was told that his case would be fast-tracked to the Supreme Court for trial through service of a voluntary bill of indictment. He returns before Magistrate Delancy on July 25 for the transfer of the case to the higher court. Magistrate Delancy concluded that the nature of the charge removed the court’s discretion to consider bail and further informed Pratt that he had the right to apply for bail in the Supreme Court.
FIREFIGHTERS at the scene of a fire which destroyed a home in the Kemp Road area yesterday, which saw one woman leaping to safety through a window. For the full story and more photographs, see page five. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
FAMILY SAYS OF ATM SHOOTING VICTIM: HE WAS OUR SUPERMAN By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net  THE FAMILY of Ivan Cleare, who was shot and killed at a Scotiabank ATM on Sunday morning, yesterday described the father of three as “Superman�. In an emotional Facebook post, Rico Cleare, one of Mr Cleare’s sons, said the family is still in shock and disbelief that a “wonderful father, husband, grandfather, uncle, godfather and
friend� was taken from them so early. Mr Cleare, a 61-year-old church minister, was shot around 8am while using a Scotiabank cash machine at Wulff Road and Jerome Avenue. Hours after the shooting, police reported that a suspect was in custody, adding that a handgun was allegedly found in his possession. Tribune sources said the suspect “got around $80� from Mr Cleare before shooting him to death. SEE PAGE THREE
BISHOP: GOVT FAILING TO TACKLE CRIME
By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
CHURCH minister Ivan Cleare, who was killed on Sunday.
PROMINENT religious leader Bishop Simeon Hall said yesterday that Bahamians’ humanity is receding as the government continues to sidestep policies capable of impeding the current surge in crime. Speaking to The Tribune in the wake of the shooting deaths of three men on Sunday, Bishop Hall called for the implementation of draconian measures to SEE PAGE THREE
MILLER: UNIONISTS ARE GREEDY HOGS BEING PAID TOO MUCH By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
TALL Pines MP Leslie Miller yesterday likened unionists to “greedy hogs� as he decried the amount
of money spent on salaries and benefits at governmentrun corporations. Mr Miller, chairman at the Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC), appealed for union representatives and their members to
consider the country’s fiscal challenges and plans for national development, adding that the status quo was unsustainable and “criminal�. He told parliamentarians in the House of Assembly that he was astounded to
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
learn that the government spent 70 per cent of its budget on salaries and benefits, given that the expense was 55 per cent in Jamaica, and 40 per cent in Barbados. SEE PAGE SIX
PAGE 2, Tuesday, June 14, 2016
KILLER STATISTIC THAT DAMNS THE GOVERNMENT
THE TRIBUNE
UNDER
THE PLP
(A NEW RECORD)
2012
70 MURDERS
2013
119 MURDERS
2014
123 MURDERS
2015
146 MURDERS
2016
56 MURDERS
TOTAL
514 MURDERS *SINCE MAY 7, 2012 GENERAL ELECTION
Silence on plan to stop killings from page one Dr Minnis said: “Over the weekend, and tragically, Bahamians awoke to another front page news story of three horrific murders. We are not even halfway through 2016 and there have already been over 50 murders in The Bahamas this year alone. “The murder rate has continued to rise under this PLP government with the murder rate being over 100 every year under their regime, including a dubious record setting year in 2015. Our people are literally dying in the streets, this government has had four years to address the safety and security of our communities and they have failed at every turn.” “Four years ago, the PLP promised to eradicate crime, but sadly Sunday past, serves as one more example that crime is only getting worse under this government. The crime rate impacts every corner of our society – from families fearful in their homes, to tourists choosing other places
to spend their vacation dollars. Where is the urgency on fixing the crime epidemic? This government needs to understand that you cannot fix a problem when you choose to ignore it. Action is required today and the people want to know what this government is prepared to do?” Under the Progressive Liberal Party, there have been 514 murders in The Bahamas since the 2012 general election according to The Tribune’s records, surpassing the “490 plus” under the last FNM administration which was highlighted as part of the PLP’s campaign. Dr Minnis added: “Sadly –- but not surprisingly – the prime minister’s recent budget communication proved this government is either ill equipped or not serious about launching a plan to root out crime. Bahamians deserve a government that will stand up for them and take action, the time for broken promises and empty rhetoric from the PLP is over. And soon their failed tenure running the government will be over
as well.” This comes after three men were murdered on Sunday, including a church minister, in two separate incidents. Ivan Cleare, a minister at New Bethlehem Baptist Church on Independence Drive, was shot and killed early Sunday morning while using a Scotiabank automated teller machine (ATM) at Wulff Road and Jerome Avenue. Mr Cleare’s lifeless body was discovered shortly after 8am when police responded to a tip they received. The incident sparked an island-wide manhunt for the killer, leading to the arrest of a suspect hours after the shooting. Police reported that a handgun was allegedly also found in the suspect’s possession. About 12 hours after this incident, two men, including a father, were shot dead in Fox Hill. Police were called to the scene of the double homicide on Adderley Street shortly after 9pm, where the two men were standing outside when they were
THE SCENE outside Sunday’s shooting at Scotiabank at Wulff Road and Jerome Avenue. redouble our efforts to stop tion worker in his 30s, who shot. Yesterday, Fox Hill MP this and to fight the greed lived in Fox Hill. The other Fred Mitchell released a and mindless violence that victim, known by his nickthreatens to sap our na- name “Smokey”, frequently statement on the killings. “I am deeply saddened tional will and weaken our hung out “on the blocks” near Adderley Street, resiand distressed at these moral fibre. “I commit myself anew dents told The Tribune. latest killings in the comOn Sunday night, police munity of Adderley Street to that task,” Mr Mitchell said they had a person of which abuts the Fox Hill said. One of the victims was interest in custody but did constituency but which the people of Fox Hill consider identified by a relative as not have a motive for the part of their own. We must Sammy Rolle, a construc- killings.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, Tuesday, June June 14,14, 2016, 2016, PAGE PAGE 3 3
FAMILY SAYS OF ATM SHOOTING VICTIM: HE WAS OUR SUPERMAN from page one
“Words can’t express what (I) am feeling right now,” his son wrote on Facebook. “If someone was to ask me who Superman was I would say you. From the time I know myself, you were the only person in the world who knew anything about anything. “The values and principles you bestowed upon the family is priceless. You had so much to offer to this world, you mentored and touched the lives of so many people. You showed the importance of humility and taught us to always be thankful and grateful no matter the situation. We must not question God but sometimes it is hard not to. So many memories, so many experiences, so many lessons. God could not have given us a better father, husband, grandfather, uncle, godfather, or friend. I wouldn’t trade you for the world. I will cherish and celebrate your life.”
Scotiabank released a statement on the killing yesterday, stressing that customer safety is a “top priority.” “We wish to commend the Royal Bahamas Police Force for their response and swift action following the tragic incident at the Wulff Road and Jerome Avenue branch yesterday (Sunday),” the statement said. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of life and offer our sincere condolences to the victim’s family and friends. “The safety and security of our customers and employees is a top priority for the bank and in keeping with bank practices, we continually review our security measures. “We encourage our customers and the public to exercise increased vigilance and caution in conducting their affairs,” the bank said. Mr Cleare was a minister at New Bethlehem Baptist Church on Independence Drive and and the son of the late Rev John Cleare, of
the same church. An employee at a nearby gas station told The Tribune on Sunday that the victim had come into the station for gas early Sunday morning. The employee was shocked to learn that he had been “killed in cold blood”. While on the scene, Assistant Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean appealed to persons making deposits or transactions at banks to take the proper precautions to ensure their safety. “The days of just coming to an ATM machine casually late at night (or) early in the morning by yourself (are gone),” ACP Dean said on Sunday. “We must take security precautions. “We have seen the trend of persons who are depositing money to the bank for places (like) churches (or) wherever. They are doing it alone. We are asking you to get security on board. There are numerous private securities throughout The Bahamas who can assist you.
POLICE at the scene of Sunday’s shooting at a Scotiabank ATM. “We are asking you to speak with your divisional commanders (in various communities) to seek ad-
vice (on) how best you can make your deposits.” 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.
BISHOP: GOVT FAILING TO TACKLE CRIME from page one
“restore balance and order to the lives of everyday Bahamians”. The murder count for 2016 up to press time stood at 56, according to The Tribune’s records, meaning 514 homicides have occurred under this administration in a little over four years. From May 7, 2012 to December 2012 there were 70 recorded murders. In, 2013 police recorded 119 murders. In 2014 and 2015, police recorded 123 and a record 146 murders respectively. On the 2012 campaign trail, the PLP erected billboards throughout New Providence which read “Under the FNM government 490-plus murders”.
This was for a five year period. Bishop Hall, the pastor emeritus of New Covenant Baptist Church, said his heart, mind and spirit were “all troubled” by the “silence” of the country’s political leaders, the “everyday response” from citizens and the “heartless disregard” being shown by criminals. He was speaking directly to the shooting death of a church minister at a Jerome Avenue ATM early Sunday morning. “Where does this thing end man? We have a wall in our church where we commemorate persons killed in the country, it is just June and that wall is nearly filled,” Bishop Hall said. “I know there is no right way to say how I feel about that,
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it hurts me all the way to my soul.” Ivan Cleare, a minister at New Bethlehem Baptist Church on Independence Drive, was identified as the victim of Sunday morning’s shooting, one of three persons killed that day in two separate incidents. Bishop Hall said he knew Mr Cleare, adding that he was traumatised by the ordeal. “Going to an ATM; you should feel safe doing that. The laws are no longer enough to hinder crime. This is a nightmare, one that I pray ends sooner than later. Every so often the government says something new will take place to confront this nightmare but nothing is taking place. I see no changes. All I see is
more lives being lost. I don’t think enough is being done to end this.” In regard to safety at ATMs, he called for armed guards to be employed and stationed at all banking facilities around the clock along with added surveillance. With respect to overall crime, Bishop Hall said the government must enact a “three-strike” system, stressing that criminals are taking advantage of a lax system, “committing minor crimes to no end.” “Three strikes and you are out. That is the approach we need to take. They are committing crime after crime, spending a short time in jail and once out, they do it again. After three offences you should
be put away for life. “We as a country are beginning to walk a tightline. Crime happens so often that it has now become a matter of fact thing now. We can’t become settled or comfortable with criminality. We can’t cover it up. Part of being Bahamian means that you now have to take a risk and do your part to end this nightmare.” Just 12 hours after Mr Cleare’s murder, police were called to the scene of a double homicide on Adderley Street, where two men were standing outside when they were shot. One of the victims was identified by a relative as Sammy Rolle, a construction worker in his 30s, who lived in Fox Hill. A relative said Mr Rolle, who had
several children, was not known to be a troublemaker. The family member said Mr Rolle may have been “caught in the wrong place at the wrong time” when he was fatally shot. The other victim, known by his nickname “Smokey”, frequently hung out “on the blocks” near Adderley Street, residents told The Tribune. In addition to the spate of homicides, police over the weekend reported ten armed robberies, seven of which occurred in less than 24 hours.
PAGE 4, Tuesday, June 14, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
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Trump and Clinton contrasts in Orlando response WASHINGTON (AP) — For Donald Trump, the mass shooting in Florida was a moment to redouble his call for tougher action against terrorism and to take credit for “being right” about the threat. For Hillary Clinton, it was a time to choose words carefully and reiterate her call for keeping “weapons of war” off America’s streets. The responses of Trump and Clinton to the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history — 49 were killed and dozens were injured — were a study in contrasts for the two presumptive presidential nominees — one of whom will soon be leading a country fearful of terrorism, gun violence and the often merciless intersection of the two. The motive behind Sunday’s early morning rampage at a gay nightclub in Orlando was unknown when Trump and Clinton began weighing in — although a law enforcement source later said the gunman, identified by authorities as Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old American citizen, made a 911 call from the nightclub professing allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State. As information began trickling out, Trump took to Twitter to say he was “praying” for the victims and their families. “When will we get tough, smart & vigilant?” he wrote. Within a few hours, the presumptive Republican nominee was back on social media saying that he’d appreciated “the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism.” After President Barack Obama did not use that same phrase to describe Mateen in his remarks from the White House, Trump released a statement saying the president “should step down.” Trump kept up his criticism of the president Monday. He told NBC’s “Today Show” that “there are a lot of people that think that maybe (Obama) doesn’t want to get” the terror threat facing the country. Trump is hardly the first politician to try to capitalise on a tragedy, though he’s more blatant than most in connecting his electoral prospects to incidents of unimaginable suffering. Shortly after last year’s deadly attacks in Paris, Trump said, “Whenever there’s a tragedy, everything goes up, my numbers go way up because we have no strength in this country. We have weak, sad politicians.” After a deadly December shooting rampage in San Bernardino, California, Trump stunned many in his own party by calling for a temporary ban on Muslims coming to the US. Rather than sink his political prospects, it helped propel the businessman to his first victories in the GOP primary. For Trump’s detractors, his com-
ments can appear jarring and crass. But he’s also tapped into a deep frustration among some voters who believe Obama has been handcuffed in his response to terror threats because he’s worried about offending Muslims in the US and around the world. “We can’t afford to be politically correct anymore,” Trump declared Sunday. He cancelled a rally scheduled for Monday, but planned to go forward with a speech in New Hampshire, changing the topic from his case against Clinton to national security. Clinton, who is more schooled in the political customs of responding to tragedies from her years as a senator and secretary of state, was careful in her initial comments. The presumptive Democratic nominee also made her first remarks on Twitter early Sunday, writing: “As we wait for more information, my thoughts are with those affected by this horrific act.” Like Obama, Clinton prefers to avoid early missteps even if that leaves her looking overly cautious. On Sunday, she waited for the president to declare the shooting an “act of terror” before doing the same. Clinton didn’t avoid the prospect of a link to international terrorism in her statement, though she was vague in her language. In several televised phone interviews Monday morning, she warned against feeding propaganda by the Islamic State group that convinces new recruits the US hates Islam. “Turning against the Muslim American community is not only wrong, it’s counterproductive and dangerous,” she told MSNBC. Clinton did use the shooting to raise the nation’s failure to keep guns “out of the hands of terrorists or other violent criminals.” Federal authorities said later Sunday that Mateen purchased at least two firearms legally within the last week or so. Whether the tragedy in Orlando ultimately sways the trajectory of the general election campaign is unknown. If current trends hold, there will be more deadly mass shootings in the US before voters head to the polls in November. Other unforeseen events will likely also shape the race over the next five months, as the 2008 economic collapse did in the closing weeks of that year’s presidential campaign. But as voters begin seriously weighing Clinton and Trump as their next commander in chief, Sunday’s shooting left little doubt that the choice between the two candidates is stark. By Julie Pace, AP White House Correspondent
Financial sovereignty EDITOR, The Tribune. WHILST Bahamians have been actively opposing one another for the past several weeks leading up to the recent referendum, it would appear that other serious business has been silently but inexorably moving full steam ahead on the other side of the curtain. The Minister of Financial Services’ contribution to the budget debate this week speaks of government’s approval to use The Bahamas as the trading hub for Chinese currency along with the establishment of the first Chinese Bank here in The Bahamas since “the government has taken advantage of several opportunities for project financing from the Chinese government and from Chinese corporations”. It is envisioned that this planned trade in Chinese currency would “eliminate reliance on the US dollar and the transacting of business through the United States”. This information concerns me, and I hasten to admit that although I am
not versed in the world of finance, in the interest of John and Jane Q Public, I would like to ask the question: If not the US$, upon which our present economy is based with the B$ being on par, then what? Inquiring minds would like to know. Also perplexing is the fact that although this project was mentioned in the press several months ago, to my knowledge, not a peep has been made in the public arena from anyone in the private financial sector, nor has there been news of any meetings taking place amongst the local and foreign banks, nor has there been any statement from the Central Bank of The Bahamas, nor has there been any reaction from the American Embassy. I also ask, in the interest of J&JQ Public: How will this situation affect our financial sovereignty? In fact, how strong exactly is this sovereignty since banks in the country seem to make their own rules to their advantage, the latest being the outlandish practice of charging $5 - $10 for cashing
a cheque if you are not a customer of that bank! Meanwhile with regards to Baha Mar, whose challenges awoke this very question of Bahamian sovereignty, promises of the development’s re-mobilisation continue to be bandied about without any confirmations whatsoever from the “real owners” and government delegations are jetting back and forth to China for “talks”. One wonders, in the absence of any form of “freedom of information” what really is being discussed, and how we, J&JQ Public, are really being affected. Therefore, to the wellknown maxim of “divide and conquer” I hasten to add the word “distract” and caution J&JQ Public to remember that “he who pays the piper calls the tune”. Are we certain that we are indeed the piper, or are we being primed to follow behind and be led to oblivion? PAM BURNSIDE Nassau, June 12, 2016.
Apology to Sir Arthur EDITOR, The Tribune.
I WOULD be grateful if you would kindly publish this note of apology to Sir Arthur Foulkes, who has confirmed that he is not the writer of the article published in The Guardian of June 2 under the nom de plume Simon. I would appreciate it if you would give the publication of this note the same prominence as was given my letter. Thanks kindly.
LETTERS
letters@tribunemedia.net “It has come to my attention that Sir Arthur Foulkes has issued a statement confirming that he is not the person who writes under the nom de plume Simon of Front Porch of The Nassau Guardian and did not author or issue the column of June 2 which accused me of supporting the Leader
of the Free National Movement for personal benefit and/or gain. “I fully accept Sir Arthur’s statement unreservedly and publicly apologise to Sir Arthur for the mistaken identity and for any damage my response to the offending article may have caused him, his character and/or his family.” C A SMITH Nassau, June 13, 2016.
Butler-Turner should return to the PLP EDITOR, The Tribune.
LONG Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner has yet to decide on taking on Dr Hubert Minnis for the FNM Leadership position at the party’s July convention. Butler-Turner is attempting to appear modest to FNMs. Despite the subterfuge, many are still under the assumption that the Long Island MP was one of the ringleaders in a recent move to force Minnis’ hand in changing the date of the convention from November to July. For the past three years, Butler-Turner has not been a good team player in the FNM. We in the FNMs Underground are elated that the convention will be held in July rather than in November, as this would give the FNM ample time to get its house in order. We suspect that the November date was the Minnisites’ shrewd manoeuvre to bide more time for Minnis in a bid to hold on to the FNM top post. We are glad Butler-Turner and the five FNM MPs who have rebelled against Minnis have succeeded in getting the FNM executive council to adjust the date, even though we believe each of the six political nonconformists must suffer the consequences of not being renominated in the event Minnis is re-elected at convention. Conversely, if Butler-Turner runs and somehow, someway defeats Minnis, then he should resign his Killarney seat and return to private life, if only for the good of the party and the nation. In light of Butler-Turner’s recent ir-
rational charge that Minnis should accept responsibility in the part he played in the failed equality referendum, it has become apparent to many FNMs that the two cannot coexist within the party. Butler-Turner is the granddaughter of the first Bahamian governor general, Sir Milo B Butler. Her political navel string is buried in the PLP. Virtually the entire Butler clan is PLP. We do not know when she converted to the FNM, although it is her constitutional right to support any political organisation she desires to. Despite the two hypotheses that were posited above, we believe Minnis stands a good chance of winning at convention, owing in large part to the strong support he currently enjoys among FNM council members. We do not believe ButlerTurner is as popular among FNMs as she was in 2014 when she challenged Minnis for his post. Her popularity has diminished. There have even been chatter among FNMs that her support in Long Island has dwindled due to her relentless opposition to Minnis. Maybe Butler-Turner should give serious consideration to returning to the party her political navel string is buried in: the PLP. There have been rumours that the PLP top brass has courted her. We believe she would gel much better with the PLP than with the FNM led by Minnis. Furthermore, Butler has many family members who are PLPs. This fact along with her family’s name and the legacy of Sir Milo Butler are all invaluable political
capital, and would go a long way in helping her climb the political totem pole within the PLP. While we agree with the Butler-Turner camp that Minnis has some glaring leadership deficiencies which have hurt him in the eyes of many swing voters and even some FNMs, we just cannot see the FNM winning with Butler-Turner as leader, as she has turned off far too many Minnisites. Interestingly, there have been rumours that former FNM Leader Hubert Ingraham might re-enter front-line politics at the behest of some wealthy white knights. Another possible run for the FNM leadership post by Ingraham could alter the political landscape of the FNM. If there is anyone who can topple an impregnable Minnis, it is Hubert Ingraham. However, it should be remembered that Ingraham was very unpopular in 2012 among thousands of swing voters and thousands of ordinary FNMs. If Ingraham re-enters politics and defeats Minnis, Butler-Turner can stay put. She would not have to leave the party. Undoubtedly, Ingraham would give her a nomination, something Minnis appears unwilling to do. But all this is just conjecture at this point. We do not know if Ingraham will run, as he has stated in recent times that he has no desire to. In light of this, Butler-Turner’s best bet is to join the PLP if she wants to save her career in politics. FNMs UNDERGROUND Nassau, June 12, 2016.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, June 14, 2016, PAGE 5
WOMAN LEAPS FROM WINDOW TO ESCAPE HOUSE BLAZE By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunmedia.net
A SINGLE storey structure in the Kemp Road area was destroyed after it was engulfed in flames yesterday, with a woman having to jump out of the window to escape the blaze. Fire Chief Assistant Superintendent Walter Evans said it was too early to posit a cause for the fire. However, he said teams in three fire engines “immediately” responded to reports of the blaze, which took place at a structure at Brown’s Lane off Kemp Road. Two buildings adjacent to the structure received extensive damage but are habitable, ASP Evans said. It is unclear how many people lived in the destroyed structure. ASP Evans said one woman was inside the building when the blaze erupted and she jumped out a window to avoid the flames. She suffered several injuries to her legs and was taken to the hospital in a conscious state, ASP Evans said. HOSING down the smoking remnants of the building. Investigations continue. Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
A FIREFIGHTER breaking up parts of the burning building.
Closing arguments heard over killing of web shop worker By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net A JURY yesterday listened to two hours of closing arguments from Crown and defence counsel about whether a woman, motivated by jealously and revenge, allegedly robbed and killed a web shop employee in Deadman’s Cay, Long Island. The 12-member panel is expected to decide the fate of 49-year-old Daphne Knowles following more than two weeks of evidence concerning the 2014 slaying of Andrea Carroll. Knowles, of Cartwright’s, Long Island, is on trial before Justice Bernard Turner on murder, robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery charges. Knowles is alleged to have killed Carroll between November 28 and 29, 2014. It is further alleged that Knowles conspired with others to commit robbery and actually robbed Carroll of cash belonging to Bowe’s Web Games Ltd. The accused, who denies the allegations, is defended by attorney Sonia Timothy. Cephia Pinder-Moss and Basil Cumberbatch are prosecuting the case. “We the Crown do not have a confession and we do not have witnesses to the actual murder,” Ms PinderMoss said yesterday. “What we do have is circumstantial evidence and circumstantial evidence is a reasonable conclusion drawn from certain facts. This case rises and falls on the evidence of the prosecution’s witnesses.” The prosecutor told the jury not to be overly concerned with the demeanor of the witnesses. “Some people can lie without batting an eyelid and others can be nervous when telling the truth,” she said. The prosecutor said that in order to prove their case of murder, certain elements had to be established. Ms Pinder-Moss said there was no dispute that the deceased died within a year
13 CUBANS HELD OFFICIALS in Grand Bahama arrested 13 Cubans after their wooden vessel arrived on the island. According to officials, shortly before 6pm on Sunday, officers were on patrol in the area of Pine Island in West End where the group, which included 10 men and three women were picked up. The immigrants were all turned over to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and Department of Immigration authorities.
ABACO ROBBERY
POLICE are looking for a gunman in Abaco who robbed a man of cash. According to a police report, a man said he was in the area of Crockett Drive in Marsh Harbour, Abaco, shortly before 9pm on Sunday when he was robbed at gunpoint by another man. Police investigations continue.
of the harm inflicted on her and that the harm was unlawful and severe enough, as testified to by pathologist Dr Caryn Sands, to give the deceased cuts, bruises, a broken neck and a broken spinal cord. The prosecutor also urged the jury to remember that Carroll’s hands and legs were tightly bound by an electrical wire and belt respectively, illustrating the intentions of the perpetrator. “The final element of murder is who did it? We say Daphne Knowles had a bone to pick, something to prove, had to teach a lesson and she had a motive,” the jury heard. The prosecutor recalled the evidence of key witness Kelson Smith who spoke of his role in the alleged plot created by the accused to rob Carroll of web shop earnings. Smith was hired by Carroll to work as a security guard a week after Knowles was fired from her position as a sandwich maker for the web shop. Smith, the prosecutor said, recalled seeing Knowles and a man one evening pull up to the property before leaving when he had spotted them. Knowles and Carroll were said to have behaved like sisters, “talking, laughing and smoking together.” Knowles, said Smith, had approached him and allegedly said “we need to rob Andrea” and he was instructed to leave the window open in exchange for a $2,000 cut. After carrying out his designated task, Knowles allegedly told him that he could get the money anytime he wished and that the murder would be blamed on Carroll’s boyfriend Noel Turnquest. “You saw him giving his testimony. He said he felt
horrible. He told us he did not even go back for the money,” the prosecutor said. Ms Pinder-Moss also said Rafford Smith, brother of Kelson Smith, affirmed that Daphne Knowles approached them about a plan to rob the web shop manager. However, he did not take part as he was in New Providence attending a funeral. “Turnquest came and gave evidence that on November 28, 2014 at 8.30pm at the home of Carroll, he was counting the money with her and the total was $68,000. They had sex and he left Ms Carroll’s house at 10pm. However, before he left, he made sure the doors were locked and windows secured,” the prosecutor recalled. Turnquest, when interviewed by police in January 2015, was able to identify the money belonging to the web shop “because he was familiar with how Carroll stacked the money.” Vilda Dean, the prosecutor said, was another witness who gave evidence supporting the allegation that Knowles plotted the robbery. Knowles worked for Carroll for one month making sandwiches until she was fired. The accused, according to the witness, said she did not care that Ms Carroll fired her. The witness said she eavesdropped on a telephone conversation with Ms Knowles saying that somebody needed to rob Carroll. Carroll’s college education was also a sore point for Knowles, the jury heard. “She did not report it because Ms Knowles made it seem like a joke but she (Daphne Knowles) was not kidding,” the prosecutor told the jury. Ms Timothy, in a clos-
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ing address for her client, stressed that the Crown’s case was riddled with a number of inconsistencies and lacked substance. “Kelson Smith claimed that Daphne approached him and his brother and said ‘we need to rob Andrea.’ But the evidence of Rafford Smith was that Daphne Knowles said ‘somebody’ and not ‘we’,” Ms Timothy said. Ms Timothy also recalled Mr Smith’s evidence of his brother coming to check out the place. However, the lawyer reminded the jury that Rafford Smith said he had only come to pay an outstanding bill and for no other reason. The lawyer also reminded the jury to recall that the brothers gave conflicting testimony. “Kelson did not give us the truth. His brother, Rafford, did not give us the truth. The truth is that Andrea Carroll was robbed and killed. And there was a conspiracy but it did not involve Daphne Knowles,” Ms Timothy said. She also called the evidence of Dean “a recent fabrication to cover up for Kelson Smith.” Ms Timothy also addressed the evidence of Carroll’s boyfriend and how he observed the way she stacked the proceeds of the web shop in like currency. She said the jury was able to see for themselves that the money found in Daphne Knowles’ possession was not stacked or kept in an orderly fashion as described by Turnquest. “How then are we able
to say the money found in joint property of Daphne Knowles belonged to Bowes Web Shop? You can go into the jury room with the exhibit and see the stacks of $100 bills in there. That’s not money from gambling. That was money from drug trafficking,” the lawyer stressed. She urged the jury to recall the evidence of defence witnesses Jomo Campbell that Knowles pleaded guilty to possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply and proceeds of crime when she was arraigned in connection with this incident. “She owned up to that offence but she did not commit murder and she did not rob Andrea Carroll,” the lawyer said. She further urged the jury to recall that the investigator, Cpl Lincoln McKenzie, was asked if there was any fingerprint or DNA evidence connecting her client to the scene of the crime. The investigator said there was not. Knowles’ defence witness, Stanley Pinder, said the accused was involved in a number of different enterprises and regularly travelled to Panama to restock. Knowles’ lawyer said her client could not be convicted of the offences, considering the lack of forensic evidence and major inconsistencies with the Crown’s witnesses. Justice Bernard Turner is
expected to summarise the evidence before excusing the jury to deliberate on the verdicts.
PAGE 6, Tuesday, June 14, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
A NIGHT OF MUSIC TO HELP RAISE FUNDS TO HELP DAY CARE CENTRE By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net
IN AN effort to raise funds for its Adult Day Care Centre, St Joseph’s Parish will present a “A Night of Musical Entertain-
ment” tomorrow. The event will feature piano selections by students of the church’s music programme, renditions by St Francis Joseph Catholic Primary School choir, a performance by student violinists as well as selec-
tions by special guests. The public is invited to attend. According to Sister Cecilia Albury, proceeds from the event – at the parish centre, Boyd Road, starting at 6.30pm – will go towards the Adult Day Care Centre. For the past 12 years, St
Joseph’s Parish has operated the centre that caters to the overall physical, social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of the elderly in its care. The day care centre provides supervised care, planned activities and
health services for the elderly who would otherwise be at home during the day. There they are able to share their feelings and gain support from their peers. Services at the centre are provided by a team of professionals and parapro-
fessionals in a structured therapeutic environment to assist the elderly, manage and maintain connections with the community and use all of their retained skills. Admission for the event is $5.
Mental health facility opens after delay of nearly a decade By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Perry Christie commissioned the 35,000 square foot Child & Adolescent, Robert Smith and Special Education Complex yesterday, calling the state of the art mental health facility a pivotal step in the country’s efforts to help children with behavioral and mental health issues. Next Monday, the facility, which will feature up to 92 beds and provide outpatient services, will open its doors to prospective patients. The complex was in the process of construction for nearly a decade, having been initiated by the first Christie administration.
PRIME Minister Perry Christie speaking yesterday at the opening of the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre’s modern mental health facility, the Child & Adolescent Robert Smith Special Education Complex.
As far back as 2012, Health Minister Dr Perry Gomez said the facility would be open in a matter of weeks. It’s unclear why that did not happen. The National Insurance Board (NIB) was responsible for the facility until March of this year when it turned it over to the Public Hospital Authority (PHA). Herbert Brown, director of the PHA, told The Tribune yesterday that in the last three months PHA worked to complete the facility and get it ready for opening. “PHA has its own in house building and engineering team,” he said. He referred The Tribune to NIB when pressed on why it took so long for the facility to be ready for opening. Up to press time yesterday, several officials also did not respond to questions about the overall cost of constructing and outfitting the multi-million dollar facility. Reflecting on the length of time it took to reach this point, Mr Christie said during his speech yesterday: “Good things come to those who wait. Well I know we would’ve waited longer than we would’ve ordinarily expected, but here we are today commissioning this modern, state of the art, fully equipped and furnished pub-
CUTTING the ribbon at the new Child & Adolescent Robert Smith and Special Education Complex. Photos: Tim Clarke/Tribune Staff lic mental health facility.” Mr Brown said: “At the end of the day we are now ending up with a facility that I believe is unmatched in this part of the region and I think at the end of the day the Bahamian people and those who will benefit from this facility will certainly recognise that a significant investment has been put into making sure that we are able to care for those persons who cannot care for themselves.”
Mr Brown said numerous staff, including doctors, nurses, patient care assistants and occupational therapists have been contracted to work at the facility. During his half-hour speech, Mr Christie drew his largest applause when he struck a bipartisan note, mentioning former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, who was in attendance. “I was pleasantly surprised to see the former prime minister,” Mr Chris-
tie said. “Now many of you might (not) think I would be pleasantly surprised. But the second minister of national insurance was myself. The third minister was the former prime minister. I would’ve commissioned the first actuarial report and the report would’ve come out in time for him to begin the implementation of it. So you could understand when one of us would’ve said when he was the prime minister, some times you
reap, and others sow; sometimes thou sow and others reap and vice versa. That is what is so enriching about our democracy, the fact that you are witnessing the work of not just a government but in the sense of the Constitution, government meaning whichever of the political parties is in, the work continues. And so I want to be able to begin my remarks by that particular observation that we are here celebrating a Bahamian achievement.”
MILLER: UNIONISTS ARE GREEDY HOGS BEING PAID TOO MUCH
from page one
“At Water and Sewerage,” he said, “the government injects some $44m per annum to help defray expenses. Every year the Bahamian people spend $3m a year on their health plan. Some $7,950 we spend for each employee on the Water and Sewerage health plan. “Worse than that they have some $22m in their bank account for their pension and didn’t put one single penny and you wonder why the country is in such a perilous state – and we up to 70 per cent and Barbados is at 40.” He added: “When you go to BEC where we spend $6m on healthcare and employees don’t pay one single dime, $165m on pension, and you want to ask why we’re in trouble?” “How can the country continue on this track when one group of people, when less than 3,000 workers could get the benefits?” Mr Miller had a contentious run as chairman of the Bahamas Electricity Corporation, now Bahamas Power and Light (BPL), frequently clashing with unions before he was transferred to WSC last year. His comments came during his contribution to the 2016/2017 budget debate. Mr Miller recalled a recent union meeting at WSC to discuss salary increases. He noted that all of those attending earned more than $50,000 per year. “How do you expect to get this kind of pay for basically being reconnectors and disconnectors? “We buy our water from Consolidated Water, we don’t produce none. “So basically their job is to make sure the water quality is good, make sure that it’s adequate, and if there is a pipe or something burst you go and repair it. They do a pretty decent job but not to warrant what
LESLIE MILLER MP they’re asking for.” “I told them it’s best to be a little piggy, just accept what you get and live a good life but when you become a hog and you want it all you end up on the dining room table as ham. “So be a good little piggy, it ain’t nice but it’s the truth,” he said. “That’s just an analogy, I’m saying don’t be greedy, have a conscience, have a heart.” He noted that BPL’s wage bill was around $48m per year with 1,200 workers, while WSC spends $21m a year for some 470 workers. “How could you sustain that and why have we allowed it for so long?” he asked. “Even in difficult times we still gave them what they asked for, even in the worst of times we asked our poor brothers and sisters to accept less. I dare say it’s criminal what we have allowed to happen in our country and we do it for the sake of saying we don’t want no problems with the union. “So when the woman light getting cut off for $200 and she is in darkness,” he said, “or they neglected to turn her light off for 16 years and
suddenly she is faced with a bill for about $10,000, how is she to pay that bill yet you put the hammer on her head?” Mr Miller pointed out that WSC supplied less than 30 per cent of residents in New Providence, and did not service the Family Islands. He said it was “dangerous” for foreign entities to have the monopoly on selling the “scarce commodity” of utilities in the Family Islands. “We cannot continue to cater to the few at the expense of the many,” he said. “It is not fair, it is not right, we need to address these problems in order for the Bahamas to come back on the right foot, to be stronger, to enable parity and fair play to be the order of the day.” During his contribution yesterday, Mr Miller added: “The government doesn’t have anymore money to give you, the government has to fix up the hospital, we got to look at NHI. I hope to God before this Parliament is finished with the five years that NHI will come into being. “I’m very concerned about NHI.”
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, June 14, 2016, PAGE 7
Traffic lights out at bridge for more than a week PERMANENT Secretary in the Ministry of Works Colin Higgs confirmed yesterday that his office is aware of the continued failure of the traffic lights at the busy East Bay Street and Mackey Street intersection at the foot of the inbound Paradise Island Bridge. The lights have been out of commission for more than a week, leading to difficulties and dangers for motorists, and Mr Higgs told The Tribune that the process to resolve their ordeal was underway. According Mr Higgs, recent activity in the area by Bahamas Power & Light (BPL, formerly BEC) near the renovations to Potter’s Cay Dock was to blame for the failure of the lights. However, his office suggested the matter would be resolved in the coming days. East Bay Street is the main thoroughfare for scores of motorists travelling to eastern New Providence while cars commute over the bridge and sweep down to the intersection on the mainland from Paradise Island. Meanwhile a pair of large potholes have been developing
over the past few weeks on one of New Providence’s busiest roads. The largest of the two - on Eastern Road to the west of Ridgeway Drive - is now almost six feet in length, two feet wide and up to five inches deep in places and drivers travelling west towards Nassau are forced to swerve around them. The Tribune has been drawing attention to areas that are being neglected, or are unsightly, unhealthy and being ignored by the relevant authorities, whether they be potholes in the road, uncollected garbage or abandoned cars. Recently the newspaper highlighted long standing issues in the Lewis Street and Comfort Street areas of Grants Town and after publication of the article locals have reported some restitution, including the filling of all of the potholes to the relief of residents and motorists. They say there still remains work to be done, such as the continuation of the road repaving. • Email fixmystreet@tribunemedia.net to let us know your issues.
A PAIR of large potholes on Eastern Road to the west of Ridgeway Drive is forcing drivers to swerve.
BAD WEATHER AND EQUIPMENT FAULTS BLAMED FOR ABACO BLACKOUTS By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
POWER blackouts in Abaco were yesterday blamed on inclement weather and faulty equipment. Bahamas Power and Light confirmed that consumers experienced a total system shutdown on Friday, and again on Monday, after
lightning hit a crucial piece of equipment. In a statement yesterday, Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) said its Abaco system had been stabilised. “Bad weather, including severe lightning activity, impacted the island on Friday (June 10) causing a total system shutdown early Friday afternoon,” read a BPL statement. “Supply was re-
stored to approximately 50 per cent of customers by 4pm on Friday and fully restored island wide by midnight on Saturday. “Following the shutdown, an initial investigation found damage to a major piece of auxiliary equipment at Wilson City Power Station (WCPS). Repairs to the part were hampered by the adverse weather condi-
tions and prevented the use of engines at WCPS. “Engines at the Marsh Harbour Power Station (MHPS) were used to supply just over 50 per cent of the island with supply until conditions improved to complete the repairs at WPPS Friday night. “Problems with that piece of equipment resurfaced on Monday morning (June 13)
causing a total system shutdown at 2.20am. Supply was fully restored just before 8am with supply from MHPS and one of the units at WCPS. Further generation challenges at MHPS caused some customers to lose supply at about 8am until just before 11am on Monday when the other engines at Wilson City were returned to service.” Another island-wide out-
age that lasted about two hours took place on Sunday afternoon due to a faulty substation transformer. In the cays, periods of supply interruption over the weekend and on Monday were due to cable faults. BPL apologised to Abaco customers, and pledged that it will make necessary investments to “drastically improve reliability.”
PAGE 8, Tuesday, June 14, 2016
PRIME Minister Perry Christie and his family, pictured with former Governor General Sir Orville Turnquest on referendum day.
THE TRIBUNE
Photo: Tim Clarke/Tribune Staff
Why we voted No again
“My name was not on the ballot in this vote, right, it was voting for four questions.” - Prime Minister Perry Christie “I think there is just a cynicism that’s existing in our country now about politicians period.” “I think it’s a message to both parties, not just to the current administration.” - Deputy Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis “Clearly the Bahamian people were sending some messages which went a little bit beyond the referendum questions.” - Constitutional Commission Chairman Sean McWeeney
M
R Christie, the fact that you said these words tells me you’re really out of touch, completely disconnected, even, with/from your people. Either that or, no matter what goes down, you will continue to spin it like it’s all good and all up from here. Good on you, if you enjoy La La Land. Your actual written name and your face were not situated on the referendum ballot for your beloved Centreville constituency,
By NICOLE BURROWS
but neither your name nor your face needed to be on the ballot for the Bahamian people to see it there anyway. Nowhere in my mind do I believe the results of the referendum vote was an outright rejection of gender equality. The results were not indicative of an outright rejection of the bills either. The results of the referendum – assuming they finally got the numbers right in the count – was equivalent to a rejection of overall and repeated bad leadership and failed governance. Whether or not the referendum bills themselves were – and this can still be debated – the actual referendum vote was not about women, marriage, citizenship, gays, transgenders, misogyny, foreigners, etc. The June 7 referendum was about a nation of people angry with a government for a multiplicity of reasons. The vote wasn’t merely a testament of dislike towards the Christie-led administration or his brand of government in particular.
shenanigans were revealed and evidenced plainly on paper for the whole world to see, those MPs, senators and ministers would never denounce their colleagues – and certainly they would never go against the party The referendum vote was leader whom they all follow, ultimately used as a way even if blindly. We know in The Bahafor the Bahamian people to show their dissatisfaction mas that corruption in govwith all recent government, ernment is unchangeable the Progressive Liberal Par- if supported by a majority. ty’s (PLP) variety and the And corruption everywhere Free National Movement’s in the Bahamas is supported by a major(FNM). ity of those The botThere was much benefitting tom line is from it, so more afoot here that Bahanevmians have than Mr Christie iter will change no other or Mr Davis or any without recourse extreme to express others in their group their disap- could ever account for measures. So where proval, or or care to accept.’ does that to get the leave a very attention of large part their leaders. Leaders don’t, won’t, or of the population, a voting refuse to listen, so what can majority, who do not want the people do? They can’t to be overrun by corruption recall politicians, Members or bad leadership? The only mechanism left of Parliament, the Deputy to those people that will Prime Minister, the Prime Minister … not under the help to dismiss an unsatiscurrent system of govern- factory government or adment and the way it is ministration from power is stacked. The majority of the a general election every five House of Assembly and the years. Or, in this case, a refSenate and the whole of the erendum. The referendum is thereCabinet are members of the fore, ultimately, not used governing party, and unless details of the most corrupt for its intended purpose. Not overall. You have a group of people who believe their vote will mean something or make a difference and they assume everyone else voting is also voting on principle or on issue. Not so. Leaders
‘
need to know their people … to accurately assess the very narrow circumstances in which they are forced to make choices. If they make their choices out of pure ignorance, then shame on them, but ask yourself who caused them to be that way, and then focus on fixing that. The source or root cause of the problem is the same, deficient government and leadership the Bahamian people now protest, yet again, in a referendum vote. In my estimation, the so-called gender equality referendum was the only tool Bahamians had/have (including the first one in 2002) to make a statement about the government and to voice their displeasure with that government, and so they used and continue to use it for that purpose.
I
t is not my belief, knowing people who did actually vote their convictions, that the majority of Bahamians do not support fair and equal treatment under law between men and women. Yes, there are some stuck in the Biblical text and others stuck in their personal feelings and experiences, and even some others stuck in their belief of the dominance of women by men. But knowing the majority of voters were women often subject to unequal treatment at some point or another in their lives, I don’t honestly believe those women voted against that principle of equality. I’m not saying no women
Death Notice
Wendy Suzanne Sawyer, 73 died on Saturday, June 11, 2016. She passed peacefully in her sleep after valiantly fighting Acute Myeloid Leukemia for two years. She was born on 18 May, 1943 to Robert Andrew (Jack) and Monica Albury. In 1964 she married Ritchie Wilson Sawyer (deceased). She was a yoga instructor, teaching classes until her last days. Also, as an expression of her creative talents, she painted many beautiful works of art. Wendy was an avid card player; she enjoyed playing bridge as often as she could with close friends. Wendy is survived by her two daughters, Jenny and Cathy; son, Richard; Linda (like a daughter); two sisters, Judy and Patsy; brother, Peter; two aunts, Wendy and Anne; uncle, Peter; sister-in-law, Alison; brothers-in-law, Monty (deceased), Terry and Craig; three nieces, Kelly, Victoria and Alexandra; three nephews, Andrew, Chris and Justin; daughterin-law, Korry; son-in-law, Jeremy; grandchildren, Robert, Laura, Nicolette, Sage, Noah; in-laws, Norma, Edo and Maureen. In honor of Wendy’s wishes, funeral services will be privately held for her immediate family, 17 June, 2016. Memorial donations, in lieu of flowers, may be made in Wendy’s name to The Cancer Society of The Bahamas.
voted against equality; I’m saying there was much more afoot here than Mr Christie or Mr Davis or any others in their group could ever account for or care to accept. Were it an FNM administration bringing this referendum, under the same failings as the current PLP administration, the outcome, I feel strongly, would have been the same. In that way, Davis may have had one point to argue: it’s the disgust (my word) for political representatives that Bahamian people were voting on, though I’m not certain Davis could appreciate the magnitude of that sentiment. Understand, everything is political for Bahamians. Politics trumps discussions about gender equality, so in the end a vote on the latter will always be a vote on the former, especially amongst a population of disenfranchised, destitute people who have no other way to give their leadership - all of their leadership - the middle finger ... like the man at the polling station who asked if he could vote with his middle finger. That resounding rejection of government is what happened the first time the FNM brought a similar referendum to the people and that’s what has happened again now. Nothing much has changed from then to now, except that the Bahamian people may be even more impatient with their leaders at this interval than they were at that other interval 14 years ago. Does it make sense? Maybe not, if you actually want to get legitimate answers to the questions you ask in a referendum, but think about the fact that for most Bahamians there is no alternative to expressing their discontentment, which is more important to them than the issues brought in a referendum. And, seriously, think about who brought the people to this point. So, yes, Mr Christie, your name was indeed on the ballot, though it didn’t physically appear there. The sooner you come to terms with that the better. As for McWeeney’s comment about the message being sent by Bahamians, he’s right about that with the only difference I would note being that the Bahamian people sent messages that went far beyond the referendum questions, not just “a little bit beyond” as McWeeney said. And the Deputy Prime Minister, though right about the Bahamian “cynicism” being directed at more than just one party, is not so right about it just being cynicism … it goes much, much deeper than that. If you want to get the attention and support of the Bahamian people, bringing a referendum is not the way to do it – the people will always vote their feelings about government whenever you ask them to vote. As long as the Bahamian people feel their hands are tied, this will always be the outcome. Send email to nburrows@ tribunemedia.net
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, June 14, 2016, PAGE 9
DELAY IN REFERENDUM RESULTS WAS ‘INEXCUSABLE’ from page one
the political directorate to “fix this,” pointing out that the explanation proffered by Parliamentary Commissioner Sherlyn Hall was not a valid one. “I think the excuse given was not a valid excuse,” he said, when contacted yesterday. “In 2002, some 14 years ago, there were five or six questions and more people voted, and we were able to
get results out that night,” he said, referring to an earlier constitutional referendum. “That excuse doesn’t hold water, there is no excuse for it.” In the hours following last Tuesday’s vote, the Parliamentary Registration Department released results for only six of 38 constituencies. The department pointed to electrical failures, technical issues and procedural breaches for its inability
to report totals for polling stations throughout the country. In a break from custom, Mr Hall decided not to release polling division results as they came in, instead opting to wait for all the votes from an entire constituency before issuing them. National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage, who has responsibility for elections, told the media last week that he was not certain what went wrong, if
anything. Dr Nottage said the number of questions on the ballot, coupled with issues like scattered power outages, contributed to the delay in the release of results. While he disagreed with Mr Hall’s decision to withhold results until reports from entire consistencies were complete, Dr Nottage said the integrity of the process should not be called into question. Yesterday, Mr Turn-
quest said: “It impacts electoral confidence if we can’t get it right now. The confidence level undoubtedly is not as high as it ought to be, so we have to find a way to fix it. The easiest way is to ensure – there are a lot of public officers sitting and retired who know how to conduct elections.” When asked whether he thought Mr Hall should resign from the post, Mr Turnquest replied: “The political directorate should
fix this.” The June 7 constitutional referendum was overwhelmingly rejected by voters, leading critics to call for Prime Minister Perry Christie to resign. “I think the Bahamian people ought to pay the Progressive Liberal Party back in the next general election,” Mr Turnquest said when asked for comment on this. He added: “That will be enough for me.”
Interpol experts aim to help police to tackle cyber crimes By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net INTERPOL’S cyber crime investigative course, which aims to equip regional law enforcement agencies with skills necessary to identify and address crimes perpetrated on cyber platforms, is currently underway at the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s East Street headquarters. During the opening ceremony of the five-day conference, National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage underscored the importance of both Interpol and the need for global efforts to combat cyber criminality. The Bain and Grants Town MP praised the international law enforcement agency for its choice of the
Bahamas to host the conference. “Cyber crime skills are critical for all police officers due to emerging global cyber security threats,” he said, while applauding Interpol for its recognition of the “significant threat” and the agency’s move to ensure that police forces around the world are trained and prepare to address cyber threats. This week’s conference is being funded by the government of Canada and will continue through Friday. Interpol’s head of Cyber Crime Training Alexandru Caciuloiu said the ingenuity offered by the conference was an opportunity the agency could not pass up. He said that in a world with growing economies and globalised information technologies, cyber crimes
pose an increasing threat. “Today anyone can become a potential victim of cyber crimes – governments, companies, private citizens,” he said. “Cyber criminals know no bounds when it comes to sharing resources and expertise to their advantage. Similarly we have to work together closely to share information and expertise to counter the increasing trends in cyber attacks,” added Mr Caciuloiu. Interpol has specified that cyber crime is a fastgrowing area, with more and more criminals exploiting the speed, convenience and anonymity of the internet to commit a diverse range of criminal activities that know no borders. Dr Nottage, stressing the need for this week’s course, supported his premise with
recent comments made by Interpol’s Cyber Innovation and Outreach Project Manager Steve Honiss in an interview with CSO Australia. In that interview Mr Honiss said the rapidly changing face of cyber crime had pushed authorities to tap academic expertise for initiatives such as a recently developed programme for training law enforcement investigators in the mechanisms of the dark-web favoured by many criminals. According to Dr Nottage, Mr Honiss went on to suggest that cyber crime was no longer characterised by online only attacks from rogue hackers in Australia. Rather, established criminal elements were increasingly challenging conventional enforcement structures with transitional
malware activities and the use of crypto currencies that defy mechanisms for taking physical currency movements. “Technology has grown rapidly over the past few years,” said Dr Nottage. “The world today is much different with the ubiquitous computer and smart phone dictating the way we communicate and work.” “The general view held by experts and practitioners the world over is that in this increasingly (digital) world, we will face an unprecedented level of criminality with a new breed of criminals in cyberspace.” “There is a new technological community of criminals with global reach and increasing sophistication who can do untold harm to our critical infrastructures with resulting catastrophic
effects,” he said. He further highlighted that similar to the way countries have often called for greater community policing initiatives to combat street level offences, there is now a call for community policing for cyberspace. According to Dr Nottage, the impetus for this wave of criminality is financial motivation. He noted recent statements by the City of London Police Commissioner Adrian Leppard, who warned that cyber crime would soon be more lucrative than the international drug trade. The five-day conference brings together police forces from Barbados, British Virgin Island, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, Saint Lucia and the Bahamas.
MINISTER SENDS SYMPATHY IN WAKE OF MASS SHOOTING AT FLORIDA GAY NIGHTCLUB THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its sympathy yesterday to the people of the United States and residents of Orlando, Florida, following a mass shooting at a gay nightclub in the city early Sunday morning. The shooting, which has been called the deadliest in US history, killed 49 people and wounded dozens more, according to international news reports. “Orlando is a city with which our country has significant trade and familial ties,” the ministry’s statement said. “The state of Florida is also our closest trading partner. In addition there are significant familial ties with Florida. Our offices in Florida will be monitoring events to ensure that Bahamians are afforded the legal protections in the state and in the city. “A diplomatic note will be sent expressing the condolences from The Bahamas.” Yesterday, Democratic National Alliance Leader Branville McCartney released a statement that said: “The callous and violent act is being called the worst mass shooting to take place in US history and the most dangerous terror attack to take place on US soil since 9/11. Sadly, we now live in a world where such acts of violence are becoming more and more commonplace, where persons with alternative views and lifestyles become the target of terrorists both domestic and international.
This is unacceptable and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms. It is our hope that the families of those lost are able to find some level of closure and comfort. “Even as we mourn with the families of those lost in Orlando, we in the Bahamas have not been able to escape the scourge of violence. We also continue to mourn the loss of scores of Bahamians whose lives have been cut short by the violence on our streets. We mourn the deaths of young men and women whose families continue to seek their own closure and comfort. Unfortunately, many local families may never receive that closure. The continued backlog of cases within the judiciary and a lack of enforcement of the laws regarding punishment have only emboldened the criminal element. The DNA repeats its call for the legislative arm of government to oversee the enforcement of capital punishment in cases that warrant it. More importantly we as a people and as a global community must learn to co-exist, to settle our differences without turning to violence and live in brotherly love,” Mr McCartney said. The gunman in Sunday’s shooting, 29-year-old Omar Mateen of Florida, called 911 during the attack to pledge allegiance to ISIS and mentioned the Boston Marathon bombers, CNN reported. CNN also reported that
NO BAIL IN GUN POSSESSION CASE By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net A MAN was remanded to prison yesterday after he was arraigned in Magistrate’s Court on a pair of firearm related offences. Maxwell Holbert, 19, of Montell Heights stood before Magistrate Constance Delancy facing a count each of possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition. The prosecution alleges that Holbert was found with a loaded black PX-4
Storm 9MM pistol and 13 live rounds of ammunition when arrested by police on June 9. A conviction for these offences could result in imprisonment for up to seven years. Holbert denied the allegations when called on to enter a plea to the charges. He returns to court on July 5 for trial. However, he was denied bail and remanded to the Department of Correctional Services to await trial. Holbert was informed of his right to apply for a bond to the Supreme Court.
Mateen “carried an assault rifle and a pistol into the packed Pulse club about 2 am Sunday and started shooting, killing 49 people and wounding at least 53.” He was later shot dead by police.
A VIGIL at City Hall in Philadelphia yesterday in memory of the victims of the Orlando, Florida, mass shooting, the worst in modern US history.
PAGE 10, Tuesday, June 14, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
Waking up to the beauty of The Bahamas BRITONS woke up to scenic montages of the Bahamas over the past week as the Bahamas Tourist Office in London and other partners teamed up for a competition that brings the beauty of the Bahamas to viewers throughout the United Kingdom. Television station ITV launched its largest prize competition of the year on June 6 through the UK’s most popular morning show, Good Morning Britain. In honour of Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday,
ITV’s competition will award a viewer £250,000. Part of the prize money can be spent on a Bahamas vacation, host Andi Peters told viewers in a segment recorded on a tranquil cay just off Nassau/Paradise Island. Mr Peters and his crew spent a week filming segments in the Bahamas, including parts of the Atlantis resort, tourist attractions on Nassau and hideaway cays in the Exumas. ITV also has another Bahamas promotion planned for July.
THE ITV crew records for Good Morning Britain on a deserted cay off New Providence.
CLARENCE ROLLE, general manager of the Bahamas Film & Television Commission, is pictured with Good Morning Britain host Andi Peters and the ITV crew after travelling through the cays of New Providence and Exuma.
READERS SAY DISTRUST LED TO FAILURE OF REFERENDUM DISTRUST of the government was behind the failure of the Constitutional Referendum bills, according to the majority of voters in The Tribune’s latest online poll. While 53.9 per cent of those voting believed this to be the case, 30.17 per cent thought concern over a “hidden agenda” led to the referendum result. 10.85 per cent thought a lack of understanding of the bills was to blame while just 5.08 per cent thought disagreement with the bills themselves was the reason for the failure. Commenting on the poll, Sheeprunner12 said: “It was a vote of NO confidence in Perry and the PLP dem . . . plain and simple.” Lkalikl offered this: “Fear, ignorance and religion blocked this referendum. The Bahamian people are not facing the future. The world is passing them by. I hope the Bible is edible and offers good paying jobs to more than just the fleecing pastors who have their long con on the people on fleek. Keep giving your money to the numbers’ man, the pastors and the politicians, the new masters of the Bahamas. The implosion isn’t too far now. Businesses will start closing all over the place, anyone with another option will leave and Bahamians will have the pure country of dunces that the PLP have always dreamed of. You think crime is bad now, just wait. Violence and misogyny go hand in hand. The fallout continued with the news that rights watchdog Amnesty International had called the failed referendum a “missed opportunity” for reform.
Justthefactsplease questioned a quote from Amnesty International: “‘Human rights should not be determined by a vote, but should always be protected by the state’. So . . . who makes up this ‘state’? Wouldn’t that be the people who voted? Or are they implying that the ‘state’ is the bunch of incompetents in the House?” ThisIsOurs also took exception with Amnesty’s statement: “Why didn’t they say this on Monday when they were giving the govt such high praise for having a referendum? Heard someone else saying we should have voted ‘Yes’ because the ‘No’ vote opened the door for gay marriage . . . seriously? They need to speak to Wayne Munroe, he said nothing prevented gay marriage before the referendum.” And Sheeprunner12 said: “This referendum shows either that our politicians are ignorant of the provisions to provide public policy in the Constitution or that they are wimps seeking a false sense of citizens’ endorsement. Leaders are elected to LEAD, not suck-up to the Church or the people to provide them with vision and direction. The PLP was given the mandate to lead but they seem reluctant to lead (and the FNM).” • Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.