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Britain votes Out Prom time UK favours exit from EU - see page 10

‘Absent’ Minnis blasted

By TANEKA THOMPSON Tribune News Editor tmthompson@tribunemedia.net

CENTRAL Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant had strong words for Free National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis’ performance during the wrap up of the 2016/2017 budget debate, saying the Killarney MP showed “no interest” in the head-by-head exercise and seemed unprepared.

Mr Grant, leader of opposition business in the House, said he was sure Dr Minnis had not studied the budget and that his behaviour was “most disturbing” and “disrespectful.” He also accused Dr Minnis of abandoning ship by leaving the House session around 2.30am Thursday under

THE conviction rate for Supreme Court cases up to April of this year was 71 per cent, a dramatic improvement from the 31 per cent that was recorded by the end of 2012, Attorney General Allyson Maynard Gibson revealed yesterday

Page 19

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PELICANS HAVE A NEW BEST BUDDY

Neko Grant slams leader’s display in Budget debate the guise of not feeling well as other parliamentarians stayed behind to finish the work of Parliament.

Before members of Parliament vote on and pass the budget, they routinely go through the heads of government ministries and departments, with members of the Official Opposition raising questions about matters of concern.

Mr Grant’s scathing assessment of Dr Minnis’ performance, or lack thereof, in the House of Assembly was outlined in an email to the party

leader and other members of the FNM. The Tribune has also obtained the email.

“Mr Leader, you would be aware that the subject provides an opportunity to highlight the government ministers’ shortcomings and their incompetence,” the email said. “A time when we opposition members should be on our ‘A’ game ready to pinpoint and call out the government’s shortcomings, as they are never prepared for it.

SEE PAGE SIX

CONVICTION RATE NOW 71%, DISABLED MAN SHOT DEAD SAYS ATTORNEY GENERAL

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

Inside Weekend

DESIGN YOUR LIFESTYLE

during her contribution to the budget debate in the Senate. Up to April of this year, the acquittal rate was 29 per cent.

“We have increased the number of criminal courts to ten,” Mrs Maynard-Gibson said as she highlighted the successes of her office in the past four years.

SEE PAGE NINE

IN GRAND BAHAMA

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net A DISABLED man was found shot dead in a shack in the Pioneer’s Loop Subdivision on Thursday evening, pushing the country’s murder count to 59 for the year.

It was the 10th homicide to occur in Grand Bahama this year.

While police have not released the victim’s identity, The Tribune understands that the deceased is believed to be Corey Thompson.

According to Inspector Terecita Pinder, police received reports of gunshots heard in the Coco Plum Street area shortly after 6.30pm and dispatched officers to the area.

On arrival, police discovered the lifeless body of SEE PAGE SIX

BAHAMIAN Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield reacts after being chosen by the New Orleans Pelicans as the sixth pick in the National Basketball Association (NBA) draft yesterday. See Sports for more.

MINNIS PROMISES REFERENDUM ON BAHA MAR CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IF HE BECOMES PM DEVELOPER IS

By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net

OPPOSITION Leader Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday if he is elected prime minister, he would hold a referendum on capital punishment “as soon as possible”.

In an interview with The Tribune, Dr Minnis said he

would immediately seek to amend the Constitution to remove the UK-based Privy Council as the highest court of appeal for murder convicts.

Dr Minnis said in the case of murder convictions, if the trial judge feels the nature and circumstances of SEE PAGE NINE

LOAN CANCELLATION ‘WILL NOT AFFECT’ COLLEGE TRANSITION TO UNIVERSITY

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE College of the Bahamas’ cancellation of a $16.1m loan from the Caribbean Development Bank will not deter the institution’s transition

into a university, officials said in a statement last night.

The loan agreement was signed in December 2104 to fund specific capacity building and capital development initiatives.

SEE PAGE THREE

‘ASTOUNDED’ AT LEGAL LETTERS

By KHRISNA VIRGIL Tribune Staff Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

BAHA Mar’s developer, BMD Holdings, said it is “astounding” that nearly one year after engaging with China Construction America and China Export Import Bank in “sabotaging” the resort’s Chapter 11 case in the United States, the Christie administration has suddenly paid two law firms to craft hypothetical justifications for the government’s “ready-fire-aim” actions concerning the $3.5bn resort.

SEE PAGE THREE

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NEW FNM SENATORS SWORN IN

POLICE detaining suspected robbers yesterday, in this picture posted to Twitter by Commissioner Ellison Greenslade.

TWO SUSPECTED ROBBERS SHOT AFTER RAID BY POLICE POLICE shot and wounded two suspected armed robbers during a shootout near the intersection of Marathon and Robinson Roads last night.

According to initial reports, the men had robbed the Superwash laundromat on Charles W Saunders Highway yesterday evening before a shootout with police after officers intercepted a Honda Accord.

Last night, head of the Central Detective Unit Chief Superintendent Clayton Fernander said four suspects were in custody.

He added that police also recovered a handgun from the scene.

Chief Supt Fernander stressed that police will continue to be aggressive with criminals as they continue to clean up the streets.

Investigations continue.

NEW FNM senators Dr Duane Sands and Monique Gomez pictured with former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham at the swearing-in ceremony held yesterday. Mr Ingraham avoided questions about his own political future at the event, stressing that he was there to show support to the new faces in the Senate.

NEWLY appointed Free National Movement Senators Dr Duane Sands and Monique Gomez were sworn into the Senate yesterday before the upper chamber began debate on the 2016/2017 budget.

Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham attended the swearing in ceremony, however he sidestepped questions about a possible return to frontline politics and the current state of the party he once led.

“I came here to show my support for Dr Duane Sands and Monique

Gomez as senators,” Mr Ingraham said, fielding questions from reporters yesterday. “I think they will have great contributions to make to The Bahamas. In the case of Duane Sands, I have been asking the leader of the FNM for the last four years to appoint him to the Senate and I am glad he has now acceded to that request and I thank him very much.

“In the case of Monique Gomez, I have also been asking about her. She is a good person and I only came to show my support.”

However, when asked about speculation that he may leave retirement, Mr Ingraham told Our News: “When I have a statement to make, I’ll tell you.”

The FNM’s convention is set for late July and some observers have speculated that Mr Ingraham may vie for the party’s top post.

On Sunday, Dr Sands announced he will run for the FNM’s deputy leader position on a ticket with Long Island MP Loretta ButlerTurner who will challenge FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis for his post.

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Butler-Turner: PM trying to excuse himself over Baha Mar

By KHRISNA VIRGIL Tribune Staff Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

LONG Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner yesterday accused Prime Minister Perry Christie of attempting to remove himself from the “enormous disaster” his administration created over Baha Mar and castigated the government for making decisions based on certain specific interests.

The former Free National Movement (FNM) deputy leader said the prime minister was locked in a desperate effort to be re-elected and therefore resorted to telling a “selective” history of his government’s colossal mistake in pushing Baha Mar into liquidation.

She maintained that despite the Progressive Liberal Party’s claims that the governing party was the defender of this country’s sovereignty, government’s legal manoeuvring did greater harm to this very element.

The MP chided Mr Christie, saying despite countless promises that he was taking the negotiations seriously, he never went to China himself to negotiate a deal. This, she said, was an admission that as prime minister he had to be invited to China to attend any such discussions.

Mrs Butler-Turner criticised the Christie administration the day after Mr Christie, in closing the 2016/2017 budget debate, revealed that two entities have been short-listed as the court-appointed receivers of the project move closer to deciding which entity will acquire the $3.5bn West Bay Street development.

However, he said, the fi-

nal decision is solely at the discretion of receiver managers who are currently in Beijing, China, negotiating a contract to remobilise and complete the project as soon as possible.

Mr Christie said China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) along with the resort’s general contractor China Construction America (CCA), its subsidiary, are also participating in the talks.

During a lengthy communication, Mr Christie read into the record of the lower chamber advice he and the government received from its United States and United Kingdom attorneys, dated June 20, 2016. He said this was a part of his “urgent and serious” response to dispel myths about his administration’s handling of the Baha Mar debacle.

Mrs Butler-Turner questioned this, pointing out that the legal opinions were prepared for and paid for by the government of the Bahamas. She further told The Tribune there were questions over the relevance of the legal advice as it was prepared just this week and not at the height of Baha Mar’s legal wrangling.

“It is ironic and telling that even as the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) was claiming that they were the great defenders of our national sovereignty, that their legal manoeuvring did even greater harm to our national sovereignty,” the Long Island MP said in a statement yesterday.

“Reading from legal opinions prepared and paid for by the government, the prime minister is once again seeking to remove himself from this enormous disaster that he and the

PLP created.

“For the 2,500 plus families who are waiting to go back to work at that resort, the prime minister’s remarks today rang hollow as he offered one excuse after the next.

“Mr Christie continues to offer less than a full understanding to the Bahamian people with respect to developments at the mega resort. What we suspected last year is now clear today, that this government’s legal decisions had more to do with certain specific interests rather than with the

broader interests of the Bahamian people.”

She continued: “We should recall the now infamous email from the Prime Minister’s senior policy advisor, Sir Baltron Bethel advancing the promotion of a new equity partner to be brought in to invest in Baha Mar as a way to secure the necessary financing to complete the project and to get it open.

“Sir Baltron revealed that this idea came from another party and not the government of the Bahamas, in order to ‘prevent Baha Mar

from taking the position that the government was trying to push out the project’s developer’.”

She questioned whether the trips to and from China

by Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson and Sir Baltron was mostly posturing and geared at giving the appearance of forward movement.

“The prime minister has yet to confirm or to deny the extent to which demands have been made on him to complete and open Baha Mar. “The Bahamian people

eagerly await a full understanding of what demands or requests have been made to restart construction at this property.

“Baha Mar is too important to the future of this country for us to allow this prime minister to continue in his exercise of smoke and mirrors and fast talk and deflection. The country deserves to know what is being negotiated on their behalf, and whether it is in the best interest of the country now and for generations to come,” Mrs Butler-Turner said.

from page one

Izmirlian was “deserving of every consideration” regarding his newly submitted plans for the resort to EXIM. At the time, Mr Christie said he recently met with the developer to discuss “a number of new offers” to the bank and had written officials to confirm that they received the new plans.

He had made the comments in an interview broadcast on Our News and said he had also inquired as to whether the EXIM Bank planned to give consideration to these offers.

“The government of The Bahamas,” the statement read, “instead of supporting the Chapter 11 process, which is designed to achieve a consensual resolution of the issues by all parties, instead wanted to use the Bahamian court to wind up/ liquidate Baha Mar to assure that the interests of the Chinese enterprises were best preserved even though this resulted in hundreds of unsecured Bahamian creditors not being paid and left without a voice in this process, unlike the Chapter 11 proceedings.

“The public record since

the government’s ill-conceived opposition to the Chapter 11 has turned up documentation revealing duplicity, misconduct, and unquestionable failure to perform by CCA. The very company that failed to deliver Baha Mar despite multiple promises and whom the government of The Bahamas supports instead of the developer.”

The statement continued: “Among the many head-scratching statements made by the prime minister in Parliament, one that is particularly startling is the hypothetical assertion by the government’s paid legal advisors that there was ‘no realistic prospect that the Baha Mar debtors could raise’ the capital to reorganise and open Baha Mar. Yet this hypothetical is completely at odds with the prime minister’s statement on April 13 of this year that ‘clearly Izmirlian comes from a family that isn’t short on money.’ It also runs counter to the fact that Mr Izmirlian has already invested almost $1 billion in the Baha Mar project.

“The flaws in the govern-

ment’s paid-for Chapter 11 analysis one year later by two law firms are so numerous that it is hard to understand how the government of The Bahamas could abide by this analysis or why it would present this analysis to Parliament now.

“The government of The Bahamas is reaping what it has sown. Baha Mar is not built. Baha Mar is not open. And, while CEXIM under the winding up/liquidation process has been able to protect its interest in Baha Mar, no Bahamian unsecured creditors have been paid and many Bahamians remain shamefully unpaid and out of work.”

BMD further moved to again explain its decision to undertake Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, saying Baha Mar’s board of directors undertook this process because it provided the resort the opportunity to achieve a plan of reorganisation to enable it to be completed and successfully opened as soon as possible.

“Such a process does not exist in The Bahamas. Unlike the Chapter 11 process, in which the debtor is given

the time to reorganise its business under the supervision of the court, CEXIM now has complete control of the potential completion of the Baha Mar property under the present winding up/ liquidation process while unsecured creditors are left twisting in the wind.”

“The government of The Bahamas’ opposition of the Chapter 11 has now left unsecured creditors out in the cold and enabled China EXIM Bank to unilaterally assert complete control over the Baha Mar property. Just in the last few days the government confirmed that there is no certainty that Bahamian creditors will receive any payment, as the Chinese have no obligation to make such a payment,” the statement read.

On Wednesday, as he closed the 2016/2017 Budget debate, Mr Christie said he intended to dispel myths and speculation of how the government handled the Baha Mar situation.

He then read into the record of the House of Assembly summaries of events from the government’s international attorneys - US

law firm Hogan Lovells and UK firm Charles Russell Speechlys LLP. Both were dated June 20, 2016.

The UK based attorneys pointed out that Mr Izmirlian was without funds and his promises of funding were without foundation.

Hogan Lovells said the filings enabled the developer to temporarily retain control of Baha Mar rather than relinquishing control to independent liquidators or receivers.

The firm argued that had the Chapter 11 case continued, the filings would have enabled the Baha Mar debtors to assume or reject continuing contracts, deciding which to retain and which to discard generally leaving the counter parties to discarded contracts with nothing more than unsecured damage claims.

In the House of Assembly, Fort Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins rejected this, saying the government had paid its attorneys to speak in favour of its decision to collude with the Chinese, adding that he viewed this as an attempt to mislead the public by the prime minister.

THE BAHA Mar development, which remains unfinished.

BAHA MAR DEVELOPER IS ‘ASTOUNDED’ AT LEGAL LETTERS In a strong rebuke of the Christie administration, BMD Holdings said among the many “head scratching” statements made by Prime Minister Perry Christie in Parliament on Wednesday is the startling hypothetical assertion by the government’s paid US and UK attorneys that there was “no realistic prospect that the Baha Mar debtors could raise” the capital to reorganise and open Baha Mar. However, in a press statement, BMD moved to show flaws with the position put forward by the government hired lawyers, saying it is completely at odds with the prime minister’s statement on April 13, 2016 that “clearly Izmirlian comes from a family that isn’t short on money.”

The developer maintained that it also runs counter to the fact that developer Sarkis Izmirlian has already invested almost $1 billion in the Baha Mar project.

Back in April, Mr Christie was adamant that Mr

LOAN CANCELLATION ‘WILL NOT AFFECT’ COLLEGE TRANSITION TO UNIVERSITY

from page one

According to the statement, in March COB Dr Rodney Smith met with the CDB President, Dr William Warren Smith, to discuss the terms and conditions of the sovereign loan, which allowed for waiver of preconditions.

“One of the pre-conditions of the loan was the submission of outstanding audited financial statements,” COB said. “The reality is, while the college worked diligently on the completion of the audits, CDB fees and interest were accumulating for the undispersed loan funds.”

“As a result of the meeting, the bank indicated their intent to maintain the pre-conditions of the loan and offered further assistance,” the statement said.

“The financially prudent response to this situation was for the college to rec-

ommend to the Ministry of Finance to cancel the loan and thereby arrest the accumulation of fees and interest.

Both presidents agreed that the cancellation of this loan would not prohibit future engagement of CDB to assist in building the university.”

In September 2015, The Tribune reported exclusively how poor auditing practices at COB had prevented the institution from using the funds from the loan. This newspaper reported at the time how the college was at least four years behind in audits when the Christie administration moved to borrow the funds.

“The college remains steadfast with its transition to university status through the anticipated implementation of the Elucian Banner Data Management System this year,” COB added.

“This system will assist the college to better manage its financial administration structures and facilitate

the completion of its audits. The campus-wide implementation will take approximately 18 months at a projected cost of $3m.”

Meanwhile, COB Council member Mark Humes criticised the college’s top brass for failing to appraise sitting council members of its decision to cancel the loan.

In particular, Mr Humes questioned how former COB Council Chairman Alfred Sears would know about the particulars surrounding the loan’s cancellation when he said “a good number of persons from council didn’t know about it”.

Mr Humes said he believed council members would have agreed with COB’s decision to cancel the loan agreement, but added: “I guess they may have thought that a council meeting or getting permission from other council members to make the deci-

sion wasn’t necessary.”

Mr Humes’ comments came two days after The Tribune reported that the loan had been cancelled.

After that report was published, Mr Sears told The Nassau Guardian that Dr Smith recommended to the government that it should no longer proceed with the loan agreement with the CDB. When contacted yesterday, however, Mr Humes said he did not find out about the loan cancellation until an hour or so after a 10am council meeting on Wednesday when he read The Tribune’s story.

“I don’t know all the facts about it, but the little I do know I’d say I would agree it

was best to get out of that fi- (Wednesday) that means nancially,” Mr Humes said, a good number of persons before COB’s statement from council didn’t know was released. “It’s been a about it. So that’s concerndrain on us for the past two ing - very concerning. And or three years we’ve been it is an issue that I have in it. So I’m not concerned raised concerns about beabout the college getting fore, publicly.” out of it; I’m just surprised When asked if he knew at the way we learned about what the situation was like it. I thought that was poor. regarding COB’s current “I’m surprised that Al- audit practices, Mr Humes fred Sears would know this said: “I know they’ve been information, and I don’t working hard to get the auknow who else on coun- dits completed. I think as cil knew, but if the council best I know most of the auwas just being appraised dits2016 are done.”

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Amid campaign worries, Trump to check on courses in Scotland NEW YORK (AP) — Facing questions about meager fundraising, slipping poll numbers and campaign instability, Donald Trump is tending to business — in Scotland.

In his first international trip since becoming the presumptive Republican nominee, Trump plans to check on a pair of his championship golf resorts. Some Republicans worry that the billionaire’s attention is divided between his businesses and his campaign.

“I’m not sure what the purpose of the trip is,” said Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., who added that he hopes Trump “would get back here quickly.”

Trump’s son, Eric, who oversaw the two-year, more than $300 million renovation at the Trump Turnberry golf course, dismissed those concerns, saying “the eyes of the world” will be on his father during a two-day stay in Scotland that begins Friday.

“The Turnberry course is one of the crown jewels of the golf world and is now one of the crown jewels of our family’s properties,” Eric Trump said this week in an interview with The Associated Press.

“He’s over there to inspect the course and to support his son who put a tremendous amount of time and energy into the project.”

Trump’s first stop Friday morning will be in Turnberry, which is nestled along Scotland’s western rocky coast and has been in use for more than a century. The site, which Trump bought in 2014, has hosted four British Open championships, was used as an airplane landing strip during both world wars and features a lighthouse that stands on the ruins of a 13th century castle.

He will visit another course he owns, in Aberdeen, on Saturday before returning to the United States after just 36 hours.

“It’s a brief but important visit and then he will be back on the campaign trail,” Eric Trump said.

The trip comes at a precarious time for the United Kingdom. Trump is expected to arrive a day after Britons vote on whether to remain in the European Union. But it comes during what should be rare quiet days in the presidential campaign, with his likely rival, Hillary Clinton having no planned events.

Trump does not have any meetings scheduled with Scottish political leaders, his campaign said. That stands in contrast to previous presidential nominees’ foreign trips. In 2012, for instance, Mitt Romney met with British Prime Minister

David Cameron. Then-Sen. Barack Obama met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2008.

Trump is slated to hold a news conference while in Scotland and could weigh in on Britain’s “Brexit” vote. The celebrity businessman said this week he supports Britain’s exit from the EU. “I don’t think anybody should listen to me because I haven’t really focused on it very much,” he told Fox Business Network this week, “but my inclination would be to get out, you know, just go it alone.”

Tensions around the vote grew last week when Jo Cox, a member of Britain’s Parliament who was a vocal supporter of the UK remaining in the EU, was murdered. The man accused in the slaying later said “My name is death to traitors, freedom for Britain” when asked in court to state his identity.

Trump, whose mother was born in Scotland, has long emphasized his ties to the country, but he has waged several battles with those in his ancestral homeland. Earlier this year, he was stripped of an honorary degree from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen.

Trump was initially welcomed by Scottish leaders. But relationships soured as arguments ensued over a nearby wind farm and the levels of investment promised. Trump feared the wind farm would block the view from his course. He claimed he had received assurances that it would not be built. Trump denounced a leading Scottish politician, Alex Salmond, as “an embarrassment to Scotland.”

Trump also faced opposition from environmental groups concerned about development on Aberdeen’s famed dunes and local people who refused to make way for the development. This was captured in a documentary, Tripping Up Trump.

Trump’s trip also comes just days after he dismissed his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, and reported having just $1.3 million in cash on hand at the start of June, more than $41 million behind Clinton. But some of his allies insisted the trip would not be a distraction.

“A presidential candidate has every right to take a few days off and be with his family,” said Ed Cox, the chair of the New York State Republican Party. “Besides, the general election doesn’t really start until the convention next month. He has plenty of time.”

By Jonathan Lemire of the Associated Press

A reasonable no EDITOR, The Tribune.

A WISE young man once told me that if you want to know the purpose of a thing, check the results. He further opined that whatever the result was, you checked it against what is or should have been the priority.

As I look at the results of the June 7th, Referendum it is obvious to me that those who claim to be concerned about the Bahamas are either misguided, misinformed or just out of touch.

I listen to what is coming out of the mouths of supposedly “learned persons”, and in the words of the late Jackson Burnside, I want to know if they really “ know what they are looking at”.

Common sense should have told us that the only issue of citizenship we should have dealt with is the one related to the stateless multitude among us who have been without citizenship or passports for more than forty tears. Why spend all of that money on persons who have one or more passports and are able to more than adequately fend for themselves?

It should not be difficult for these “learned persons”

among us to realise that the bedrock of our current crime situation has its main foundation within in this stateless multitude. And, if you look closely at the results of the Referendum you do not have to be a genius to see where the “Yes” did extremely well. Maybe all of those nice communities are made up of persons who just want what is best for their children, just like the communities who voted “No”; but their “ No” was based on the fact that they had a problem voting “Yes” for those who have enough privilege already.

We seemed not to have learnt much in our first halfcentury of nationhood and those among us who have sense seem to have taken leave of theirs. Prime Minister Perry Christie, Bishop Gomez, Minister Fred Mitchell, Justice Anita Allen, Professor Ruby Nottage, the Yes Campaign, Sean McWeeney, Ed Fields, Wayne Munroe and many others have written themselves into a page of history, where we will not see much editing in the future; just additions, as the people they claim to serve realise that this very “class orient-

ed” grouping only care for friends and family. Their failure to see their national responsibility may just be an indication that “we” who are being led will have to take our citizenship responsibilities more seriously.

Like the first Prime Minister said, “If you are not prepared to fight for your country, you do not deserve to have it”. Our present Prime Minister may not be remembered with any such distinction of being able to stand up for anything as the leader of the Opposition was able to call him out on the floor of the House, being caught in an obvious lie about what he claims the leader of the Opposition said or promised about his support for the Referendum. House records show that since 2014 the leader of the Opposition is on record stating the Bahamians should vote their conscience.

Perhaps this is a good place for us to begin, let us fight to get a sense of our conscience back, too many of those who want to lead us do not seem to have any.

EDWARD HUTCHESON Nassau, June 22, 2016.

Rate rise ahead for electricity EDITOR, The Tribune.

WHILE the Government of The Bahamas (GOTB) has thus far kept details of the BPL agreement and business plan close to the chest, concealed, hidden away and secret the cat has nevertheless been let out of the bag. “Pandora’s Box” has been opened. A peek into the crystal ball reveals a pending rate increase rather than the rate decrease promised.

The foregoing presents a dilemma for GOTB for two reasons the most pressing of which is that a general election is due in less than a year. The second reason is somewhat less obvious but far more relevant as it is the genesis of BEC’s financial woes that have in fact given birth to BPL. In 2003, GOTB implemented a rate reduction at BEC that destructively wiped out hundreds of millions from the company’s balance sheet and catapulted the organization, winner of the country’s 100 Day Challenge for excellence just a decade earlier, onto a path of financial ruin. The rate was eventually restored after some seven years.

By then the organization’s demise was virtually complete.

A cursory glance at pages 289-290 of the 1989 Bahamas Handbook and page 359 of the 2012 Bahamas Handbook (or a more current version), reveals that BEC’s base rate is practically the same as it was three decades ago. A further look to page 291 of the 1989 Handbook reveals that Family Island rates at that time were higher than they are now. Overall rates then can be said to have been

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net even higher than they are now.

The prices BEC charges for electricity to its customers consist of a base rate plus a fuel charge. The base rate provides the company with the funds to maintain its generation, transmission and distribution plant, invest in new equipment, pay salaries, etc. This rate, as noted earlier, is practically the same, some might argue less, than it was three decades ago. The likely implication of such a scenario ought to be clear. The foregoing is not to suggest though that the prices BEC charges its customers isn’t too high.

Overall, the price of electricity is indeed high.

But it is high because of the company’s excessively high fuel charge rather than its base rate. A major reason the fuel charge is high is because the rate reduction implemented in 1993, described by me elsewhere as illogical, illconceived and ill-advised, destroyed BEC’s financial capacity to invest in essential equipment upgrades, purchase new equipment, etc. to achieve an optimal plant mix, yielding an overall low heat rate and low fuel cost.

Had BEC continued with the medium term generation expansion plan put in place early in 2012, incrementally 54 MW of generation capacity (24 MW gas turbine capacity, 12 MW steam turbine capacity, by exhausting heat from the gas turbine’s exhaust to a heat recovery steam gen-

erator producing steam for the turbine without burning any incremental fuel, and 18 MW of slow speed diesel capacity) would have been added to the system, providing consumers a more reliable electricity service at a more affordable price. Only the gas turbine has been installed to date. Concomitant investment in modifying the company’s gas turbines to burn gas, together with investment in the requisite gas infrastructure to supply the plant, would have driven down fuel cost significantly further.

BEC’s generation woes and lowering of its price to its customers can, in my view, be addressed at a far lower cost than I have seen being bandied about from time to time. I shall look to say a bit more, hopefully, in the not too distant future.

In the interim, I take this opportunity to extend greetings and best wishes to BPL’s CEO, Pam Hill, who served as Chief Financial Officer at the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) during a part of my tenure as Chief Technical Officer at the company.

MICHAEL R. MOSS Freeport, June 16, 2016.

(Michael Moss is a Professional Engineer and energy consultant. He previously held positions as Executive Chairman of BEC, Chief Technical Officer at the Jamaica Public Service Company, General Manager Grand Bahama Power, General Manager West End Power and Light, Senior Operations Engineer at Bahamas Oil Refining Company and Chief Generation Engineer at BEC. - Ed)

The referendum EDITOR. The Tribune.

AS husband to a Bahamian woman and father of a Bahamian daughter married to a foreign man, I was appalled at the result of the referendum vote for gender equality.

While the proposed constitutional amendments were all firmly supported by the mainstream religious denominations, it is unfortunate that so many

voters were swayed by the vituperation of the fundamentalist group of pastors who in their zeal to further condemn and ostracise the LGBT members of our society and hold up our many deadbeat fathers as “head of the home,” continue to condone, nay promote, the lifestyle of promiscuity and illegitimacy that has been one of the leading causes of much of the dysfunctional

behaviour and criminality so prevalent in our young people today.

These supposedly well intentioned gentlemen should be careful what they wish for, for as my late Scottish grandmother was fond of saying “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

IAN MABON Nassau, June 21, 2016.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, June 24, 2016, PAGE 5

Televisions donated to prison to help rehabilitate inmates

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE Parole and Reentry Steering Committee (PRSC) yesterday donated three flat screen televisions to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services to assist in rehabilitating inmates and reducing offender recidivism.

The 32-inch HDTVs were donated by Bahamas Faith Ministries International (BFM), The Assemblies of God, and the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation (BCCEC) and its member Furniture Plus, according to PRSC deputy Chairman Rev Dr Patrick Paul.

Other participants in the initiative include the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) as well as The College of The Bahamas (COB), according to officials.

At a press conference at The Assemblies of God headquarters on Warrick Street, Rev Paul said the donation is in line with the PRSC’s mandate to establish a Bahamian parole framework for inmates.

“A major part of rehabilitation is the development of social skills, understanding and connectivity to the

world in which we all have to live peacefully,” he said.

“We believe that access to television is a tool that can be used to greatly enhance this form of social development.”

BFM Senior Pastor Dave Burrows said the donation is key to reducing recidivism, adding, “Everyone who is in prison, except for a few persons, will eventually come out of prison.” “...As a part of the educational process, as a part of the commitment to technology, we are pleased to make this small contribution that we believe will enhance the experience of the inmates and would allow them to be better prepared to make a contribution once they return to society,” he added.

Edison Sumner, BCCEC chief executive, said of the donation: “We see that it’s necessary for persons who are at the Bahamas Corrections Department to also have access to entertainment. We believe that having some exposure to social life, even while they’re there, aids in the recovery efforts we believe, it reduces the level of stress because people now have an opportunity to be entertained, and one of the media for doing that is certainly through television.”

THE PRESENTATION of three television sets to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services yesterday.

Patrick Wright, BDCS commissioner, expressed his gratitude for the donations, which he said will go a long way towards reducing offender recidivism in the country.

“Without community participation, (the BDCS) will only be a lock-down, punitive institution,” he said. “I don’t care what name you give it. If the community is not involved in incarceration, all you have is warehousing

young men and young women who are going to look at the public in a different light and believe that you owe them something and they are going to collect that when they are discharged.”

The PRSC is a government appointed committee tasked with proposing a policy framework for a parole system and interventions for the seamless reintegration of past offenders into Bahamian society.

MINISTER of National Security Dr Bernard Nottage speaking at the presentation.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/ Tribune Staff

MAN GUILTY OF MANSLAUGHTER IN SUNSHINE PARK SHOOTING

By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN who stood trial in the Supreme Court concerning a fatal shooting in Sunshine Park was acquitted of murder but convicted on the lesser charge of manslaughter.

The verdict came down late Wednesday evening when the 12-member jury returned to the courtroom and told Justice Vera Watkins that 22-year-old Robert Dorsett was not guilty of the October 17, 2015 murder of Alvardo Darilus.

However, they returned a guilty verdict of 11-1 on the lesser charge of manslaughter, finding that the incident occurred because of provocation. Dorsett was also acquitted of possession of an unlicensed firearm on the direction of the court to the jury.

Shortly after 9pm that day, Darilus was at Sunshine Park when he got into an argument with other men, resulting in him being shot. Darilus, who was shot in the head and the back, was taken to hospital where he died of his injuries.

Dr Caryn Sands, a forensic pathologist, testified that the positioning and trajectory of the gunshot wound to the head could not have

occurred if he had been standing.

The jury heard from Deangelo Pierre, the victim’s brother, who testified that on the day in question that he was walking in the area of Sunshine Park to get food when he was stopped by the accused, who he knew as “Robbie”.

The witness said “Robbie” accused him of breaking into his car and stealing from him. However, the victim’s brother denied this and said he only washed cars with Lorenzo Williams.

He was then slapped by “Robbie”, the jury heard.

Mr Pierre said he went home and told his mother what had occurred. They went to the Carmichael Road Police Station to file a complaint before returning home to wait for police.

His brother, Darilus, came home before going back out for a few hours.

The witness said upon his brother’s return, he called him over and suggested that they confront the man who had slapped him.

Mr Pierre said he got into his brother’s car and they went to Sunshine Park.

When they got there, Mr Pierre saw two of his brother’s friends. They also saw “Robbie” and two men unfamiliar to him.

The jury then heard that the deceased approached “Robbie” and asked him why he had slapped his brother.

Mr Pierre said his brother then slapped “Robbie” after dismissing the accusation that he had stolen from the accused.

The witness, who was seated in his brother’s car during the exchange, said he saw “Robbie” and the two strangers leave and go into the back of a house.

It was then that the victim was confronted by someone else about what he had just done. They then got into a scuffle, which left Darilus on the floor.

The witness said he saw “Robbie” and the two strangers return with guns in their hand and shot his brother as he lay on the ground. He said his brother managed to drag himself into the car before they were able to drive away from the area to try and get help.

Mr Pierre said he picked out “Robbie” from a lineup at the Central Detective Unit when asked by police to identify those involved in his brother’s death.

Dorsett, in his defence, testified that he did slap the witness after confronting him over the break-in of his car.

THREE HAVE CHARGES DROPPED OVER MURDER PLOT ALLEGATIONS

By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

THREE of four persons who were arraigned concerning allegations that they had a role in a murder plot had charges against them withdrawn.

Ian Porter, 45, Jamaric Green, 30, Caryn Moss, 25, and 37-year-old Ramon Sweeting were all brought before Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes in May facing a charge of conspiracy to commit murder under Section 89 (2) of the Penal Code, Chapter 84.

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

While no suspect has been charged with Marshall’s murder, the quartet was arraigned within days of each other when they were informed that they would not be required to enter a plea to the allegation until the matter was transferred to the Supreme Court by way of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

However, in Tuesday’s hearing, the prosecution withdrew charges against Porter, Green and Sweeting.

The case will still proceed against Moss, however, as she is scheduled to return to Magistrate’s Court on June 28 for the VBI presentation.

Porter, Green and Sweeting were represented by lawyer Jomo Campbell.

Shortly after midnight on

Sunday, May 1, police were on mobile patrol when they saw smoke coming from a vehicle in the parking lot of the old City Meat Market building located off Market Street north, according to initial police reports.

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

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However, he said, he left Sunshine Park around 7.35 pm and went to Garden Hills to see his fiancée at her aunt’s house. He said he stayed there until 9.30pm.

He said days later, on October 22, 2015, he was contacted that police were looking for him with reference to a murder.

He said he contacted the Central Detective Unit to

clear his name and agreed to meet them at McDonalds in Oakes Field.

Dorsett said he was interviewed but his lawyer at the time, Tamara Storr-Taylor, instructed him not to answer any questions pertaining to the incident.

The 22 year old returns to court on August 17 for sentencing.

He was defended by at-

torney Troy Kelman.

Maria Zancola and Algernon Allen II prosecuted the case.

PAGE 6, Friday, June 24, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

DISABLED MAN SHOT DEAD IN GRAND BAHAMA from page one

a male in his early 40s in a home with multiple gunshots to the body.

“Reports are that a group of males was seen running from a home in the area. Police quickly responded and met the lifeless body of a male in a home,” she told reporters at the scene.

When The Tribune arrived at the scene, a number of onlookers had gathered in the area and police had cordoned off a portion of Coco Plum Street, just east of Cherry Corner.

The victim, who was described as a Rastafarian paralysed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair, apparently resided in

a shack at the rear of a home on Coco Plum Street.

EMS personnel responded and pronounced the man dead at the scene.

Inspector Pinder said police do not know the motive for the shooting.

“At this time police are thoroughly investigating this matter… and combing the area to get any information we can obtained from the public. We are hoping persons who have information regarding this matter call or contact us,” she said.

Anyone with information on this incident should call police at 911/919, the nearest police station or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 328-TIPS.

THE MURDER victim’s body is taken from the scene in Grand Bahama.

Photo: Vandyke Hepburn

‘No chance’ for Butler-Turner and Sands leadership challenge JOB OPPORTUNITY

SENIOR CASE OFFICER - TECHNICAL ABOUT THE COMPANY: The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (“URCA”) of The Bahamas came into effect on 1 August 2009 as the converged regulator for the Electronic Communications Sector (ECS) – covering broadcasting, radio spectrum and electronic communications.

On January 28, 2016 URCA became the regulator of the Electricity Sector (ES) in The Bahamas. The new sector was added to URCA’s responsibilities with the passing of the Electricity Act 2015 (EA) and the URCA (Amendment) Act 2015 on December 31, 2015.

URCA is further strengthening its capacity and is seeking to employ a suitably qualified individual to fill the post of Senior Case officer - Technical in the Utilities and Energy department with the requisite competencies and experience. The position will be based in The Bahamas and will report to the Director of Utilities and Energy.

While the primary responsibilities will relate to regulation within the Electricity Sector and other utilities sectors SENIOR CASE OFFICER - TECHNICAL CORE DUTIES: • Analyze/monitor/evaluate the technical and operational performance of Electricity Sector and assess whether the regulated entities are compliant with regulatory conditions set out in the licences and relevant regulatory legislation.

• Assist URCA in ensuring that long term and investment plans are developed to provide adequate service levels • Develop standards for utility operations • Keep abreast of developments in renewable energy and energy efficiency in order to advise on the implementation of regulatory mechanisms to promote the sustainable implementation of these technologies in the Bahamas • Keep abreast with technological advancement in order to advice on impact on the regulatory framework • Monitors/evaluates the technical performance of the Utilities • Provides Technical advice and support • Maintains Records and provide Reports • Undertake any other related duties which may be assigned from time to time • Supervise staff as assigned • Provide assistance and training to develop regulatory expertise of case officers and engineers • Provide assistance in the technical regulation of other sectors regulated

by URCA as required by the Director of Utilities and Energy and other executive members from time to time.

QUALIFICATIONS, COMPETENCIES & EXPERIENCE • Master Degree in Engineering (electrical, mechanical, energy) • Professional Engineering registration in The Bahamas • A minimum of seven to ten (7-10) years progressive experience in utilities

operation, engineering and/or planning functions • Experience in electric utility regulation would be a distinct advantage • Experience/knowledge of renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency programmes will be a distinct advantage • Some commercial knowledge, including a demonstrable understanding of accounting and financial issues and economic analysis • Outstanding leadership skills in the areas of planning, organizing, coordinating and controlling, etc.

• Demonstrated outstanding analytical and research capabilities.

• Strong theoretical and practical appreciation of critical regulatory issues • Excellent strategic thinking, analytical, technical report writing skills • Excellent inter-personal skills • Demonstrated ability to interact professionally with senior industry and government personnel • Knowledge of the URCA Act, other relevant Acts and government policies relating to the regulated sectors • Working knowledge of international utility regulatory bodies • Excellent computer skills, with competency in software for power system planning, least cost development and economic dispatch of Plants and

proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point REMUNERATION & DEADLINE: URCA is a performance driven organization and offers a competitive and attractive remuneration and benefits package along with opportunities for further training and career experience. For an expanded version of the requirements of the role and more information about URCA, please visit our website: www.urcabahamas.bs INTERESTED?

Interested applicants should email their resume to: hr@urcabahamas.bs Applications should be received on or before July 8, 2016. URCA thanks all applicants for their interest but only applicants who have been short-listed and have the qualifications and experience will be contacted.

By KHRISNA VIRGIL Tribune Staff Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

LONG Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner and Senator Dr Duane Sands “don’t stand a chance” against Free National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis and Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest at the party’s upcoming national convention, former Cabinet Minister Tennyson Wells predicted yesterday.

In an interview with The Tribune, Mr Wells was adamant that the “tactical, smooth and politically savvy” Dr Minnis and Mr Turnquest had the support of the majority of the FNM’s delegates now as they had back in 2014 when they won their respective races.

At the time, the delegates elected Dr Minnis as leader of the party for a second time. On Sunday, Dr Sands announced that he and Mrs Butler-Turner are running as a team for the posts of deputy leader and leader, respectively.

Mr Wells, who resigned from the FNM in 1999 and became an independent candidate, defended Dr Minnis as party leader saying despite criticism that he is not an eloquent speaker, he maintained a record of success in his personal life and professional career. He said Dr Minnis was a true success story and possessed what was needed to unify

what appeared to be a fractured party.

“I don’t think they stand a chance,” Mr Wells said yesterday when contacted

by The Tribune.

“When he (Dr Minnis) went to the convention the last time he probably had 50 or just over 60 per cent of the council support.

“And all the media and many of the former leaders of the FNM and a couple of the oligarchic group of the FNM who believe they should control the party forever, they supported Loretta and Sands. But you see what happened, they lost. The delegates said no.”

He added: “Many of the people who were supporting Loretta and Sands them back then, they don’t support them now. So for this reason I don’t think they stand a chance, not one.”

On Monday, Dr Minnis said he had no doubt that he will emerge as leader after the July convention.

He told reporters on Monday that he had no concerns about a leadership challenge from his party’s former deputy leader, Mrs Butler-Turner.

Earlier, while making his contribution to the 2016/2017 budget debate, Dr Minnis was resolute as he addressed issues within his party, saying: “We are now preparing for a convention and I will enter as leader and I will emerge as leader of the Free National

Movement.

“The delegates, Mr Speaker, will ‘roc with doc’.

The young people will ‘roc with doc.’ The Family Islands and the entire Bahamas will ‘roc with doc.’ My deputy will ‘roc with doc.’

“As I look at their faces (government MPs) I can see their grimaces. I know, Mr Speaker, they are prepared to ‘roc with doc.’

“The 5,000 plus children that I have delivered into this world who are now able to vote will ‘roc with the doc,’” he said, referring to his time as an OB/GYN. “I say to them, Mr Speaker, I delivered (you) safely into this world and it is now time to deliver me and the FNM.” He added: “Speaker, I thank the almighty God for giving me the fortitude to persist in my duty in the face of a firestorm of criticism from within and without.”

Later responding to a question from The Tribune about the leadership race, the embattled party leader said he believed in democracy. He said the party’s delegates would remember him as a leader with concrete plans and elect him as their leader once more.

Mrs Butler-Turner and Dr Sands vied for the posts of leader and deputy leader respectively at the FNM’s convention in 2014 and lost their bids. However, they were not running as a team at the time.

‘ABSENT’ MINNIS BLASTED from page one

“Your actions and behaviour during this exercise were most disturbing! You showed absolutely no interest in the exercise!

“Your actions, sir, gave the impression, that like them, you also were not prepared. I am convinced that you did not study the budget. This was evident as your limited participation further confirmed this.

Your actions were not only egregious they were disrespectful. May I remind you a leader leads by example.

A leader sets the tone and pace for his team.”

According to Mr Grant, Dr Minnis was absent from the floor of the House of Assembly during much of Wednesday’s head-by-head exercise even though he was in Parliament.

He claimed Dr Minnis “refused to return to the floor” even after FNM Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest requested that he do so.

“Your absence was so obvious that many FNM supporters watching the proceedings began messaging a number of us, as to what was going on, inquiring why you were not present on the floor,” the email said.

“You left at about 2.30am this morning (Thursday) under the disguise of ‘you were coming down with something.’ Based on my past experience, I do not believe anything was wrong with you.

“You should be aware that two colleagues, Loret-

‘Mr Leader…you abandoned ship and left your troops on the battle field once again. I say again because on many occasions when you ‘bombed out’ during embarrassing contributions, you hastily retreated to the Committee Room or your office across the street. Sir...your behaviour and actions are unbecoming of one who wishes to lead our party and country. You missed a golden opportunity to demonstrate leadership and assist in embarrassing the PLP.’ - Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant in an email to FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis. ta Butler-Turner, who I sent home on Tuesday because she was sick, and Hubert Chipman, who was coughing so much that the clerk brought him water, stayed until we were finished.

“Mr Leader…you abandoned ship and left your troops on the battle field once again. I say again because on many occasions when you ‘bombed out’ during embarrassing contributions, you hastily retreated to the Committee Room or your office across the street.”

Mr Grant furthered: “Sir...your behaviour and actions are unbecoming of one who wishes to lead our party and country. You missed a golden opportunity to demonstrate leadership and assist in embarrassing the PLP.” The email ended with a postscript that said the communication was not copied to FNM Bamboo Town MP Renward Wells, “as his behaviour was similar to yours (Dr Minnis).”

The blistering attack on Dr Minnis comes weeks after six FNM MPs, including Mr Grant, wrote a letter to the party’s Central Council outlining Dr Minnis’ weaknesses as a leader.

In that memo, dated May 31, the MPs highlighted a myriad of Dr Minnis’ inefficiencies, including his failure to take command of the party “at almost every turn” despite their repeated efforts to support him.

And after four years at the helm of the organisation, the MPs said there was a growing “trust deficit” exacerbated by the “heartbreaking” reality that Dr Minnis “proved himself not to be a man of his word.”

They outlined their case to the council as they underscored the need for an early convention, which was later set for July 27-29.

Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner, the party’s former deputy leader, will challenge Dr Minnis for the FNM’s top post at that time.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, June 24, 2016, PAGE 7

Bishop calls equality referendum rejection a ‘fundamental mistake’

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net ANGLICAN Diocese Bishop Laish Boyd pointed yesterday to the high level of mistrust in the government and spitefulness of voters as factors that led Bahamians to make the “fundamental mistake” of rejecting the gender equality referendum.

In a reflective postmortem statement, Bishop Boyd lamented that the country has taken “several steps backwards by missing the opportunity to right some basic wrongs.”

He said it was “most unfortunate” that the concession of defeat of the June 7 vote came from a Progressive Liberal Party official rather than Prime Minister Perry Christie, a move he said that did not help the overall climate of mistrust.

Bishop Boyd underscored that the church, religious leaders, and society had a moral obligation to “ramp up” efforts to tackle the litany of social and economic problems that still faced the country.

“In my opinion, rejecting the four amendments was a fundamental mistake of huge proportions,” he said.

“Only time will reveal to us the vast and far-reaching implications of the error; but we accept the will of the majority in a democratic society and we move on.

“The four bills addressed three separate but interrelated inequities in our Constitution and one ‘catch all’ objective, all seeking to create fairness for both genders.

“They sought to establish equality in the law for men and women. ‘Equality’ does not mean seeking to make men and women the same; for we know that men and women, though complementary, are not

the same. ‘Equality’ means seeking to give the same rights and privileges to pass on citizenship to both men and women - which the present Constitution does not do – and then establishing clearly that no one must be discriminated against because of sex, ie, being male or female.

“To have an environment now where this is still not the case constitutionally, for us and for those born after June 7, 2016, is truly unfortunate.”

He added that the country “has taken several steps backwards by missing the opportunity to right some basic wrongs.”

Bishop Boyd said he was convinced that most Bahamians supported the principal of equal treatment of men and women, and having it enshrined in the Constitution.

He noted that despite educational outreach initiatives, most of the opposition to the bills stemmed from a failure to understand what they sought to accomplish.

False claims of hidden agendas, malicious intent or ulterior motives, and fears over the possible introduction of same-sex marriage also made an impact, according Bishop Boyd, who said the divergent views expressed by distinguished and prominent jurists over the necessity and projected impact of the amendments did not help.

Speaking to the high level of mistrust, Bishop Boyd drew a comparison to the circumstances of the 2002 referendum staged by a Free National Movement administration.

He maintained that the 2002 vote was weakened by a rushed process that did not provide an adequate period for information sharing and education. However, he said that he expected the 2002 referendum to pass

BISHOP Laish Boyd speaking in support of the gender referendum launch campaign at the Roman Catholic Chancery ahead of the vote.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff Bahamians on June 7, with note that, at that point in Chairman Sean McWeeney, given the substance of the questions. He pointed out “no” votes getting more the evening, relatively few who told The Tribune it that the Progressive Lib- than double the number of New Providence results – wouldn’t make sense to eral Party withdrew their “yes” votes in most constit- by far the largest voting bring the issue back in the bloc - had been released,” near future. support in 2002 and subse- uencies.

After results from just he said.

Bishop Boyd also said quently had great difficulty “This led many people it was “nagging” that the gaining support for the 2016 five constituencies were released by officials, PLP to wonder what was going country was among only vote.

Bishop Boyd said that the Chairman Bradley Rob- on and, it does not help the 27 countries in the world 2016 referendum was used erts released a statement at overall climate of mistrust.” which did not give men Hitting out at the po- and women equal rights to to “pay back” the PLP gov- 10pm appearing to concede ernment for its actions in defeat to the vote “no” cam- liticizing of the process by pass on citizenship to their proponents on both sides children with a non-citizen 2002, and also for its disre- paign.

Bishop Boyd said: of the debate, Bishop Boyd spouse. With the exception gard of the results from the “Whatever the motivation, called for “pointless” mud- of Barbados and Kiribati, 2013 gaming vote. he noted that the Bahamas “They voted ‘to spite’ the intention or source of in- slinging to stop.

Bishop Boyd said the is the only non-Muslim government, as we say in formation, it was also most unfortunate that a ‘conces- realisation that it will be country in the group.

The Bahamas,” he said.

“These are countries that “This is unfortunate, as sion of defeat’ of referen- many years before another acting out of spite in any dum 2016 came from a PLP attempt to address inequali- practice Sharia Law and circumstances is wrong, un- party official rather than ties in the Constitution can whose societies give little Christ-like and unproduc- from the prime minister of be made, was both discon- rights and no equality to the country. certing and heartbreaking. women. With the greatest tive.”

“This seemed odd. It was His comments echoed respect, this is not the comThe constitutional referendum’s amendments were especially unnerving and sentiments expressed by pany we want to keep,” he overwhelmingly rejected by disconcerting when you Constitutional Commission added.

PAGE 8, Friday, June 24, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

It’s payback time for our less than glorious leaders A Comic’s View

By INIGO ‘NAUGHTY’ ZENICAZELAYA

T

HE word of the week, my friend, appears to be ‘payback’: Prime Minister Christie lamented on it, Bran McCartney endorsed it and ‘Butler and Sands’ prepared for it.

so damaged right now Mr Christie couldn’t sell freedom in Fox Hill Prison.

Very few people trust the party or its leader for many and varying reasons.

For the electorate, there is no ‘moving on’.

Right after the failed referendum, Mr Christie should have resigned. Or at least make it plain he would It was interesting lis- not be seeking re-election tening to Prime Minister next year. He did neither.

Christie in the House this So the junkanoo beat goes week discuss the highly on. But come 2017, the PM contagious “payback syn- will realise that the 2016 drome” that apparently referendum was in fact not swept through the country payback but merely an apleading up to the country’s petiser. Believe me, Bahalast failed referendum. mians are still hungry. The According to the PM, the next general election is the temptation to go against the cold main course and no Progressive Liberal Party amount of free BPL elec(PLP) was tricity will so great that heat it up. the masses ‘Hanging, especially Speaking collectively in broad daylight of the refervoted against downtown where endum, why the gender are the Prime equality bills all the ‘good Minister and to spite the tourists’ (and their the PLP govgovernment. ‘innocent little ernment still And, as far as harping on Mr Christie tourist babies’) can about Oppois concerned, see our failures, is sition Leader now “we Dr Minnis’ a non-starter.

So must move about face on how can we take on”. the matter?

While it politicians seriously Nice try trywas good to ing to pin the see the PM who still try to sell failed vote on actually ac- us that hanging will Minnis’ slick knowledge ever be a reality in ‘vote your the fact that conscience’ the majority this country again?’ line but at of Bahamithis point ans ‘ain’t on the PLP run’ nobody cares any more. right now, I still sensed a bit Yes, we see what he did. of delusion with the whole No, we don’t know why you ‘moving on’ part. Truth were shocked, Mr Christie. be told, the PLP’s brand is ‘Vote your conscience’ is

TIT FOR TAT

PRIME Minister Perry Christie in the House this week. the political get-out-of-jailfree card. As we speak, US House Speaker Paul Ryan is playing the same card to free his members from endorsing or voting for his party’s presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Let that sink in.

By comparison, what Minnis did was a joke. And politicians the world over have long used the ‘conscience’ card to wiggle out of tricky positions. Dr Minnis played that card, and he played the PLP. Back in 2002, the Christie-led PLP opposition also pulled a bait and switch on the then Free National Movement (FNM) government. So, as the kids say on Twitter: #ChristieTaughtHim. Our dear Prime Minister Christie (who loves referring to himself in the third

person) also said that Prime Minister Christie was shocked by the “utterances of a hidden agenda”.

Really? Why? It’s been known for years that the controversial bill No.4 would present problems for the referendum.

Why didn’t the government safeguard the referendum by properly addressing that issue?

Mr Christie’s talk of syndromes brings another famous American one to mind: NIMBY. It’s an acronym for Not In My Back Yard, an ironclad position held by many Americans concerning certain unwanted developments like prisons or power plants in their neighbourhood. Well, in the Bahamas anything real or perceived having to do with the LGBT or ‘gay community’ is this country’s NIMBY. (Please pardon the pun).

From what I can see, the government failed women when they failed to tackle the issue head on. And sadly, regardless of how many times Dr Minnis ostensibly flipped or flopped, the results would have been the same.

EYE FOR AN EYE Also making news this week, Democratic National Alliance leader Branville McCartney had his own brand of payback in mind when he spoke out about the country’s crime prob-

Photo: Peter Ramsay/BIS lem that our blind Minister of National Security keeps trying to talk up.

While no one - and I mean no one from here to eternity - has faith that Minister Dr Bernard Nottage has a clue on what is happening and even less of one on how to stop it from happening, I don’t understand why Mr McCartney still speaks so superficially so publicly about capital punishment.

Because he is a learned attorney, I have no doubt that Mr McCartney has the legal prowess to take the imposition of the death penalty out of the hands of the Privy Council. Because he has experienced firsthand the cruel and unforgivable crime of having a loved one murdered, I have no doubt that he has the resolve to see justice for all murder victims.

It’s when Mr McCartney and also Dr Minnis start sounding like gangster rappers I get concerned.

Both spoke of capital punishment and the death penalty this week and used terms like ‘pop their necks’ (Minnis) and ‘they getting fat in prison’ (McCartney).

And while I agree with Dr Minnis that the criminals committing the crimes are ‘murderous scumbags’, I prefer a bit more solemnity when addressing a grave national issue such as capital punishment.

We all know that there will be no young black men hanging from nooses

in Rawson Square. We all know there will be no flogging (as McCartney previously suggested) in Rawson Square.

Hanging, especially in broad daylight downtown where all the ‘good tourists’ (and their ‘innocent little tourist babies’) can see our failures, is a non-starter. So how can we take politicians seriously who still try to sell us that hanging will ever be a reality in this country again?

We shouldn’t take them seriously.

Trust me, I’m not down with the bleeding hearts. I personally believe in capital punishment, once justice has run its fair and proper course and all appeals have been heard.

In order for it to make sense in this country we have to address judicial reform, the appeals process and the manner by which we would carry out such sentences. Hanging is untenable. Lethal injection is palatable.

So instead of sounding ‘cool’ on capital punishment, I wish both Dr Minnis and Mr McCartney would give us detailed plans on how we move from a 19th century mentality on crime to 21st century actionability on crime.

Capital punishment is an option that should not be unilaterally taken off the table by the Privy Council.

Leaders should speak to that and save the ‘popping collars’ and ‘popping necks’ talk to Snoop Dogg.

REPRISALS This past week FNM senator Dr Duane Sands announced that he will seek the deputy leader post when the party goes to convention in July. He also informed us that Loretta Butler-Turner will once again seek the leadership position of the party. The duo will go head-to-head with current leader Dr Hubert Minnis and deputy leader K Peter Turnquest. In other words, round two.

I’m still mulling over each group’s chances at winning and will speak on it more in the coming weeks. But just like Facebook I am having a chuckle that the ‘Butler and Sands’ hash tag that has been floating around social media for a few weeks before the announcement has indeed come to life. #LOL #OnlyInTheBahamas #ButlerAndSands #Cheers.

• Inigo ‘Naughty’ Zenicazelaya is the resident stand-up comic at Jokers Wild Comedy Club at the Atlantis, Paradise Island, resort and presents ‘Mischief and Mayhem in da AM’ from 6am to 10am, Monday to Friday, and ‘The Press Box’ sports talk show on Sunday from 10am to 1pm on KISS FM 96.1.

He also writes a sports column in The Tribune on Tuesday. Comments and questions to naughty@

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, June 24, 2016, PAGE 9

Minnis backs assistance for poor over electric bills

By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net

FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday he supports the government’s proposal to assist thousands of poor Bahamians who were unable to pay their electricity bills and were “taken off the grid.”

However, Dr Minnis told The Tribune that the government’s plan should be carefully scrutinised to ensure that those who need the help, get the help.

“Anything that can be done to assist the poor, I support, but this proposal should be analysed and reviewed.

“The entire situation needs to be looked at again, but poor people are entitled to the same quality of life as others. Finances should not be an obstacle in quality of life. I am the product of the poor, I came from the poor and I believe the poor should be given the same chances as those who have.”

On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minis-

ter of Works Phillip “Brave” Davis announced that the government is working on a series of operational agreements with Bahamas Power and Light to write off many of the corporation’s delinquent accounts, potentially returning some 3,000 users back to the grid.

Mr Davis, who has responsibility for BPL, told reporters that he has already approached BPL with hopes of getting them to forgive the debts of consumers who have been unable to settle balances for prolonged periods of time.

He said he has been informed that some 3,000 persons have fallen into this classification, insisting officials now have to look at these clients on a case-bycase basis to determine how best to resolve each matter. He said he personally knows consumers who have outstanding balances well beyond $5,000.

Mr Davis said the potential to forgive those outstanding balances remains just one aspect of ongoing discussions between the Christie administration and

PowerSecure – BPL’s management company.

The Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) launched an electricity assistance programme in June 2013 in an effort to reconnect more than 7,000 delinquent residential customers.

BEC, which was renamed BPL earlier this year, ran another programme that month that offered residential customers in arrears who paid their outstanding bill in full a 10 per cent discount.

Residential customers who continued to pay their bills on time in June, July and August 2013 received a two per cent discount on each of those bills.

The two-tiered campaign was expected to provide relief to customers and help improve the corporation’s financial state.

At the time, then BEC Chairman Leslie Miller revealed that 90 per cent of BEC’s 65,000 residential customers were more than 90 days past due - with approximately $26m in arrears.

CONVICTION RATE NOW 71%, SAYS ATTORNEY GENERAL from page one

“We have modernised the court facilities through use of technology. We have decreased the backlog in the courts.

“We have increased the speed of criminal prosecutions. We have increased the efficiency of the system and of prosecutions. We have reduced the adjournments and we have fasttracked cases. We have produced witness protection services to the individuals who require these services.

We have increased the rate of convictions of matters going to trial as a result of better collaboration with investigators and prosecutors and with witnesses.”

Conviction rates have gradually improved over the past four years even as the number of trials the Office of the Attorney General has pursued in the Supreme Court has also significantly risen, she said.

In 2012, 118 trials took place in the Supreme Court; 232 took place by the end of 2015 and that record is expected to be topped this year, she said.

Mrs Maynard-Gibson used the statistics to contrast the Christie administration’s performance with that of the former Ingraham administration.

She also emphasised that

families hurt by violent crime need closure as soon as possible.

She said the former Free National Movement administration presided over an inefficient system and she knocked the former administration for abandoning the Swift Justice programme when it came to power in 2007.

“One murder is one murder too many,” she said.

“But the point is, for those families that have been turned apart from such trauma, it’s the obligation of the system to bring comfort to those families by rapidly dealing with these matters.

We inherited a badly broken system that cannot be fixed overnight. We want our system to work so that a grieving family could put that trauma behind them.”

“What is Swift Justice?” she asked as she spoke about the signature programme of her tenure as attorney general. “Swift arrests, swift presentations of voluntary bill of indictments, swift trials, swift prosecutions, swift sentencing if guilty.”

She told The Tribune yesterday that she would provide statistics on the number of nolle prosequi presented and discharges to give a full picture of the results from cases brought to the Supreme Court.

In addition to pursuing

more cases and securing better conviction rates during the past four years than previously, Mrs MaynardGibson said her office is having success reducing the backlog of cases that have long burdened the justice system.

There were 1,059 backlogged cases in 2012, whereas as part of a gradual decline in this area there are 737 such cases today, she said.

She announced that Chief Justice Hartman Longley has agreed to her request to have one judge assigned to deal exclusively with backlogged cases, a change in practice.

In 2015, seven murder trials were completed within a 12-month period, she said, calling this an unprecedented achievement.

Quick use of voluntary bill of indictments is a major reason behind the speedier trials, she added, explaining that whereas on average it took 344 days for lawyers in 2012 to present judges with an VBI, it takes on average 70 days for that to happen now.

The number of bail applications being made per year is also on the decline, she said, noting that in 2014 there were 1,109 such applications made, whereas not more than 902 such applications are projected for this year.

MINNIS PROMISES REFERENDUM ON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IF HE BECOMES PM from page one

the killing merit the imposition of a death sentence and the Court of Appeal agrees, the sentence should not be appealed to any other court anywhere else in the world.

On Tuesday in the House of Assembly, Dr Minnis said that the necks of “murderous scumbags” in the country must be “popped” as he castigated the Christie administration for failing “miserably” in its obligation to keep Bahamians safe.

He said until festering crime levels in The Bahamas could be controlled, the economy would fail to grow.

“I will do everything in my power to ensure that we start hanging these murderers,” Dr Minnis said when contacted on Thursday.

“I want to amend the Constitution so murder cases will only go as far as the Court of Appeal right here and would no longer go to the Privy Council. I will do everything to carry out the law and the law says hang so that is what I will do. “This issue will be discussed and debated in the House of Assembly and then taken to the people. We will have this referendum because I am a strong advocate and believer of hanging. The crime has to stop and this is just one way we will attempt to stop it.”

The London-based Privy Council, the country’s highest court, has been portrayed as an obstacle to the Bahamas carrying out the death penalty after declaring in 2006 that the country’s mandatory death penalty upon a murder conviction was

unconstitutional.

Five years later, in June 2011, the high court overturned Maxo Tido’s death sentence in connection with the killing 16-year-old Donnell Connover, whose body was found off Cowpen Road, battered and bruised, her skull crushed. There was additional evidence that parts of her body were burned after her death.

But the Privy Council concluded that the murder was not an example of the “worst of the worst.”

In November 2011, Parliament passed legislation to define the types of murder constituting the “worst of the worst” guidelines set out by the high court.

The last execution of a convicted murderer was the hanging of David Mitchell in 2000 under the former FNM administration.

DR Hubert Minnis pictured in the House of Assembly.

JOB OPPORTUNITY

SENIOR CASE OFFICER - ECONOMICS ABOUT THE COMPANY: The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (“URCA”) of The Bahamas came into effect on 1 August 2009 as the converged regulator for the Electronic Communications Sector (ECS) – covering broadcasting, radio spectrum and electronic communications.

On January 28, 2016 URCA became the regulator of the Electricity Sector (ES) in The Bahamas. The new sector was added to URCA’s responsibilities with the passing of the Electricity Act 2015 (EA) and the URCA (Amendment) Act 2015 on December 31, 2015.

URCA is further strengthening its capacity and is seeking to employ a suitably qualified individual to fill the post of Senior Case Officer, Economics in the Utilities and Energy department with the requisite competencies and experience. The position will be based in The Bahamas and will report to the Director of Utilities and Energy.

SENIOR CASE OFFICER - ECONOMICS CORE DUTIES: • Analyze/monitor/evaluate the financial, economic and operational performance of utilities in the Electricity Sector and assess whether the utilities are likely to meet economic regulation conditions set out in their licences and relevant regulatory measures • Research best practices in utilities regulation and recommend policy • Lead the assessment of the development plans for the electricity sector • Develop and monitor standards for the electricity industry • Assist URCA in ensuring that the operation of the sector is fair and

transparent and that Plants are utilized in the most efficient and cost effective manner • Assist in the development of the regulatory framework for and take the lead in implementing economic regulation of the Electricity sector • Assist in enforcement of regulations and licence conditions • Evaluate rate applications for Electricity • Any other relevant duties which may be assigned from time to time • Work in close liaison with URCA team members in the performance of various regulatory activities • Research, develop and maintain awareness of best practices in utility regulation analysis and disseminate findings to staff • Make recommendations on the optimal development plan for the electricity sector • Make recommendations to on standards for the efficient performance of the electricity sector • Monitor the financial and operational performance of the electricity market

to ensure that objectives are realized and efficiency maintained • Prepare and submit periodic reports as required and assist in ensuring that the Annual Report is completed on time in accordance with established procedure • Perform the detailed work for the economic regulation of the Electricity market and provide advice and support • Monitor international utility input costs and prices to consumers, particularly in countries having similar economic conditions to The Bahamas • Supervise staff as assigned • Provide assistance and training to develop regulatory expertise of case officers • Provide assistance in the economic regulation of other sectors regulated

by URCA as required by the Director of Utilities and Energy and other executive members from time to time QUALIFICATIONS, COMPETENCIES & EXPERIENCE • Master degree in Economics, Engineering or Regulation • A minimum of Eight (8) years post-graduate experience with at least five (5) years of experience working in utility regulation either with company or regulatory agency with increasing responsibilities and demonstrated technical competencies • Outstanding leadership skills in the areas of planning, organizing, coordinating and controlling, etc.

• Demonstrated outstanding analytical and research capabilities • Demonstrated understanding of the financial, and economic/ technical factors underpinning the performance of all Utilities, but in particular Electricity, in order to develop pricing models • Strong theoretical and practical appreciation of critical regulatory issues • Good strategic thinking, analytical, technical report writing skills • Demonstrated ability to interact professionally with senior industry and government personnel • Knowledge of the URCA Act, other relevant Acts and government policies relating to the regulated sectors • Working knowledge of international utility regulatory bodies • Computer literacy with proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and data base tools REMUNERATION & DEADLINE: URCA is a performance driven organization and offers a competitive and attractive remuneration and benefits package along with opportunities for further training and career experience. For an expanded version of the requirements of the role and more information about URCA, please visit our website: www.urcabahamas.bs INTERESTED?

Interested applicants should email their resume to: hr@urcabahamas.bs

Applications should be received on or before July 8, 2016. URCA thanks all applicants for their interest but only applicants who have been short-listed and have the qualifications and experience will be contacted.

PAGE 10, Friday, June 24, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

Britain votes to leave the European Union LONDON Associated Press THE British pound plunged to a 31-year low Friday as results in the country’s European Union referendum gave the “leave” side a small but growing lead.

The figures delivered a deep shock to financial markets, overturning earlier anticipation of a narrow victory for “remain”.

The pound initially soared as polls closed and two opinion surveys put “remain” ahead and two leading supporters of the “leave” campaign said it appeared the pro-EU side had won. But it then suffered one of its biggest one-day falls in history, plummeting more than 10 percent in six hours, from about $1.50 to below $1.35 as results suggested a strong possibility the UK would vote to quit the bloc.

“The dawn is breaking on an independent United Kingdom,” UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage said to loud cheers at a “leave” campaign party.

“Let June 23 go down in our history as our independence day!”

As results poured in, a picture emerged of a sharply divided nation: Strong pro-EU votes in the economic and cultural powerhouse of London and semiautonomous Scotland were countered by sweeping anti-Establishment sentiment for an exit across the rest of England, from southern seaside towns to rust-belt former industrial powerhouses in the north.

“A lot of people’s grievances are coming out and we have got to start listening to them,” said deputy Labour Party leader John McDonnell.

The “leave” campaign had a lead over “remain” with about 70 percent of voting districts reporting.

Turnout was above 70 percent — higher than the 66 percent in last year’s general election.

“Few ‘remain’ strongholds are doing better than expected,” said John Curtice, a University of Strathclyde political scientist and BBC election analyst.

NIGEL FARAGE, the leader of the UK Independence Party, celebrates and poses for photographers as he leaves a “Leave.EU” organization party for the British European Union membership referendum in London.

There was better news in But he walked back those cent of voters chose “leave,” “There are far more places If “leave” wins, he may where ‘leave’ are doing bet- London, where many areas comments later, telling re- a bigger-than expected mar- have no choice but to rehad strong “remain” ma- porters at a “leave” party gin. ter than expected.” sign. in central London that Polls had for months “It may be possible that jorities.

“If the prime minister As polls closed Thurs- “maybe just under half, suggested a close battle, loses this I don’t see how he the experts are going to have egg on their face later day, pollster Ipsos MORI maybe just over half of the although the past few days can survive as prime minissaid a survey conducted on country” had voted to pull have seen some indication ter,” said Scottish National on tonight,” he said.

A vote to leave the EU Wednesday and Thursday Britain out of the EU. And of momentum swinging to- Party lawmaker Alex Salwould destabilise the 28-na- suggested the “remain” side by early morning he was de- ward the “remain” side. But mond. “Talk about lame tion trading bloc, created would win Britain’s EU ref- claring the dawn of a new torrential rains, especially ducks. This would be a duck in the “remain” stronghold with no legs and no stability from the ashes of World erendum by a margin of 54 era.

The high turnout had of London, raised fears of whatsoever.”

War II to keep the peace in percent to 46 percent.

Earlier Thursday, the been expected to boost the diminished turnout. LonEurope. A “remain” vote At a referendum night would nonetheless leave firm had released a poll that “remain” vote, because don’s Fire Brigade took 550 party at the London School Britain divided and the EU indicated a 52-48 victory “leave” supporters are weather-related calls as the of Economics, Kevin Feathfor “remain.” That phone thought to be more moti- capital was hit by heavy pre- erstone, the head of the Euscrambling to reform.

The Betfair market pre- poll of 1,592 people had vated. But high turnout in cipitation, thunderstorms ropean Institute, said that dicted an 81 percent chance a margin of error of plus working-class areas that and lightning strikes. Some whichever way things went, of Britain leaving the EU, or minus three percent- typically have lower tallies polling stations were forced the vote should serve as a and bookies made Brexit age points. But the firm’s could also boost the “leave” to close because of flood- wakeup call to politicians ing. the favorite outcome for the chief executive, Ben Page, vote. across the continent. said continued polling on “I think it is going to be Prime Minister David first time.

“One of the deeper headThe first results, from Thursday suggested a big- really close,” said photog- Cameron, who called the lines from tomorrow, of a England’s working-class ger swing to “remain” that rapher Antony Crolla, 49, referendum and led the “re- narrow victory either way, outside a London polling main” campaign, faces an is that wider Europe has got northeast, were a smaller- gave the 54-46 result.

As polls closed, Farage station. uncertain future whichever to learn the lesson about than-expected “remain” That was certainly the side wins. Almost half the how to re-engage with orwin in Newcastle and a big- set a downbeat tone for the ger-than-expected “leave” supporters of a British exit case in Newcastle, a city lawmakers from his Con- dinary publics,” he said. vote in nearby Sunderland. — or Brexit — from the which had been expected to servative Party backed an “We can see across Europe The “leave” side also out- EU, telling Sky News televi- deliver a resounding victory EU exit, and the “leave” countries which have been performed expectations sion “it looks like ‘remain’ for “remain.” Instead, the campaign was led by po- ... far bigger supporters of in other areas of England, will edge it” in the referen- pro-Europe side squeaked tential leadership rivals, the European Union for a though “remain” was ahead dum, sending the pound to by with 50.7 percent of the including former London number of years starting to a 2016 peak of $1.50. vote. In Sunderland, 61 per- Mayor Boris Johnson. in early Scottish results. have serious doubts.”

MARION BETHEL APPOINTED TO UN COMMITTEE ON DISCRIMINATION MARION Bethel, the noted Bahamian attorney and author, is among 11 experts elected to serve on the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, replacing those whose four-year terms will expire at the end of 2016.

Mrs Bethel was endorsed

by CARICOM and also received widespread support from many Asian, African

and European countries.

She was among those elected from 25 candidates in a secret ballot in New York on Wednesday.

Comprising 23 independent experts serving in their personal capacity, the committee monitors the implementation of the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women by States parties. The con-

vention is an international treaty adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979 and described as an international bill of rights for women.

The newly elected experts will serve on CEDAW from January 1, 2017, until December 31, 2019.

“Each expert serves a four-year term and elections are held every two years, ensuring a balance

between continuity and change in the committee’s composition,” according to a UN press release.

Melanie Griffin, the minister of social services and community development, pointed to Mrs Bethel’s advocacy on behalf of women and her impeccable credentials as making her an excellent candidate to represent the Bahamas.

As a partner with Sears

& Co Chambers in Nassau, Mrs Bethel’s practice includes administrative law, company law, commercial law, contracts, conveyancing, immigration law, insurance law and matrimonial law. She was admitted as an attorney to the Bars in England and Wales and the Bahamas.

Mrs Bethel received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish with honours

at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. She attended Wolfson College, Cambridge University in England and received her Bachelor of Arts in Law. In England she pursued her certificate of legal education at the Council of Legal Education. Mrs Bethel attended Columbia University in New York, where she pursued her Master of Arts degree.

DOLLAR THAT COULD RAISES DOLLARS THAT WILL HELP NEEDY THE first annual The Dollar that Could Project silent auction and cocktail reception was a success, organisers said.

The event, held at The Pelican Bay resort in Grand Bahama, drew a great crowd of bidders and had a very festive atmosphere.

Among the silent auction items were a collection of Harl Taylor Bags, week-

end get aways to The Hope Town Harbour Lodge, Sandals in Exuma, and art and jewellery pieces.

The Dollar that Could Project (TDTC) is raising funds for The Grand Bahama Children’s Home, Humane Society of Grand Bahama, and The Pilot Club of Lucaya. Event organisers said the auction raised at least $10,000 and

all proceeds will go directly to the participating charities for their various projects.

Tip Burrows, executive director of The Humane Society of Grand Bahama, underscored the importance of the event.

“The Humane Society is it for the animals in Grand Bahama. The other participating charities are also

doing tremendous work in the community as we all are dealing with persons and animals who are disadvantaged, neglected, or abused.”

“The one common thread we all have is we are trying to restore hope, whether its for animals, people, and children, we need so much help to do that, and it’s important that we not lose

sight of the needs of the community,” Ms Burrows said.

TDTC raised $18,000 last year for its first instalment of the project.

Atario Mitchell, president of Caribbean Pavement Solutions, said he was extremely happy to see the level of support from the Grand Bahama community.

“The project is about impacting lives, being your brother’s keeper, and three charity organisations coming together for a common goal,” Mr Mitchell said.

He added that he hopes Grand Bahamians will continue to support the project because one dollar can go a long way to assist the charities with the work they do on the island.

LECTURE SERIES TO PUT THE FOCUS ON YOUTH AND WOMEN

By ALEXANDER HAWKINS

THE second in a series of four distinguished lectures facilitated by the Department of Co-operative Development within the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources takes place next week with the emphasis on youth and women’s participation in co-operative entrepreneurship.

Tuesday’s lecture will be given by Calnan Weech on

the “Role of Co-operatives in Economic Development and Co-op Youth Development” at the College of the Bahamas.

Mr Weech is the Senior Director of Information Technology with the Island Hotel Company, parent company of the Atlantis Paradise Island resort and has experience in the co-operative sector. At Queen’s College, under his supervision, the pupils saved a total of $30,000. Judy Simmons,

the Director of Societies (Acting) in the department, told The Tribune that Mr Weech “understands the importance of the sector”, adding that the lecture would continue to promote “entrepreneurial co-ops” as a productive part of the Bahamian economy, as well as increasing the participation of women and the youth in the field.

The aim of the series launched earlier this year

by V Alfred Gray, the

Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources - is the increase of co-operative membership, with a rise in an awareness of how Bahamians can maximise limited resources to improve themselves and the country economically. It would also help align The Bahamas with mandatory sustainable development goals.

Members of government are expected to attend along with representatives

from the North Eastern Pastor’s Alliance as well as specialists in engineering and environmental issues.

The first lecture in the series was given by Dr Kenneth Rogers, an entrepreneurial Bahamian opthamologist, in April.

He identified factors that contribute to poverty, presented statistics on the level of unemployment and how it affects the economy and outlined how embracing opportunities can lead to

becoming an entrepreneur.

It was well attended by the public.

The remaing two lectures are scheduled for September 20, with Dr Olivia Saunders speaking on economic inclusivity, and December 13, with Dr Keith Major on leadership development. All of the remaining lectures will take place at the Harry C Moore Library and Information Centre at COB’s Oakes Field campus.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, June 24, 2016, PAGE 11

CAMP BRINGS TOGETHER EDUCATION AND KARTING

By ALEXANDER HAWKINS

BAHAMIAN instructors will be involved in this year’s Edukarting Summer Camp for the first time as former students of the programme, which started four years ago, return to teach a new generation of the country’s karters.

Craig Camilleri, the head instructor of the two-week camp which starts on Monday, June 27, told The Trib-

BREEF summer at sea BREEF. - Bahamas Reef Environment Education Foundation (BREEF) kicked off their ‘sun’sational summer at sea with its ‘Learn-to-Snorkel’ BREEF members event on Saturday, June 18. Both novice and experienced snorkelers explored shallow waters near ‘The Caves’ West Bay Street, Nassau, to identify reef fish and other sea critters. Sponsors included the Moore Bahamas Foundation, RBC volunteers, Tentthe-Event and CA Christie Real Estate.

Casuarina McKinneyLambert, BREEF Executive Director said that the event is one of benefits that the annual $20 membership includes. “Over the course of the afternoon event, we had about 50 people of various ages and skills; it was lots of fun and we will have a few more events for our members and children over the coming months, including the Nassau BREEF Sea Camp starting on the 27th June. One of our messages is to always enjoy the magnificent marine environment, but to remember to swim responsibly - drink plenty of water, wear coralsafe sunscreen, always swim with a buddy, stay alert for water craft and take your trash home!”

Visit www.breef.org to learn about more BREEF summer activities.

Cycling Club Bahamas Cycling Club Bahamas. Upcoming events: Weekday rides east, morning, Tuesday & Thursday leaving 5am sharp from Sea Grapes Shopping Centre, East Prince Charles Drive. This ride is a 17-mile

JOIN THE CLUB OUR Clubs and Societies page is a chance for you to share your group’s activities with our readers.

To feature on our Clubs and Societies page, submit your report to clubs@ tribunemedia.net, with “Clubs Page” written in the subject line.

For more information about the page, contact Stephen Hunt on 5022373 or 447-3565.

une that his former students had now “gained enough knowledge to teach” and that the organisers were “really pleased to have our first Bahamian instructors”.

Mr Camilleri has a wealth of experience in motorsport, having worked in karting for two decades, as well as racing for Wales, and competing in the worldfamous Le Mans 24 hour race in France.

The Edukarting proloop to the Northbound Paradise Island Bridge and back again (both bridges are sometimes incorporated depending on available time). Open to riders capable of 18 mph + for 1 hour.

Lights are essential.

Weekday rides, west, morning, leaving 4:45am sharp from Fidelity Bank Parking Lot (opposite Cable Beach Police Station), West Bay St. This ride is a 20-mile loop. The route is varied. Open to riders capable of 18mph+ for 1 hr.

Lights are essential. Contact Shantell to confirm your attendance.

Afternoon, Tuesdays & Thursdays leaving 5:30pm sharp from Old Fort Shopping Center east of Solomon’s Fresh Market. This ride is 18-20 miles depending on whether you choose to do a second loop. Recommended for strong riders capable of 20mph+ for 1-1.5hrs. Intermediate Riders 18-22mph -see Spyda Weekend rides, Saturdays leaving 6:00am sharp from Harbour Bay Shopping Centre in front of First Caribbean Bank (Starbuck’s) 30-40 miles headed West. In order to complete this ride it is recommended that you have done some recent cycling!

Leaving P/I Bridges optional at the end. The pace will range from 18–20+mph, 2.5 hour duration Sundays leaving 6am sharp from Harbour Bay Shopping Centre in front of First Caribbean Bank (Starbuck’s) 40-50 miles headed East. This ride is not recommended if you have not cycled recently or first timers! P/I Bridges optional at the end! The pace will range from 18–20+mph, 33.5 hour duration (cyclists are invited to join in anywhere along the route).

Adelaide Village Church would like some cyclists to turn up at Adelaide Park this Saturday to give the kids and adults some inspiration on a six-mile bike ride. The Bike-A-Thon starts at 7:30am. It would be a great community service.

Directions: Inside Pink wall at the western end Adelaide Road. Contact Christine Stubbs on 557-1307.

Youth cycling developmental programme, each Saturday at The Tracks, contact Barron on 552-5128 for more information.

July 2 & 3 Independence T/T & Road Race, Nassau.

July 16 Seagillian Cycling Fest, Spanish Wells, Eleuthera.

July 22-25 Team GearedUp to NYC “Tour of Hilltown”.

gramme aims to teach young Bahamians between 11 and 16 how to compete in motorsport whilst inculcating key skills for all walks of life. Mr Camilleri said that the summer camp sought to improve the student’s “mechanics, art and design, public speaking, financial planning, discipline and, of course, driving”.

Bringing together students from differing schools and backgrounds, the course

makes students “responsible for everything, from the team name and logo to their budget (and) timekeeping”.

The students’ performance is judged on their planning and teamwork as well as their driving ability, with the final day culminating in a team time trial to crown the winner of the competition.

Mr Camilleri said there was an emphasis on taking the children out of their

comfort zone, explaining that “we do not let anyone shy away from something they have never done before”. This, he says, pays dividends in the future as “past graduates use the skills they have learned in Edukarting to help them in job interview situations as they have knowledge of how to present themselves and speak in public”.

In this way, the students will learn to “act profes-

THE PRESENTATION of a golf cart to be used on the grounds of Government House.

August 13 & 14 Viva! Bahamas Invitational T/T & Road Race Nassau, Bahamas.

September 11-18 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final Cozumel, Mexico http://cozumel.triathlon. org/event/schedule/ September 24 Potcakeman main event triathlon, Nassau, Bahamas February 4 - 2nd Annual Bahamas Medical Center Dri Tri February 18 Ride for Hope, Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera.

Rotary Club Rotary Club. - Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling accepts a golf cart donated by Felix Stubbs, District Governor and other members of Rotary District 7020 to be used on the grounds of Government House, on Monday, June 20, 2016. Pictured from left: Bridgette Rolle, President Rotary Club, South East Nassau; Mr. Stubbs; H.E. Dame Marguerite Pindling; Karen Pinder, Assistant Governor and Diane de Cardenas, President-elect, East Nassau.

THE LEARN to snorkel event held by BREEF.

sionally and conduct themselves in a mature manner”.

The Edukarting summer camp is comprised of two week-long programmes from June 27 to July 8 and 60 students will take part.

Held at Doris Johnson Senior High School, Prince Charles Drive, the cost of a week is $25. There are still places available in the second week and anyone interested should contact Mya Curry at 451-6939.

PAGE 12, Friday, June 24, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

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$ 7.25

$ 4.35

$ 16.73

$ 10.04

$ 11.95

$

$ 13.49

$ 5.40

$ 12.95

$

$ 20.05

$ 8.02

WAS

NOW

ENTWINE MERLOT

750ML

B & G ROSE D’ANJOU

750ML

LAMOTHE PARROT MELLOW RESERVE BLACKSTONE CHARDONNAY

750ML

HARDYS NOT T HILL CHARD(6) HARDYS STAMP CABERNET

750ML

750ML

PASQUA PINOT GRIGIO CHARD MASI BARDOLINO CLASSICO

750ML

750ML

750ML

7.54

7.17

5.18

JOSE CUERVO REPOSASO 1800

$ 27.50

$ 22.00

ZACAPA CENTENARIO

$ 71.63

$ 57.30

ABSOLUT CITRON VODKA 1.75L

$ 28.14

$ 22.00

ABSOLUT MANDARIN VODKA 1.75L

$ 28.14

$ 22.00

BELVEDERE INTENSE LITRE

$ 53.95

$ 32.37

BEEFEATER GIN

$ 29.72

$ 17.83

BAILEYS CARAMEL LITRE

$ 30.98

$ 18.59

CIROC AMARET TO

$ 45.16

$ 27.10

$ 44.42

$ 26.65

$ 52.09

$ 23.00

$ 16.50

$

750ML

1.75L

LITRE

JOHNNIE WALKER RED

1.25L

10 CANE LITRE CASK & CREAM CHOCOLATE

750ML

9.00

* Visit 700 Wines & Spirits for more sale items.

Not all products available in every 700 Wines & Spirits. Image representative only; larger bottle sizes available in-stores.

Sale ends September 30th 2016 or while supplies last. * VAT not included.