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By TANEKA THOMPSON Tribune News Editor tmthompson@tribunemedia.net

THE current state of the Free National Movement is “distressing� to former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, who told The Tribune yesterday the Official Opposition has to put in a lot of work to win over voters whose minds have been “poisoned� by months of public infighting.

In a break from his traditional silence on national issues, Mr Ingraham also revealed that late last year he staved off the first threat from five FNM MPs to have Dr Hubert Minnis removed as leader through a petition to Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling.

Mr Ingraham also stressed that the now six MPs who have voiced concerns with Dr Minnis should not face retribution, saying he was “disappointed� that the FNM leader refused to answer clearly

when asked by the media on Monday what will happen to these politicians if he retains his post.

He also gave insight into the relationship he has with the man who has assumed control of the party he led for 19 years, revealing that he has counselled Dr Minnis on a number of party matters only to be frequently surprised when the Killarney MP made a decision that was contrary to the advice given.

MINNIS RALLY PAGES 2&3 LORETTA BLASTS PM - PAGE FIVE And while he did not endorse a candidate for FNM leader, Mr Ingraham said he hopes whoever wins the party’s leadership race on Friday is more “inclined towards listening to what I say�.

Asked if he was disappointed in the state of the FNM, he said: “I think disappointed is a mild word, I am distressed by it. “I have spoken to everybody who is anybody in that context and things get patched up a bit for a short while and go back to where they are. I hope that this convention settles it all. I was disappointed to see in the paper this morning that Dr Minnis did not give a clear and concise answer to the question as to what will happen to these six MPs if he wins – because if he wins, the six MPs will still be MPs. “If he wins, he will be the leader so they will have to live and co-operate in this big FNM tent together. If either side feels the other side is seeking to be rid of them, they will do what is natural for human beings, take counter measures to protect their own interests.�

SEE PAGE FIVE

FORMER Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham speaking during an interview with The Tribune yesterday ahead of the start of the FNM convention.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

CHRISTIE ADMINISTRATION WAS ‘DEAD WRONG’ ON BAHA MAR

By TANEKA THOMPSON Tribune News Editor tmthompson@tribunemedia.net

THE Christie administration was “dead wrong� to force Baha Mar into provisional liquidation and should have allowed developer Sarkis Izmirlian’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy process to play out in a US court, former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said yesterday.

Mr Ingraham also predicted that the resort will not open before the next general election, charging that anyone saying differently is only “flamming� or

deceiving the public.

His comments came during a broad interview with The Tribune at his law office in Caves Village, where he spoke on a range of issues including the state of the Free National Movement since his retirement and Prime Minister Perry Christie.

His remarks came a week after Mr Christie said the government was “closer than we’ve ever been before� to getting the beleaguered resort open. “The government was dead wrong to put Baha Mar in liquidation,� Mr Ingraham stressed. “It

made a big mistake when it said that it was against the sovereign interest of the Bahamas for Baha Mar to go into Chapter 11 in the United States. We’ve had that experience before, (the former) Resorts International - Paradise Island - was in Chapter 11 in America when Mr Pindling was prime minister and when Christie was a minister. “When (Sol) Kerzner bought Paradise Island, he bought it out of Chapter 11. So we have experience with how Chapter SEE PAGE SIX

INGRAHAM: MINNIS ABUSED HIS POWER IN REMOVING CASH AS DELEGATE

By TANEKA THOMPSON Tribune News Editor tmthompson@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis abused his power when he removed former Chairman Darron Cash

from the party’s Executive Committee recently, former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham told The Tribune yesterday.

Because of his removal, Mr Cash, who has openly supported Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner in

her leadership bid, is no longer able to vote during the FNM’s convention this week.

Mr Ingraham said Dr Minnis contacted him about concerns that the former senator was Mrs ButlerTurner’s campaign manager

and said he was considering removing Mr Cash from the committee.

The former North Abaco MP said he counselled Dr Minnis against the decision and thought the matter had been resolved. The fact that Dr Minnis went

‘I PRAYED WITH MEN WHO ROBBED ME’

JAMAICAN DETAINED WITHOUT TRIAL IS AWARDED $125,000

By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net  RENOWNED psychiatrist Dr David Allen said he prayed with the three young men who held him at gunpoint during a home invasion early yesterday morning.

In an interview with The Tribune hours after the ordeal, Dr Allen said he felt God’s presence during the SEE PAGE EIGHT

By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A JAMAICAN who spent nine years in and out of prison and the Carmichael Road Detention Centre without trial was awarded a $125,000 settlement in Supreme Court yesterday.

Matthew Sewell made a return appearance before Senior Justice Stephen Isaacs who, last October, ordered his immediate re-

ahead with the move is “distressing� and a “black mark against him,� Mr Ingraham added.

His comments came when asked if he thought the delegate selection process for the upcoming convention had been transparent.

lease from the detention facility.

Yesterday’s status hearing was held to update the judge concerning ongoing discussions between counsel for Mr Sewell and the Crown on an appropriate amount in damages and taxation for the time he was detained at the Department of Correctional Services and the Detention Centre without trial.

SEE PAGE EIGHT

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

Mr Ingraham said: “I don’t know enough about the process to be able to comment on it except I know about one case that was concerning to me. “It came to my attention SEE PAGE THREE

POLICE STOLE $22,000 DURING TRAFFIC STOP

By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net  TWO Royal Bahamas Police Force officers were fired on Monday after they were convicted of stealing nearly $22,000 from a man during a traffic stop in Grand Bahama on Saturday.

According to sources, the officers, both constables, pulled over a car around SEE PAGE EIGHT

PAGE 2 , Wednesday, July 27, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

ROC WIT DOC RALLY ON EVE OF CONVENTION AS the FNM geared up for convention, party leader Dr Hubert Minnis - whose position is being challenged by Loretta Butler-Turner MP - held a Roc Wit Doc rally at Arawak Cay last night.

The crowd came out to the event, billed as a pre-convention rally, with the convention itself due to start today. See www.tribune242.com for ongoing live coverage through the convention.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

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THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, July 27, 2016, PAGE 3

MPs told to support leader or get the hell out of their seats

By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

MAURICE Moore, regarded as one of the Free National Movement’s founding fathers, last night chastised the opposition MPs who oppose Free National Movement chief Dr Hubert Minnis, saying if they cannot support their leader they should “get the hell out of the seats” they occupy in the House of Assembly.

His strong rebuke of the six MPs who threatened to have Dr Minnis constitutionally removed as opposition leader if he did not agree to an early convention, came as he took the stage to support the Killarney MP in his final bid to shore up the support of delegates as the party kicks off its national convention today.

“The reason why I am here tonight is to tell you that on Friday night you have the chance to send a resounding message to all FNMs throughout this country. Give your leader a chance,” Mr Moore told the large crowd gathered at Heritage Park, Arawak Cay last night.

“This group, I am not going to get into all of it. But I have watched their actions carefully. There is no justification for what they are

doing. They need to take that energy and put it behind our leader. I say to you tonight as one of the few remaining founders of this party. Our party is in good hands so much so that no matter how I felt physically, mentally I had to be here to say to you give your leader a chance.”

He went on: “No reason whatsoever those persons who sat in FNM seats. I know the leader might not want me to say this, but I am going to say this anyway. They are sitting in your seats. If they cannot support your chosen leader get the hell out of the seat. They are good people, but they are headed in the wrong direction.”

He was referring to leadership challenger Long Island MP Loretta ButlerTurner, St Anne’s MP Hubert Chipman, Montagu MP Richard Lightbourn, North Eleuthera MP Theo Neilly, Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant, Mrs Butler-Turner and Dr Andre Rollins. In May, they threatened to petition Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling to remove Dr Minnis as leader of the Official Opposition unless an earlier convention date was set.

During a fiery address to the crowd, Dr Minnis called for oneness and insisted

A HUG for an FNM supporter during the Pre-Convention “Roc Wit Doc” rally at Arawak Cay last night. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff “We can put an end to our the establishment of equal that now was the FNM’s national FNM convention. chance to bring change to Bahamians everywhere are differences, tomorrow. It is opportunity for the many depending on the FNM to our time to come together, in our Over-the-Hill comthe country.

His call for unity comes unite,” Dr Minnis told the tomorrow. We will be that munities. amid friction within the or- crowd who were adorned in much closer to a new and “Lifting them out of povganisation and after former “Roc Wit Doc” t-shirts and better Bahamas, tomorrow. erty demands a holistic ap“Divided we fall but we proach, beginning with the Prime Minister and party hoisted posters celebrating can stand strong.”

Leader Hubert Ingraham the leader. creation of inner-city tax “In the next three days Regarding his plans for free zones to stimulate enmade a strong plea on Sunday for the party to cease we must emerge stronger the country should he be re- terprise, attract investments and better than ever before. elected the FNM’s leader and create jobs. That is why infighting. and win the next election, we will create a tax free Dr Minnis went on to un- We must be one!”

He continued: “FNMs Dr Minnis said he will bring zone in Bain and Grants derscore his plans to eradicate widespread corruption we must seize this moment. relief to the poor among Town, Farm Road, and in the country and repeated FNMs we must put aside other things.

Englerston, involving both “Tonight, I have a new residential and commercial his vision for value added our differences and emerge from our convention united vision of hope for the inner components. This is where tax exemptions.

“Tonight, we gather for and together. This is our city, for my city. Empower- an FNM government would ment of our people requires invest our resources.” the last time before our chance for change.

INGRAHAM: MINNIS ABUSED HIS POWER IN REMOVING CASH AS DELEGATE from page one

that Darron Cash, who was appointed to the Executive Committee by Dr Minnis, was removed by Dr Minnis.

Now, this is after Minnis had called me himself and said to me that he was considering removing Darron Cash from the executive of the party because Darron was managing Loretta’s campaign and that’s why he was going to do it. I gave him strong advice not to do so, and my understanding in the conversation was he would not do so, that he would keep Darron on.

“So when it came to my attention that he actually removed Darron, I called him.

I didn’t get him, I left a message – he called me back. I referred to the conversation we previously had, etc, he said yes, but other people had told him he should remove Darron and he did so.

That was very disappointing and distressing.

“I did not bring to his attention at that time because I wasn’t quite conscious of it at the time, that Brent Symonette is also somebody who has been appointed to the Executive Committee by Minnis.

Brent Symonette is also supporting Loretta and so I think it’s grossly unfair and an abuse of authority and his power for him to fire Darron because he supports Loretta and not fire Brent. At least in Brent’s case, Brent would have been a delegate anyhow because Brent is a delegate by virtue of the fact he is a former deputy leader of the FNM and that gives him the right to be a delegate at the convention.

“Darron doesn’t have that right to be a delegate so Darron won’t be a delegate. And a party ought to keep people together and so that’s the one black mark I have against Minnis right now. That’s really distressing.”

Mr Ingraham explained that during his 19 years as leader of the FNM, and even when the party was led by former National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest, no one from the Executive Committee was forcibly removed.

“The leader of the FNM, under our constitution, is able to appoint six persons to the executive of the party and those persons serve at the leader’s pleasure, but generally speaking until the

next convention,” he added.

“They can quit but there has been no case from the time we established – this came about after I became leader of the FNM, so during my entire tenure and Tommy Turnquest’s tenure, when somebody was appointed they lasted until the next convention (or) until they themselves resigned.”

After he was removed from the Executive Committee, Mr Cash alleged that it was a “systematic effort” on the part of the leader to “corrupt” the process.

He also accused Dr Minnis of engaging in “ethnic cleansing” with a view to purging the party of anyone who did not support him.

Mrs Butler-Turner has also recently raised concerns about the FNM’s convention process, saying on July 17 that there were some “irregularities” with the list of delegates that she has seen. She said if it is proven that something untoward has occurred with the pro-

cess, it should be blamed on FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis.

The FNM’s convention begins today with voting for the party’s executive positions to take place on Friday.

PAGE 4, XXDAY, XX MONTH, 2015

THE TRIBUNE

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Ingraham disappointed with Christie’s decision on Baha Mar TODAY The Tribune says without apology that Hubert Alexander Ingraham should be the man at the head of our government in this, its hour of urgent need.

No one believed Mr Ingraham when he said he had retired — and intended to maintain that state. There are those who even now wish that a bolt of lighting would catapult him from his fishing expeditions back into government.

However, Mr Ingraham never lost interest in the affairs of his country. Always, concerned about the Baha Mar tragedy, he twice offered Prime Minister Christie sound advice on how to handle the resort’s collapse. Obviously, Mr Christie chose to ignore that advice and now finds himself — and our country — at the mercy of the Beijing government.

We won’t go into the details of the early days — again under a Christie administration — when the bottom fell out of developer Zarkis Izmirlian’s agreement with Las Vegas resorts, and he found that the only money to be borrowed on the market to create Baha Mar was that of China. In good faith, he entered into an agreement with the Export-Import Bank of China. One condition of the loan was that CCA, another Chinese company controlled by Beijing, was to be the contractor. In the end the Christie government concluded the heads of agreement, then lost the 2007 election leaving it to the Ingraham government to finalise.

On November 18, 2010, Prime Minister Ingraham as he then was, speaking in the House of Assembly on the resolution of the Baha Mar project, was questioned on a foreign state owning Crown land should anything go wrong: “It is the view of my government,” Mr Ingraham replied at the time, “that it is an untenable position to permit any foreign State to own land in The Bahamas.

Under the law, any financial institution providing funding for a development in The Bahamas has a number of alternatives to protect their interest should that project fail. One of these protections is foreclosure. As I said at my press conference on Sunday past, should this project not succeed, and I have no reason to believe that it will not, and should I be in the position that I now hold, my government would not agree to foreclosure on these properties (previously Crown Land) to any foreign State or any entity which is owned by a foreign State.”

Early last year, we asked Mr Christie in this column what his position would be should the situation arise duriing his tenure. We did not get an answer, nor did we expect one.

We have never been content with such a contract with Beijing. There was no problem having a contract with a private Chinese businessman, but with a state, particularly as the CEXIM was not a bank as we in the West know banks, there was a major problem. As Judge Kevin Carey of the US Bankruptcy Court, where Mr Izmirlian filed for chapter 11 in bankruptcy, observed: “CEXIM Bank, as the debtors’ largest creditor, is a Chinese POLICY bank that provides financing to support the investment of Chinese capital and employment of Chinese labour forces throughout the world, not just the Bahamas…”

We already knew this and so when CCA gave the developer dates for opening, encouraging him to employ staff and advertise for visitors for opening day, we were not surprised when several times CCA failed to deliver, forcing the developer to seek Chapter 11.

And why were we not surprised? One swirl of the revolving globe in our office gave us the answer. Here in Nassau at the tip of Florida’s big toe is CEXIM’s large land holding on which Baha Mar sits; in Freeport the Hong Kong owned Hutchinson Whampoa, described as having re-

sources “several times larger than the Bahamas government” - has vast holdings, the largest being the Freeport harbour and airport. At the other end of the Panama Canal CCA opened its offices, where Deputy Prime Minister Brave Davis is yet to explain how he could have attended for the ribbon cutting ceremony and praised CCA for its superior work in the Bahamas and the number of jobs it had created here, knowing that Baha Mar was closed and 2,000 Bahamians were out of work.

Bahamians were not impressed. Mr Davis is yet to explain himself.

CEXIM, as a policy bank is now financially backing investments up and down the Caribbean. The great United States is being enclosed and surrounded in its own basin of influence by China. No wonder on July 14 the US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs held a meeting to discuss building stronger ties with the Caribbean. From WikiLeaks in 2011 we know of America’s growing concern that Baha Mar would “leave the Bahamas indebted to Chinese interests for years to come.” However, it is now time for the US, for its own security to be more than concerned about the Caribbean. We only have to be aware of the tensions now being experienced in the South China Seas over China’s land grab there to consider what could happen here.

In an interview with Candia Dames yesterday, Mr Ingraham expressed disappointment in government’s decision to put Baha Mar into liquidation. “I think it was a bad, and a wrong decision,” he said, “and the consequence of that is being felt up to now because all the people lost their jobs, people have not been paid, and we have serious reputational damage in terms of having a matter dealt with in a court in Delaware that was against the sovereign interest of The Bahamas.” (See story in today’s Tribune).

“So the Government should not have tilted in favour of the construction company. It made a mistake, and now it is stuck with a very bad decision because it is the Government that put Baha Mar in liquidation. The people who are owed money by Baha Mar are not likely to be paid by the Chinese authorities, because the company is in liquidation,” said Mr Ingraham.

“They are also going to be making all kinds of demands on the Bahamas Government as to what kind of foreign labour content they are going to have. And so we have suffered tremendous losses as a result of the Government’s decision.”

Mr Ingraham said he wrote Mr Christie two notes advising him not to take the path he was taking. “I felt very strongly about it as a Bahamian and someone who had been involved in politics in the Bahamas. I didn’t want to see that happen because I knew once you put that company in liquidation… you see what happened.”

Mr Izmirlian’s offer to pay the necessary funding to complete the project, avoid liquidation and repay CEXIM bank in full, was ignored.

Obviously, CEXIM, being a policy bank for Beijing, would prefer holding the land for China than being paid in full for the debt.

Mr Izmirlian’s latest move to push for the property to be put into full liquidation is once again another attempt by this man to save this resort from an incompetent Government that has sat on the sidelines as Bahamian creditors have suffered for over a year.

If the Christie government could make such a blunder in full view of the Leader of the Opposition, we are satisfied that Dr Hubert Minnis as FNM leader would be out of his depth to correct it. We suggest that the FNM, going into convention today, return with a stronger leader to face the major problems that this country now faces. In our opinion, Dr Minnis is not the man for the leader’s position.

That familiar feeling EDITOR, The Tribune Re: Christie vows to stay as PM (July 19) “Après moi le déluge” - King Louis XV,

of France.

Déjà vu all over again!

KEN W KNOWLES, MD Nassau, July 22, 2016

Nightmare of tax compliance EDITOR, The Tribune.

MR Branville McCartney is the latest in a long line of business people that has felt the sting of the government’s insensitive over regulation where presenting a Tax Compliance Certificate Certificate (TCC) in order to get paid for services already rendered or under the terms of a contract that are being ignored.

First of all it is immoral and tantamount to stealing by the Government to purchase goods and/or services under the terms of a charge account and then tell you six months later that they are not going to pay unless you present a TCC. It is equally disturbing and unconscionable that the government would have a written contract and proceed against its terms and conditions before expiry as Mr McCartney alleges.

While one can understand the government’s desire to collect legitimately

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net owed taxes, like any other entity, they can, and should, pursue these matters through the Courts.

To make an arbitrary decision as they have done actually circumvents the rule of law and civility.

There are other serious aspects to this, not the least of which is the inefficiency of government departments in fulfilling requests for the documents necessary to receive a TCC. Another curious twist is, if a courier company does not pay the duty they owe after clearing a parcel for a business, Bahamas Customs holds the consignee responsible for the duty instead of the courier company that cleared the goods on the strength of its bond with Customs.

So where is The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce in

all this? Missing in action it seems. Meetings were supposed to have taken place between the government and the representatives of the business community (Chamber), but nothing has changed and there is no report from either party.

Regretfully, the Chamber appears to have fallen back into the mode of government policy facilitator instead of fulfilling its role as the representative of the business community.

Maybe they don’t need membership dues any longer and businesses can spend them on more and more compliance and regulation requirements?

It is most disconcerting that the government would use its coercive power to circumvent the rule of law while making laws to prevent citizens and businesses doing the same thing.

RICK LOWE Nassau, July 26, 2016.

Raise small claims limit EDITOR, The Tribune DOES anyone in this country owe you a small amount of money and refuses to pay? And if “yes”, what can you do about it?

I have a suggestion. Why don’t you conscript their appearance in small claims court so that you can sue them for your money. It only makes sense. After all, that is what (some of) these courts in The Bahamas are there for.

However, what do you call a small amount of money? The term “small” is relative. What might be small to you might not be

considered small to others. And more importantly, what does the Government consider “small”?

As far as I know, the Government has placed a limitation on how much one can sue for in small claims court in this country - only $5,000. And the lawsuit proceedings are held in a magistrate’s court. If you want to sue for more than that amount, your case would have to be heard in one of the Supreme courts.

In my humble opinion, it seems counterproductive to have such a small limitation imposed on these magistrates of small claims courts.

It only serves as a (negative) catalyst to inundating the Supreme courts with frivolous matters. As a result, I would suggest to the Government that it initiate all machinations available to it to precipitate an outcome whereby the limitation of $5,000 would be raised to $25,000. That amount should be enough to alleviate some congestion in the Supreme courts so that they can hear and dispense with more serious cases.

MARVIN G LIGHTBOURN Nassau, July 25, 2016.

Leaders know when to leave EDITOR, The Tribune.

POLITICIANS thinking that if they leave the scene everything will collapse is historically well established in fact go back through history this has been the inevitable downfall of the majority of leaders.

Leaders come with the natural attribute (gift) or develop on the job. Some never develop which causes a stagnant economy - potential for unemployment and sense in society of acceptance or the status quo.

Leaders come and go and believe me there is noth-

ing more obvious than the commonly used phrase when the King or Queen of UK dies...a second before God save the King or Queen a second after their demise, God Save the King or Queen!

The word ‘delusion’ or ‘delusional’ has connotations of some mental deficiency and should therefore be used wisely, however, it certainly is a softer word than what probably a psychologist might use to describe a person who suffers from thinking something which is totally imaginary, especially where it per-

tains to their personal importance.We can’t miss to add although in the current use of the word against a certain person it could be well used to describe many more who are on the front bench of our government and in so many ways how many of us think and function.

Real leaders know when to leave - Leaders who overstay usually go out with their tail between their legs as ‘losers’.

W THOMPSON Nassau, July 23, 2016.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, July 27, 2016, PAGE 5

Butler-Turner: Christie past his ‘use by’ date

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

LONG Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner yesterday lambasted Prime Minister Perry Christie for “refusing” to step down as leader of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), accusing Mr Christie of staying in politics far beyond his “use by effective date”.

Mrs Butler-Turner, a guest on the Island Luck TV show The Stew, said Mr Christie “refuses to exit, even though people are pushing, shoving him out the door, and he’s still flailing to stay on the stage”.

Mrs Butler-Turner also said it is an “indictment” on Mr Christie’s legacy to suggest that his existence is the only thing that holds the PLP together, as she stressed that “effective

leaders are not afraid to create a succession of leaders behind them”.

And as she excoriated Mr Christie for his decision to stay on as PLP leader, Mrs Butler-Turner also commended former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham for announcing that he will not accept a nomination for a position at this week’s Free National Movement convention even if he is nominated.

Mrs Butler-Turner also said the issue of term limits for Prime Ministers is something that should be decided by way of a constitutional referendum should she become the nation’s leader.

Her comments were in response to Mr Christie’s controversial announcement last week that he will continue to lead the PLP in the foreseeable future,

citing the support of young members of his government and a desire to ensure party stability.

Mr Christie also suggested that instability would arise in the party if he were no longer leader, similar to what is occurring in the Official Opposition.

“It’s an indictment on him, for the 40 plus years he has been in public service, to say that there is nobody that can hold his organisation together as well as he does,” Mrs Butler-Turner said.

“He’s failed. He’s failed in the eyes of his organisation, he’s failed in the eyes of his people, because an effective leader not only leads but they create leaders that come behind them.”

Conversely, Mrs ButlerTurner commended Mr Ingraham, Mr Christie’s former law partner and col-

league, for recently committing to “remain retired” in the face of widespread speculation that he would return to frontline politics.

Mrs Butler-Turner said Mr Ingraham’s announcement “speaks strongly to what we see in the status quo today”.

“When you stay beyond your use by effective date, people effectively turn off,” Mrs Butler-Turner said.

“Mr Ingraham is setting a precedent that clearly shows that not only has he been effective in his time, he knows now that he can be effective in another capacity. Because you never want people to say ‘listen, you’re expired, time to go’.

And this is what we’re faced with today.”

She added: “That that speaks strongly to what we see in the status quo today.

We have a leader today who refuses to exit, even though

people are pushing, shoving him out the door, and he’s still flailing to stay on the stage.”

On the issue of prime ministerial term limits, she said: “I think that that is certainly a discussion and a dialogue that the Bahamian people should have, except that we would certainly take that to a constitutional type consultation,” she said. “Absolutely, because we’re under the Westminster system. Our system is not like the United States of America.

“Furthermore, I personally cannot see myself at the age where I am wanting to be around where someone is saying to me, ‘we’re tired of you, you’ve done what you could, you’re best years are behind you, please, make a graceful exit.’ But the bigger picture here is that effective leaders are

not afraid to create a succession of leaders behind them.”

Mr Christie, while in opposition, said he would consider stepping down as party leader at mid-term and name a successor. However, he later said those comments were misconstrued and he intended to serve a full term if elected in 2012.

Last September, amid speculation that Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis was eyeing a leadership run, Mr Christie declared that he would go into the PLP’s convention as leader and emerge as leader.

The party’s convention is scheduled for November after several delays. The PLP has not held a convention since 2009, even though the party is mandated by its constitution to hold one each year.

‘MY DISTRESS AT STATE OF FNM’ from page one

Many of the issues plaguing the FNM centre on the dissatisfaction in some quarters about Dr Minnis’ leadership. He has been criticised by members of his own parliamentary caucus as being untrustworthy and ineffective. Dr Minnis has not publicly responded to these critiques but has frequently called for unity.

When asked if he thought Dr Minnis had leadership deficiencies, Mr Ingraham did not answer directly.

However, during the interview, he repeatedly stressed that it was up to the party’s leader to resolve any dissatisfaction in the FNM. “Dr Minnis demonstrates that he has a great capacity, the energy that is being put into maintaining his position as leader, the active work that’s taking place in meeting delegates and discussing with them whatever needs to be discussed to get their support, etc, demonstrates somebody who has got a capacity for political activity,” he replied.

“So it is my hope that he would put that same kind of energy, or a part of it, into energising the FNM and its supporters. And the same goes for Loretta (ButlerTurner). She is demonstrating a lot of energy towards wanting to become leader.

Well if they would do that same thing for the FNM, we in the party would be much better off.”

Asked if the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) has the advantage in the next general election or if the FNM can pull off a win, Mr Ingraham said his party has

to satisfy the public that it is unified.

“The next election will be the FNM’s own to win if the public is satisfied that they are not fractured, they put up a reasonable team of people and they put forward a reasonable programme – they would win.

“I think that what is happening now is poisoning the minds of many people and dampening their enthusiasm for the party, but that means that dormant feeling of wanting change can be activated if the party begins to show that they are together and demonstrate that the same kind of energy they are putting into this leadership race, they put into opposing the PLP and putting forward programmes that the public finds acceptable.”

Threats Mr Ingraham also revealed that former National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest informed him late last year that five FNM MPs had plans to have Dr Minnis removed through a constitutional provision.

Mr Ingraham said he and Mr Turnquest met with these MPs – Neko Grant, Loretta Butler-Turner, Theo Neilly, Hubert Chipman and Richard Lightbourn – advising them against the idea.

He said the MPs wanted an early convention and a halt in candidates being ratified by the party because they feared the “deck was being stacked” in Dr Minnis’ favour.

He said after meeting with the five MPs, he and Mr Turnquest met with Dr Minnis and advised him to

meet with the angry parliamentarians.

“We thought that we had arrived at an understanding that there would be a convention this year, early,

by March for instance, and that the point they made about candidates would be taken into account. We got no particular commitment about that, I don’t recall a specific commitment about that. I heard nothing further from it ... the deal was that they would not go to Government House about Dr Minnis. Next thing I know, Wells and Rollins joined the FNM and of course that subsided, that meant that they no longer had the majority.”

“I was out fishing one day ... the week before they announced the convention, I was out fishing, Dr Minnis called me and told me that the MPs had put a gun to his head and demanded he do certain things, etc and he wanted to see me.

“I saw him, we had a discussion, he and his wife, subsequently to that they announced that they would have the convention (in July).”

Yesterday, Mr Ingraham again stressed that he has no plans to leave retirement and pledged his full support to the leadership team that emerges from the FNM’s convention this week. He said he hopes the dissenting MPs as well as Dr Minnis accept the results of the convention.

FORMER Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham yesterday.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

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PAGE 6 , Wednesday, July 27, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

Christie administration was ‘dead wrong’ on Baha Mar from page one 11 could work, and how it could work successfully, because you can attract a good buyer to come along as Kerzner did, etc. So the government should have allowed Mr Izmirlian and his company to pursue their matter before the court in Delaware and if they decided to put it in Chapter 11 over there, it would have been fine. Whatever decisions

were made later as to who should get the property or not get it would have been approved by the Bahamas government.”

Mr Ingraham added: “The government should not have tilted in favour of the Chinese contractor and those. As a result of that, the Bahamas lost hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue that it would have received. It has its credit rating threatened, thousands of more people un-

Jarol Investments Limited is seeking to fill the following position:

Marketing Manager •

• •

• •

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Plan marketing and branding objectives.

Prepare and adhere to budgets.

Oversee creation and delivery of press releases, advertisements, and other marketing materials.

Design print ads and publications Engage consumers on social

media.

Deepen relationships with all media to ensure the most effective messaging and positioning of the organization.

Lead all areas of content generation and production across all media platforms.

Collaborate with sales and sourcing to develop strategic partnership activities and implement the execution framework and strategic plan on identified opportunities.

Develop and lead a marketing team that will develop and execute new concepts, business models, channels and partners to position business as innovator and leader.

Perform other related duties as assigned by management.

Interested person mail their resume to P.O. Box F-40886 or email to careers@chancesgames.com

employed, and it’s having to squeeze out of the population more and more taxes by this VAT.” He said he told Prime Minister Perry Christie this and wrote him two letters outlining his opinions on the matter.

The government asked the Supreme Court to place Baha Mar into liquidation shortly after the resort’s developer filed for bankruptcy protection in a Delaware court last year.

The Supreme Court later appointed receivers at the request of the ExportImport (EXIM) Bank of China.

A formal sales process for the resort was launched earlier this year, but despite repeated assurances from the prime minister that construction at the property would resume soon, Baha Mar remains dormant.

Asked when he thought $3.5 billion property will finally open its doors to guests, Mr Ingraham predicted it would not happen before next spring.

“The question of Baha Mar opening before the next election doesn’t arise.

That’s not going to happen,

FORMER Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham yesterday. that can’t happen. It will take longer than that, if they started work today, they won’t be finished in time. So no, it’s not going to open before the next election. And if anybody tells you they are opening part of it, etc, they are only ‘flamming’ you like they did before.”

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

The next election must be held by May 7, 2017.

Meanwhile, Mr Ingraham said the most immediate concern is for the resort to be completed and for Bahamian contractors to be paid the money owed to them.

“And that’s not likely to

happen while Baha Mar is in liquidation. But this was avoidable, it didn’t have to happen and I blame the government for that outcome because it could have been dealt with another way.”

Baha Mar was initially set to open in December 2014.

POLICE IDENTIFY TEENAGER KILLED IN GRAND BAHAMA CRASH

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE teenager killed in a traffic accident in Grand Bahama on Monday night has been officially identified by police as 19-year-old Jamond Jatizo Henfield, of Holmes Rock.

Henfield, a 2015 Valedictorian at Alpha Omega Christian School in Freeport, was ejected from his Chevy Cobalt and died at the scene after colliding with a Range Rover on East Sunrise Highway near the Fortune Hills area.

ASP Kenwood Taylor, officer in charge of Traffic

Division, said the accident occurred around 10pm at the intersection of West Beach Road and East Sunrise Highway.

ASP Taylor said that preliminary investigations revealed that the Cobalt was travelling south on West Beach Road and the Range Rover was travelling east on East Sunrise Highway.

“The Chevy Cobalt failed to stop at the intersection and both vehicles collided.

The driver of the Cobalt was ejected out of the vehicle, and the Rover burst into flames,” he reported.

“The occupant of the Cobalt succumbed to injuries on scene,” ASP Taylor re-

JAMOND JATIZO HENFIELD ported. He noted that EMS personnel rendered medical assistance to the male driver of the Range Rover, whose injuries were not life-threatening.

It is the sixth traffic fatality in Grand Bahama this year and comes two days after the last one.

The Henfield family is said to be devastated. Family and friends had gathered at the hospital until the small hours after learning of the tragedy.

The Tribune understands that the teen had been involved in an accident two weeks earlier.

ASP Taylor said that the traffic fatality count this year in Grand Bahama is “far too many” at this stage.

He is appealing to motorists to be careful.

“I would like to use this opportunity to encourage the motoring public to drive with care and attention on the street, particularly on roads that are not properly lit, and to drive within the speed limit,” he said.

He also advised motorists to wear their seatbelts and not to text while driving and people out drinking to appoint a designated driver.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, July 27, 2016, PAGE 7

Health officials urge residents to take steps to prevent Zika

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net HEALTH officials yesterday reinforced their efforts to combat the potential spread of the Zika virus to The Bahamas, again issuing notices that residents have the biggest role to play in prevention.

Representatives from several key government departments critical to the fight against Zika assembled at the Ministry of Health’s Meeting Street offices to disclose the current scope of efforts throughout the country.

In a prepared statement read by the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Glen Beneby, officials confirmed that their screening and prevention activities have already addressed 56 potential Zika cases, all resulting in negative readings.

“As of July 9, 2016, there have been 56 suspected Zika cases, all of whom have had samples sent to our reference laboratory for testing. To date all results received are negative for the Zika virus,” Dr Beneby said.

“As it stands, local health officials have implemented a special clinic for persons travelling to and returning from areas affected by the Zika virus. Additionally, source reduction and activities to decrease the mosquito population such as treatment of water sources and fogging are ongoing.”

The travel clinic for athletes and persons travelling to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, next month is listed as the Blue Hill Road government clinic and operates weekly.

There are ongoing discussions to implement addi-

DR Glen Beneby speaking yesterday. tional clinics in New Provi- These mosquitos are comdence - at the Flamingo monly found around the Gardens and Elizabeth Es- home and breed in any standing water sources.” tates clinics.

Dr Benedy described the “Other activities include conducting Zika educa- Aedes aegypti as an aggrestional sessions for public sive “day biter” with inand private health care pro- creased biting activity “two viders,” Dr Beneby said. hours after sunrise and sev“Family Island visits with eral hours before sunset”.

“Other modes of transassociated town meetings, school presentations, radio mission have been idenand television appearances tified, including passing and airing of public servic- the Zika infection from es announcement in both mother to baby and sexual English and Creole are also transmission from infected partners. Cases of blood occurring.

“As a proactive meas- transfusion and laboratory ure, the Ministry of Health worker infections have also Surveillance unit is meet- been documented.”

He warned that people ing with sporting and other organisations involved in who suspect that they are international events and infected, if they do engage recently reached out to the in sexual activities, to use Olympic team through the condoms from start to finBahamas Olympic Associa- ish. He also urged suspecttion and its medical person- ed carriers to refrain from nel for the provision of Zika participating in sexual acand other public health tivities with a woman who precautionary measures re- is or can become pregnant.

“The best thing to do quired prior to, during and would be to abstain from post travel.”

Dr Beneby also ad- sex while infected,” he adddressed the modes of trans- ed.

Dr Beneby warned that mission for the virus.

“Zika is transmitted pri- only one in every five permarily by the bite of an in- sons infected would show fected Aedes aegypti mos- symptoms. “Persons with quito, the same mosquito Zika virus infection most that transmit dengue, chi- commonly have fever, skin kungunya and yellow fever rash and conjunctivitis (red viruses. This mosquito is eyes).

“There is no specific present in the Bahamas.

treatment or vaccine currently available for Zika virus infection and the best form of protection is prevention,” said Dr Beneby.

The government began testing suspected cases of Zika in January, establishing several programmes and initiatives to address and monitor the virus.

As the effects of Zika became wider known across the globe, local officials heightened surveillance through the Department of Public Health in collaboration with the Department of Environmental Health Service (DEHS) conducting the required public health and environmental follow-up for the suspected cases.

Andrew Thompson, Assistant Director in the DEHS with responsibilities for vector control, presented the department’s fogging strategy.

“Fogging is done on the premise that we have information from the Department of Public Health and it is focused mainly around suspected cases, and the idea is to try to do fogging around that case a number of times - a quarter mile radius,” he said.

“The idea is, if there are any infected mosquitoes, to knock the infected mosquitoes down. But we are fogging during this period for more than just Zika related issues.

“We are also fogging the island systematically and so we have two programmes going, one for pest mosquitos and one in relation to suspected Zika cases.

So once we get the information, that area will get focused attention and then you will have fogging or ULV application throughout the island,” he added.

BPL TACKLES POWER FAILURES IN ELEUTHERA

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Power & Light (BPL) was said to be working to stabilise its power generation networks in Eleuthera last night following “several system failures on Monday and into Tuesday”, the company said in a statement yesterday.

The outages impacted people in North and Central Eleuthera, Harbour Island and some parts of South Eleuthera.

They also resulted in challenges at the Rock Sound Power Station on Monday afternoon and to

the island’s main power station at Hatchet Bay later that night, the statement said.

It added: “Some customers would have experienced outages lasting less than 20 minutes while others would have endured much longer periods without supply.”

This comes as power outages have come less frequently in New Providence in recent days, compared to other times this summer.

Former State Minister for Environment Phenton Neymour claimed yesterday that the generation problems were the result of fuel shortage, alleging that the

fuel shortage exists because BPL is short of money.

He added that similar problems were being faced

by Bimini.

BPL denied his allegations. In a statement to The Tribune, the company said: “BPL crews on (Eleuthera) have assessed that the main issues relate to separate generation stability problems at both power stations over the past 24 hours.

“Supply was fully restored to all areas before 5pm on Tuesday. BPL is looking at the challenges in the past 24 hours and is looking at immediate and long term solutions to improve overall reliability to

Eleuthera.”

As for Bimini, a spokesperson for BPL said: “We do not have any operational issues in Bimini at this time.”

Mr Thompson implored residents to do their part in preventing the spread of the Zika virus by limiting “breeding grounds” for the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

He told The Tribune: “Those buckets, old tyres, any container that can hold water - those are the things we need to eliminate around our homes. That is the best and leading way to stop the spread of this virus.

Stopping the breeding elements for mosquitoes is the best way to ensure that Zika

never affects the Bahamas.”

The Pan American Health Organisation has received notice of the virus’ presence in over 20 countries in the Americas, including Brazil, Barbados and Haiti to date. The virus has been reported in the United States, but only from travellers returning from countries where the virus is prevalent.

At the weekend, five cases of Zika infection were confirmed in Turks and Caicos Islands.

Jarol Investments Limited is seeking to fill the following positions:

Island Manager (Bimini) Island Manager (Eleuthera) Island Manager (Andros) Duties include, but not limited to:

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Overseeing adherence to company policies and procedures by employees.

Auditing cashiers work to ensure efficiency.

Maintain a safe and secure working environment for customers and staff Maintaining confidentiality of sensitive data.

Evaluating, assessing and managing the performance of each employee.

Ensuring that the opening and closing of shops in a timely manner.

Ensure safe keeping of company funds.

Overseeing the selection and recruitment of new employees

Interested person mail their resume to P.O. Box F-40886 or email to careers@chancesgames.com

PAGE 8 , Wednesday, July 27, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

Police stole $22,000 during traffic stop from page one 9am on Saturday driven by a Haitian man. In the back seat were two other Haitians believed to be here illegally.

Sources said the driver offered the officers several hundred dollars not to take them in and the officers allegedly accepted the money and let the men go.

A short while later, after

the officers returned to the police station, they discovered there was a warrant out for the driver’s arrest, sources said.

It is claimed that the officers went back out and arrested the driver. One of the officers drove the patrol car with the suspect, while the other drove the suspect’s car to the station. Once at the station, the officers discovered that the arrest war-

rant was satisfied and let the man go, sources said.

When the man returned to his vehicle, The Tribune understands, he noticed that $20,000 was missing from a bag in the back seat. The man claimed to have over $100,000 in the vehicle.

He went back into the station and filed a complaint.

Later that day, the man’s daughter also called the police station claimed that the

two officers stole $20,000 from her father. It is unclear why the man in question had so much cash in his car.

The officers were called in for questioning and one of them admitted that they took the money and returned $10,000. Police searched the residence of the other officer and discovered $11,900 that was allegedly stolen from the victim.

Both officers were taken

into custody and flown to the capital on Sunday.

The men appeared before the RBPF’s Court of Inquiry Tribunal where they were convicted and subsequently discharged from the police force.

Head of the Central Detective Unit, Chief Superintendent Clayton Fernander confirmed the two officers were terminated from the police force but could not give an update on the investigation.

In January, Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade revealed that 14 officers were discharged from the RBPF in 2015, a number of whom “went before the courts charged for criminal offences”. Commissioner Greenslade also said that many of the officers charged for criminal matters were “of bad disposition and bad behaviour before they committed the offence.”

JAMAICAN DETAINED WITHOUT TRIAL IS AWARDED $125,000

MATTHEW SEWELL, centre, with his lawyer, Fred Smith, left, after being released. from page one Fred Smith, QC, and Crown representative Greg Francis confirmed that the parties had agreed on $125,000 being an appropriate settlement.

The court accepted the agreement and said interest will be applied until full restitution is made to Mr Sewell.

Mr Sewell, 28, spent nine years in and out of the prison system; however he was never tried on any of the charges he faced.

The Jamaican was first arrested in 2006 for the alleged rape of a six-year-old girl. He was in the country visiting his father at the time. He was released on bail in 2008, but was arrested in April, 2009, and charged with the alleged rape of a girlfriend.

He received bail for that charge in August, 2013, only to be arrested two months later for allegations of housebreaking and murder. However, those charges were thrown out in 2014

when it was found that Mr Sewell was in custody when the alleged crimes occurred.

However, he was later detained at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre.

In addition to ordering his immediate release last October, Senior Justice Isaacs further ordered that he have his travel documents returned to him and be allowed 60 days to resolve his legal status in the Bahamas upon making an application to the Immigration Department.

‘I PRAYED WITH MEN WHO ROBBED ME’ from page one

entire robbery and even though he had a gun pointed to his head, he was not afraid because he knew that “God’s grace is sufficient.”

The robbery took place around 6.30am at Dr Allen’s West Bay Street home.

Dr Allen’s daughter and grandchildren were also at home during the invasion, however no one was harmed.

Dr Allen said his daughter woke him up after the three men got in the house through a kitchen window and then kicked down her bedroom door.

“The men were masked, two of them had guns, the other had an object in his hand but I am not sure what it was. They demanded gold and money. I told them they can have whatever they wanted and begged them for grace and not to hurt my family,” Dr Allen said.

“They searched the house and took jewellery and other stuff and then

yanked the gold chain off my neck. In total, they were there about 30 minutes.

When they were leaving I asked them if I could pray with them and they stopped and we prayed. I asked God for grace and mercy and I told them I understood that it was a difficult time in the country.”

Dr Allen said his daughter was a “hero” who remained calm during the incident. He also said he knows what young men are going through because he encounters all types of persons in his Family: People Helping People programme.

“I have been fighting against this kind of thing for a number of years. I am now a part of what everyone is going through,” Dr Allen said.

“I understand that our young people are challenged but God’s presence is powerful, so powerful that they reassured me they would not hurt my daughter and they did not. By God’s grace we were unharmed.

So we must give thanks. I work with these types of people everyday, this is my life. I always say nothing stops a bullet quite like a job and as back to school is right around the corner, I expect that these sorts of things will happen. All this means is, we have to double our efforts but I have hope.

My family is fine, I am blessed and God is still on the throne.”

Dr Allen said he is going to remain in his house and is not afraid to sleep there. He praised Officer-in-Charge of the Central Detective Unit Chief Superintendent Clayton Fernander for his professionalism and the “wonderful way he treated me and my family.”

Last night, Chief Supt Fernander said police had arrested two men in connection with this incident.

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

THE THETRIBUNE TRIBUNE

SOLAR PLANE

ENDS ROUND-THE-WORLD FLIGHT TO MAKE HISTORY THE historic first round-theworld flight to be powered solely by the sun’s energy was completed yesterday in Abu Dhabi, from where the plane first took off on an epic 25,000-mile journey more than a year ago.

The Swiss-engineered Solar Impulse 2 has made 16 stops around the world without using a drop of fuel to demonstrate that using the plane’s clean technologies on the ground can halve the world’s energy consumption, save natural resources and improve quality of life.

After landing, pilot Bertrand Piccard was greeted outside the cockpit by his Solar Impulse partner and fellow pilot Andre Borschberg. They hugged and pumped their fists in the air. “The future is clean. The future is you.

The future is now. Let’s take it further,” Piccard said, speaking to applause and cheers from a crowd that included Prince Albert of Monaco.

The aircraft is uniquely powered by 17,248 solar cells that transfer energy to four electrical motors that power the plane’s propellers. It runs on four lithium polymer batteries at night. The plane’s wingspan stretches 236 feet to catch the sun’s energy.

At around 5,070 pounds, the plane weighs about as much as a minivan or mid-sized truck. An empty Boeing 747, in comparison, weighs 400,000 pounds. To help steady it during takeoffs and landings, the plane was guided by runners and bicyclists.

Despite its historic mission, the Solar Impulse 2’s journey - which began in March, 2015 - was far from quick or problem-free. The

Wednesday, July 2016, PAGE Wednesday, July 27,27, 2016, PAGE A99

Pokebits

THE Solar Impulse 2 pictured over San Francisco in April. (AP)

A MOMENT IN THE SUN pilots faced a nine-month delay a year ago after the plane’s batteries were damaged during a flight from Japan to Hawaii. It was also delayed for more than a week in Cairo before the final leg to the United Arab Emirates, when Piccard fell ill and due to poor weather conditions.

During its mission, Solar Impulse 2 completed more than 500 flight hours, cruising at an average speed of between 28mph and 56mph. It made stops in Oman, India, Myanmar, China, Japan, the United States, Spain, Italy, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. Its North American stops included California, Arizona, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York.

The carbon-fibre plane is a single-seater, meaning its two Swiss pilots had to take turns flying solo for long days and nights. To calm their minds and manage fatigue during the long solo flights,

FERTILITY TRACKING BRACELET UNVEILED

Borschberg practiced yoga and Piccard self-hypnosis.

Borschberg said it is no longer a question of whether it’s possible to fly without fuel or polluting emissions. “By flying around the world thanks to renewable energy and clean technologies, we have demonstrated that we can now make our world more energy efficient,” he said.

The pilots would rest for a maximum of 20 minutes at a time, repeating the naps 12 times over each 24-hour stretch.

It took 70 hours for Piccard to cross the Atlantic Ocean, which was the first by a solar-powered airplane.

Borschberg’s flight over the Pacific Ocean at 118 hours - about five days and five nights - shattered the record for the longest flight duration by an aircraft flying solo.

Neither pilot was able to stand in the cockpit while flying, but the

seat reclined for stretching and its cushion could be removed for access to a toilet. Goggles worn over the pilot’s eyes flashed lights to wake him up while armbands placed underneath their suits buzzed when the plane was not at flying level.

The plane also did not have a pressurised cockpit so Borschberg and Piccard could feel changes in temperature. ‘ The pilot’s blood oxygen levels were monitored and sent back to ground control in Monaco.

Hot temperatures in the Middle East caused thermals and turbulence that forced Piccard to fly longer periods with an oxygen mask as he piloted the final twoday leg of the trip from Egypt.

The project, conceived in 2003 by the two Swiss pilots, is estimated to have cost more than $100 million.

AYA BATRAWY Associated Press

CUSTOM COMPUTERS JOINS ‘CHRISTMAS IN JULY’ CAMPAIGN

THERE’S a wearable for just about everything these days - including one designed to help women trying to get pregnant.

Ava, a Swiss startup, yesterday started shipping a $199 bracelet that tracks a woman’s fertility cycles and helps her figure out the optimal time to conceive.

According to The New England Journal of Medicine, a healthy, young couple having sex every day has only a 25 per cent chance of conceiving in any given month. That figure decreases with age, health issues, intercourse frequency and other factors.

The Ava bracelet sends three million data points it collects to a woman’s phone. The Ava app then displays the information through several graphs along with a timeline of her cycle, which depicts when she will be the most fertile. The Food and Drug Administration-approved bracelet tracks nine physical metrics, including heart rate variability and heat loss, to predict a woman’s fertility window, or the six days a month when she can get pregnant.

VCR ERA IS OFFICIALLY OVER

THE plug has been pulled on the world’s last video cassette recorder (VCR), with Japanese electronics maker Funai Electric Co saying that production will end this month.

Funai began making videotape players in 1983, and videotape recorders in 1985 and in 2000 made 15 million VHS machines that played or recorded cassette tapes. Last year it made 750,000 as demand fell for the outdated products.

Many families and libraries have content stored in the VHS format and want to convert the tapes to DVD or other digital discs.

• STIRLING Police in Scotland have tweeted this warning: “Just to be clear, ‘I was looking for a Pokestop’ is not an acceptable reason for being on the roof of a shop with a crowbar at 2am.”

• A GUNMAN and his underage driver tried to rob a group of people playing the popular “Pokemon Go” game in Las Vegas, triggering a shootout after one of the players pulled out his own weapon at a park that has become a hot spot for virtual creature hunting.

• INDONESIAN officials have banned the playing of “Pokemon Go” from the presidential palace in Jakarta.

“This is the office of the president, not a playground,” said a palace spokesman.

The Cabinet Secretary said a number of Pokemon had been captured at the palace and some officials have expressed worry the game could be a security risk.

• A PEDESTRIAN playing “Pokemon Go” was intentionally struck by a motorist in Bangor, Maine, on Sunday night according to local police.

Witnesses said the 37-year-old victim was part of a group using their smartphones to locate Pokemon characters when an argument unfolded.

The driver was arrested.

• A NEW Jersey woman trying to catch Pokemon in a cemetery had to be rescued by firefighters after becoming stuck in a tree and calling 911.

Firefighters in Clarksboro say the woman was “a bit embarrassed” after being helped in Clarksboro’s Eglington Cemetery.

• POLICE have charged a Canadian woman they allege shot a pellet gun at a group playing “Pokemon Go” north of Toronto.

They received a call on Saturday night that someone was shooting at several people playing the smartphone game in Newmarket, Ontario.

• US BORDER Patrol officials briefly apprehended two Canadian teenagers after they accidentally crossed the border into Montana while engrossed playing “Pokemon Go”.

TWITTER TO STREAM LIVE SPORTS

TWITTER will live stream for free one Major League Baseball game and one NHL game per week under a new deal. The agreement will allow viewers to watch games nationally that would normally be available only in the two teams’ home markets. Users will not need to be logged into Twitter to see the games.

The baseball games will also be available outside the US, with some exceptions. The social media network is attempting to move into live sports streaming through “over-the-top” broadcasts, which do not require a cable subscription.

In April, Twitter reached a deal with the NFL to stream 10 “Thursday Night Football” games this fall.

• THE Catholic Church in Germany is taking legal action to tackle a plague of “Pokemon Go” players invading Cologne Cathedral after the virtual reality game’s manufacturers did not react to requests to exclude the ancient building from it.

The Cathedral’s dean, Robert Kleine, said that “the cathedral isn’t a playground”.

CUSTOM Computers Ltd has joined The Salvation Army for its first “Christmas in July - Need Has No Season” fundraising campaign.

“As corporate citizens, we consider it to be our civic duty to support organisations such as The Salvation Army because we know that proceeds collected will always serve the greater good,” Melissa MillerStrachan, the tech company’s General Manager, said.

On Friday, one of The Salvation Army’s signature red kettles will be placed outside the Custom Comput-

ers Know-How Store at the Harbour Bay Shopping Plaza for donations. The Salvation Army, which traditionally sees a fall in donations over the summer months, aims to raise a minimum of $25,000 through the initiative, which seeks to underline that people are not only in need during Christmas, but all year.

Latoya Miller, of the Custom Computers Know-How Team is pictured (second right) with volunteers for The Salvation Army outside the company’s store at The Old Fort Bay Town Centre.

• BRITISH police have released a recording of a call to the emergency 999 line in which a youth reported his Pokemon had been stolen. He was told misusing the line was a criminal offence.

• POLICE in Florida used a stun gun on a “Pokemon Go” player who resisted arrest when officers chased about 150 people out of Tampa’s Ballast Point Park after closing time.

• A DRIVER crashed into a police patrol car in the Delaware resort of Rehoboth Beach while trying to help his wife as she played “Pokemon Go”.

Mark Oldenburg, 28, was cited for inattentive driving and an improper turn following the crash after his wife had directed him to pull into a median parking spot in an attempt to locate a Pokemon gym.

PAGE 10 , Wednesday, July 27, 2016

RESIDENTS THREATEN ACTION AFTER SPATE OF BOAT THEFTS

THE TRIBUNE

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A RASH of boat thefts in Abaco in the past week are causing such concern to frustrated residents that they are threatening to take matters into their own hands to stop the culprits.

The thefts are under police investigation but no arrests have been made so far.

Inspector Terecita Pinder, police press officer, told The Tribune that police had received several reports of boat thefts and had recovered four of the stolen vessels last week.

But according one concerned resident seven vessels were stolen in Hope Town and Marsh Harbour in a period of six days. Two of those stolen on Sunday were found stripped of their Yamaha engines at Casuarina Point, Abaco, on Monday. On the night of July 19 alone, five vessels were stolen.

Boat thefts have been a vexing problem on Abaco for many years, and residents feel that there is a lack of urgency by the police when they are reported.

In one instance, a resident told The Tribune that their small runabout was launched at Hope Town and stolen within hours.

An aircraft was mobilised with spotters and the vessel was found. With an armed policeman, the boat was recovered but as they approached a suspicious white van it sped away.

The Marsh Harbour police was phoned to give the information about the van only to be told that officers were too busy and they “didn’t have time for that”.

Insp Pinder confirmed that police have not made any arrests in connection with any of the four vessels that were recovered.

Abaco and its cays are a popular spot for boaters and it is feared that the ongoing thefts could deter visiting boaters from coming there or to The Bahamas.

TWO stolen boats found stripped at Casuarina Point, Abaco, on Monday of their Yamaha engines.

The Hope Town Dis- and to date nothing has betrict Council described the come of the cases. ongoing boat thefts as a “When are we going to “growing crisis”. stop rewarding criminals According to a state- for their despicable acts of ment issued by the Council, criminal activity? The ju“the district of Hope Town, dicial system is broken and Man-O-War and Great needs a complete overhaul.

Guana Cay (and other out- We are not trying to be lying cays) are targeted due political, because this crito the high volume of boat- sis has continued from one ers that frequent our area, administration to the next; due to the highly sought af- however the current adminter tourism product that we istration is at the wheel and offer.” we seek their intervention.

The council said that “We cannot help but to tourism and the livelihood think of the corruption runof a large percentage of ning rampant within this Abaconians are under a se- boat theft ring. We feel that rious threat because of the due to the apparent lack of plague of boat thefts. action that there could pos“We feel helpless as the sibly be a strong possibilarms of our government ity that some of those who are not functioning to com- are responsible for protectbat this grave threat to our ing us are likely to be very number one industry. No much in the inner circle of action has been taken. If these crimes. Why is this the government is not will- being ignored? Why isn’t ing to prioritise this, then anything being done about can we, the people, demand this?” the right to bear arms (as The Council said they stated in the 2nd Amend- have not heard any of the ment of the US Constitu- elected parliamentary tion) to combat these thugs members make statements ourselves? on the boat crisis in Abaco.

“Isn’t the government’s “We are on the verge of first priority to protect its taking drastic measures to citizens and their proper- safeguard against the anties? If the government is nihilation of our livelihood. not interested in making But we would rather that this a priority, step aside. the Royal Bahamas Police We will.”

Force do its job and due The Council claimed diligence and arrest these that about a year ago a few thugs and that the judiciof the thieves were caught ary act and bring down stiff red handed and were later penalties to all offenders,” granted bail by the courts, the statement said.

CABLE BAHAMAS LTD. ANNOUNCES $50M PREFERRED SHARE OFFERING “Substantial opportunity through shareholder value growth for Bahamian investors” Following both the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) & Cable Bahamas Ltd (CBL) press releases issued on Friday, July 8th announcing the award of the second cellular license to NewCo2015 Limited (NewCo) and further to its

previously announced expansion plans in Florida, CBL announces today that it will be offering a private placement preferred share offering. CBL will issue a total of $50 million (US$30

million and B$20 million) and proceeds from this issue will be used to fund local and US$ operational and capital expenditures.

Barry Williams, CFO of CBL explained, “We expect the wireless services opportunities and growth of our Florida business to

drive CAGR of 9% in revenues and 14% in EBITDA over the next five years in CBL. In addition, we expect further shareholder value growth from our 48.25% equity stake in

NewCo, which will enter the $215 million domestic and visitor roaming mobile revenue market, later this year. We are now uniquely placed right here in The Bahamas through CBL’s investment in NewCo, CBL’s provision of critical wireless infrastructure services to NewCo under a Managed Services Agreement and through growing our world class Florida Fiber-to-the-Premises business, to drive such revenue and EBITDA growth. Bahamians and non-residents are encouraged to take advantage of this unique and amazing opportunity provided by Cable Bahamas via this private placement to the investment market.”

These offerings will be subject to the usual regulatory approvals and in line with previous issues.

The Company plans to list this new issuance on The Bahamas International Securities Exchange (BISX), further supporting the financial markets of the Bahamas and ensuring liquidity in the market.

Research from other markets in the region, where a second cellular license was issued, high-

lights the potential for growth. In the last ten years, markets in the Latin The level of EBITDA NewCo achieves in 3 to 5 years’ time will ultimately determine the value of CBL’s investment in NewCo.

the second cellular operator.

In line with typical mobile network launches, NewCo will require substantial investment in the first three years of its growth phase to fund the $62.5 million it has paid to

Publicly available information from Digicel’s SEC filings in 2015 show that they have achieved typical EBITDA margins in the 32% to 60% range in markets where they entered as

the Government for the license it won in the auction, to build the mobile network and acquire customers. NewCo has secured from its shareholders and through its arrangement

with its’ selected network vendor the funding required to pay for the license, build the network and launch new world class service.

Royal Fidelity Merchant Bank & Trust and Scotiabank Bahamas (Limited) and their affiliate, Scotia Investments Jamaica Limited, will act as separate placement agents to raise funds both locally and across the Caribbean region.

Anthony Butler, President and CEO of CBL said “CBL has continued to grow since it acquired four Florida based metro fiber and communications companies in 2013. Through securing the second cellular license we now have further opportunity here in the Bahamas to accelerate that growth and secure our position of being the communications provider of choice for the country.

Across the World today there are only a handful of similar cellular licenses available and so our investment in Newco provides our investors with a unique and compelling opportunity, we believe not to be missed.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, July 27, 2016, PAGE 11

Activists press for details on MARCO Alert system

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net CHILD protection advocates pledged yesterday to continue their pressure on the government to fully enact amendments to the Sexual Offences Act and the Child Protection Act following the success of their viral protest.

Noting the government’s roll out of the MARCO Alert system on Friday, Solidarity242 co-founder Kishlane Knowles called for full insight on the operational capacity of the system.

“While we are pleased that it appears that our viral protest brought forth awareness as evident by the immediate response by the government to address this long overdue issue, we are not entirely convinced that the response wasn’t a rushed reaction to disgruntled Bahamians,” she said.

“Whether all media outlets have agreed to partner with the government and why is there only an expectation of co-operation and not a mandated broadcast order that states how many times per day a radio station should issue the alert?

“Were there drills executed to ensure the system runs smoothly and where are the reports of such? What social media channels should Bahamians follow to get alerts and why are we only at the dis-

cussion phase with a multimedia company?

“We are not nitpicking but after waiting five long years we expect government to present a fully tested and regulated MARCO Alert. It’s our children who pay with their lives if this system is inefficient.”

Solidarity242 staged a viral protest on Friday evening in a bid to pressure government into activating the MARCO Alert system and Sex Offenders Register promised under Marco’s Law. According to the activist group, Bahamians both locally and internationally responded to the protest by changing profile pictures and posting videos under the hashtags #justiceforMarco, #MarcosLaw, #protectourchildren and #Solidarity242.

Facebook messages, emails and wall posts were also sent to ministers Dr Bernard Nottage (National Security), Melanie Griffin (Social Services and Community Development) and Dr Daniel Johnson (Youth, Sports and Culture).

Hours before the start of the protest, Dr Nottage held a press conference to announce that the alert system had been put into effect with the by-passing of the 24-hour requirement to file a missing person’s report.

Activist Terneille Burrows said: “While I remain hopeful, this is not the first time that the general public has been told that the

MINISTER of National Security Dr Bernard Nottage announced the roll out of the MARCO Alert system on Friday, but activists have raised further questions about the implementation of such a scheme.

Marco’s Alert was in full tage suggested that the reg- MARCO alert for missing to privacy issues, pointeffect. We cannot stop ap- istry would not be retroac- children, respectively. ing to his 2011 pledge that plying pressure to ensure tive,” said Ms Burrows, who The Child Protection the rights of sex offenders that the system is launched is standing as an Independ- Amendment Act 2014 came should not come before the in a timely manner and ent candidate for Elizabeth into operation on August rights of children. maintained as effectively as Estates at the next general 26, 2015. The sexual offend“It begs the question,” possible. election. er’s register would place all she said, “are the rights of “The government has In late 2013, the govern- persons who are convicted our nation’s children no been working on regula- ment tabled two amend- of sexual offences on the longer a priority over the tions surrounding the pro- ments, one to the Sexual proposed list. privacy of sexual offendposed convicted Sex Of- Offences Act and the other Yesterday, Ms Knowles ers? Why, after nearly five fenders Registry for a few to the Child Protection Act, took issue with Dr Not- years, do we not have acyears, and in 2014, Hon. which would create a Sexu- tage’s explanation that the cess to this Sex Offenders Minister Dr. Bernard Not- al Offenders Register, and a registry’s delay was due Registry?”

JUDGE TO CONSIDER SENTENCE ON MEN GUILTY IN TRIPLE KILLING

By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A JUDGE has reserved his decision on what sentences he will impose on two men convicted of having a role in the fatal shooting five years ago that claimed three lives, including a pregnant woman due to give birth to her son.

Shawn Knowles, 43, and Timothy Saunders, 36, reappeared in the Supreme Court yesterday before Senior Justice Stephen Isaacs for a sentencing hearing to complete the trial relating to the July 30, 2011, deaths of Edward Braynen, Chackara Rahming and Erica Ward.

Probation reports, which had been requested by the court for consideration, were exhibited and evidence given on the findings by probation officers from the Department of Rehabilitative Welfare Services.

Ellen Stubbs prepared a report on Knowles and said that he grew up in an unstable environment.

“His mother didn’t fulfil her obligations and he had to leave school at an early age to find work and help raise his siblings. He left school after the fifth grade,” she added.

The probation officer was asked if there were any issues with Knowles at the prison. Ms Stubbs said no. “The prison officers described him as a quiet young man who didn’t create any problems,” the court was told.

Prosecutor Cordell Frazier asked the probation officer if Knowles had any previous convictions.

Ms Stubbs said Knowles said he had one and she verified that with prison authorities and learned that he had been sentenced, in 2003, to 10 years imprisonment for the manslaughter of his wife who had been accidentally stabbed in the neck when attempting to intervene in a scuffle between her husband and a love interest.

“Did he express remorse?” Ms Frazier asked.

“From the interview I conducted, I don’t recall

him using the word remorse,” Stubbs said.

Romona FarquharsonSeymour, Knowles’ lawyer, asked the probation officer if she spoke with his maternal grandmother.

Ms Stubbs said she had as Knowles’ grandmother was able to establish a pattern in Knowles’ behaviour from his own’s mother’s conduct.

Knowles’ mother, the probation officer learned, left school after the fourth grade and was a substance abuser. She also learned that Knowles’ father was absent in his life.

“Is it correct to say that Knowles stopped school to feed himself and siblings?”

Mrs Farquharson-Seymour asked.

Ms Stubbs said “yes”. She also said his siblings had to be placed in a children’s home before being removed by relatives of his mother.

The probation officer confirmed that she had spoken with Latoya Sands, mother of Knowles’ twoyear-old son and that she had spoken of how Knowles not only took care of his

son but her other children as well. She had described him as an inspiring person, the court heard.

“His employers also spoke well of him, correct?” the lawyer then asked. Ms Stubbs said yes.

Knowles, who worked for two construction companies prior to incarceration, was described to the probation officer as a “mannerly, good worker who didn’t get involved in altercations on the job.”.

On the matter of remorse, the probation officer told Knowles’ lawyer that he did not say those words but did cry when recalling the victims, who he said were close to him.

Kermit Harris-Smith, chief welfare and probation officer, said that Timothy Saunders’ development years were “fairly normal” notwithstanding his father’s absence in his life. That role, he said, had been assumed by his mother.

Saunders left school after the seventh grade but had maintained steady employment up until the time of his

incarceration. He has had no infractions at the prison.

Saunders maintained his innocence but did indicate the victims were close to him.

“You agree he advised you that he tried to help them by telling them to go to the police?” attorney Lennox Coleby asked.

“I do not recall. A conversation took place regarding those involved in the incident but that I don’t recall,” the probation officer said.

Senior Justice Isaacs will reserve his decision until August 4 at 9.30am.

The Crown alleged that the killings were in retaliation for the July 12, 2011, murders of Kevin Forbes and Alwayne Leslie at a Haitian village off Montgomery Avenue.

Ward was pregnant with the child of Serrano Adderley, the 30-year-old man charged with the deaths of Forbes and Leslie. Knowles is the nephew of Forbes.

The victims were asleep in a one-bedroom apartment when intruders, who

the prosecution alleged to be Knowles and Saunders, forced their way inside by blasting the locks with a shotgun. Once inside, they shot the woman in the head and Braynen in the back using a shotgun.

Four young children inside the apartment were found unharmed by police.

Mr Coleby suggested that associates of Leslie committed the murders.

Mrs Farquharson-Seymour said there was no evidence – fingerprint, footprint impression or DNA – linking Knowles to the scene of the killings.

Though the jury’s 8-4 guilty verdict for three counts of murder were not acceptable in law, they found Knowles and Saunders guilty of manslaughter by provocation on the same count.

The jury also returned a guilty verdict of 8-4 on the remaining charges of possession of ammunition and two counts of possession of an unlicensed firearm, for which Knowles was separately charged.

PAGE 12 , Wednesday, July 27, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

SOME of the piles of medical waste at the landfill, above and right.

‘Protocol fault’ blamed for medical waste at landfill

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE repeated occurrence of biohazardous medical waste turning up at the New Providence landfill without being incinerated has been blamed on a “fault in protocol and directives” by senior health officials.

Speaking to The Tribune on the condition of anonymity, a senior health official said the matter was being investigated “thoroughly” by various government agencies.

“This sort of occurrence should never have happened. This can only be blamed on a fault in protocol and directives at some point in the chain of command,” the source said.

“I can assure you that this matter is being taken seriously and being looked at thoroughly. We are looking at every angle, from PMH to PHA to DEHS, we have to figure out what is going on and why it has been allowed to continue.”

There have been several instances where biohazardous medical waste - severed limbs, vials of blood, used needles and other medical remains - has been transported to the New Providence landfill and dislodged out in the open, The Tribune understands.

Earlier this month, The Nassau Guardian reported the unsanctioned dumping of medical waste and patient documents at the dumpsite.

Subsequently, Environ-

ment and Housing Minister Kenred Dorsett confirmed that his ministry was addressing the problem.

However, since then there have been reports that more bioharzardous medical waste was sent to the landfill.

On Tuesday, several employees of Bahamas Waste indicated that the issues surrounding these shipments have led many at the company to take issue with working conditions at the facility.

In a letter presented to The Tribune, workers alleged that industry regulations specify that biohazardous material should be incinerated prior to pick up and transport to the landfill.

The letter read: “After

much consideration, this letter has been drafted to build the country’s awareness to some of the most degrading conditions and practices that are (allegedly) being carried out at Bahamas Waste Limited.”

The group indicated that faulty working equipment and poor quality standards leave the dozens of employees at the facility at risk, as they are allegedly exposed to infected blood samples, used needles and fecal matter.

“With writing this letter it is hoped that some sort of support and assistance be given to the employees and that bad health practices be discontinued,” the letter added.

The allegations are similar to claims being made by

line staff at Renew Bahamas, the landfill’s management company.

Officials at Bahamas Waste have offered no comment on the matter.

However, Renew Bahamas has long claimed that the issues exist with the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) and the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH).

In a recent interview with The Tribune, newly appointed Renew Bahamas CEO Michael Cox insisted that he has continued his

petitions of both organisations to address the problem.

Mr Cox has mounted a very public campaign to bring awareness to the issue, maintaining that if it is not addressed, a major health problem could arise.

When contacted for comment, officials at PHA told this newspaper to contact PMH. However, no official comment has been offered by the hospital.

MEMBERS of the Think Tank project launched yesterday at the Dundas Performing Arts Centre.

Photo: Tim Clarke/Tribune Staff

THINK TANK AIMS TO IMPLEMENT FIVE-YEAR PLAN FOR JUNKANOO

By AARON MILLER

A FIVE-year strategic plan for Junkanoo to be a transformative influence on social, cultural and economic development in The Bahamas has been launched by the Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence (JCNP) through an independent task force.

The Junkanoo Think Tank has been formed by the JCNP to lead the initiative, which was conceived last year, to continue the growth of Junkanoo and help it progress and involves Bahamians who represent a wide variety of disciplines and walks of life.

At a press conference at the Dundas Centre for the Performing Arts yesterday, Noelle Nicolls, chairman of the Junkanoo Think Tank, introduced members of the group including Dr Nicolette Bethel, Bishop Arnold Josey, Nicole Sullivan, Kishlane O’Brien, Dr Robin Roberts, Ronald Simms, Archdeacon James Palacious, Arlene Nash Ferguson, V Charmaine Rolle, Chris Justilien, Eugene “Whitey” Higgs, Hugo George, Magistrate Renae McKay, Nicole Sutherland

King and Peter Guilud.

“We are here today to recognise the time has long past for us to take a deeper look at this phenomenon we call Junkanoo; to look past the beautiful facade of the parade at the full potential of Junkanoo; and also to unleash this potential for the betterment of Junkanoo and the benefit of the nation as a whole,” Ms Nicolls said. “Junkanoo is more than a competition and more than a parade; rather Junkanoo is also a force for national development.”

The Think Tank has been tasked with the responsibility for tapping into the untapped potential of Junkanoo and to “be a source of economic empowerment for our people”.

Ms Nicholls said that Junkanoo “even as it stands now, a light hiding under a bushel”, is having a tremendous impact on communities in The Bahamas and is not being recognised or fully quantified from an economic, social and cultural point of view. She said that many sacrificing their efforts for Junkanoo was becoming an unbearable strain.

“We are facing great challenges as a community with poverty, crime prevention, education and and wealth creation, they call on us to use every tool in our toolbox. Junkanoo is the biggest device we have yet to use, a vehicle of creative survival,” Ms Nicholls said, alluding to its role in surving the “dehumanising institution” of slavery and overcoming oppression.

The Think Tank’s project is to develop a five-year strategic plan with the public’s support. “Without a doubt, Junkanoo has the capabilities of becoming the source of social development and we are hoping that our strategic plan will pave the way on the road for a unprecedented investment in Junkanoo,” Ms Nicolls said.

She promised a “thorough and frank” examination and that the group would be “relentless public advocates” for Junkanoo.

She announced that the last three Saturdays in August would be opportunities for “community conclaves” in various parts of New Providence at which the public could consult on the strategic plan.