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Volume: 119 No.173, August 3, 2022

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: PRICE–$1

BOY’S BODY FOUND IN GOLFERS’ POND

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

A YOUNG boy was found dead in a pond near the Oakes Field Sports Centre Golf Academy yesterday.

Authorities believe the child is between 10 and 12 years old. It is believed he had been there for 24 hours, according to police.

Press liaison officer chief superintendent Chrislyn Skippings told reporters at the scene that at around 5.35pm yesterday police received reports that the

lifeless body of a boy had been discovered.

A short time before this incident, a man was found inside a vehicle at Warren Street, off Farrington Road.

“Officers responded and discovered the body of a male partially submerged in the pond here,” she said at the scene of the discovery yesterday.

“The body appears to be that of a child within the ages of 10 to 12.”

The victim’s identity was unknown and police did not receive any reports SEE PAGE TWO

CONSULTANT Louby Georges says greater emphasis needs to be placed on guarding the “poorly” manned borders of Haiti.

In an interview yesterday, Mr Georges said this should be a point of interest as both Haiti and The Bahamas continue to grapple with illegal migration.

“Migration, illegal migration is a very tricky kind of process, if you may,” he said. “It is sophisticated just like any other criminal enterprise. Human smuggling is a sophisticated

ordeal within itself where you would have persons on both sides. Both the receiving country and the country in which persons are leaving from.

“However, as it relates to migration itself and illegal migration, I think greater emphasis needs to be placed on the borders of Haiti, which are poorly manned, poorly patrolled.

“I think the Haitian coast guards, if you may, marines, are lacking resources.

They’re lacking training, maybe. They’re lacking insight, maybe to be able to navigate the northern seas of Haiti itself (from) where the majority of these illegal SEE PAGE FIVE

- SEE PAGE EIGHT

GUNMAN SHOT DEAD PARTNER CHASING AFTER MURDER TARGET

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A MAN was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services yesterday for the death of his accomplice in a botched murder scheme after a string of attempted murders.

Miguel Lewis, 26, stood before Magistrate Samuel McKinney on multiple charges. These include a single murder charge, four SEE PAGE SEVEN

MIGRANTS SOLUTION NEEDS HELP FOR HAITI

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

ALICIA WALLACE: FREE IN NAME BUT WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN?

SUSPECT IS CHARGED WITH BOY’S MURDER

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

OFFICERS at the scene yesterday where a boy aged between ten and 12 years old was found dead in a pond near the Oakes Field Sports Centre Golf Academy.

Photo: Austin Fernander

WHISTLEBLOWERS AID SEC IN GENTILE CASE

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A BAHAMIAN broker/ dealer’s principal, who once acted as FBI “bait”, has failed to dismiss a lawsuit

by US federal regulators who he claims improperly obtained 44,000 pages of evidence from two locallyemployed whistleblowers.

Guy Gentile, head of the former Mintbroker International, which is now in

GUY GENTILE court-supervised liquidation in The Bahamas, had argued the Securities & Exchange Commission’s (SEC) latest US action against him should be

thrown out because it violated this country’s laws in securing documents ‘“stolen” from his business.

Legal papers filed in south Florida federal courts reveal that Philip Dorsett, the first Bahamian employee ever hired by Mintbroker and its predecessors, and the broker/ dealer’s ex-chief operating officer, Yaniv Frantz, both “voluntarily” reached out to the SEC. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

A 22-YEAR-OLD man was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services yesterday in connection with the murder of four-year-old Kenton Seymour Jr. Shanton “Scumdom” Munroe faced the charge before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt.

SEE PAGE THREE

TECHNOLOGY

MORE NASA HELICOPTERS FOR MARS ROCKS SEE PAGE NINE

PAGE 2, Wednesday, August 3, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

OFFICERS at the scene at Oakes Field Sports Centre Golf Academy yesterday after the body of a boy was found.

Photos: Austin Fernander

Boy’s body found in golfers’ pond POLICE investigate the drowning of a boy yesterday.

from page one pertaining to a missing child.

The chief superintendent urged parents to ensure they are aware of their children’s whereabouts at all times.

“I wish to send a firm message to parents that you need to know where your children are. You need to ensure that your children are always with a

responsible adult.”

Asked if the child was clothed, she said: “Partially clothed, bare backed. It appears as if he was swimming in the area.”

She added: “He was bare backed with a boxer short on. He was swimming.”

Press liaison Skippings said police have a zerotolerance approach when it comes to child neglect.

“If our investigation reveals that (in) this particular incident that there

was some form of child neglect you will see the parent or parents being charged in connection with this matter. We have a zero-tolerance approach when it comes to our darlings, the children.

Children are our future and we are supposed to look out for these children,” she said.

She appealed to members of the public to ensure they are responsible to prevent incidents of this kind.

POLICE INVESTIGATE SUSPECTED SUICIDE

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

POLICE are investigating an alleged suicide in the Carmichael Road area.

Initial information suggested that shortly after 11am yesterday a male in his early 20s was found unresponsive, hanging with a sheet around his neck.

Emergency Medical Services responded and confirmed no signs of life.

While police have not officially identified the victim there was an outpouring of reaction on social media when news broke about the alleged suicide.

This comes after another alleged suicide occurred on Saturday when around 7pm police responded to a report of a male hanging from a property in the area of Marathon Road, north of Robinson Road.

Emergency Medical Services responded and confirmed the man showed no signs of life.

Police are uncertain of the circumstances surrounding this incident and said an autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death.

Meanwhile, North Andros police were also investigating an alleged drowning of an adult female. Police revealed in a statement the incident reportedly occurred shortly after 1pm yesterday.

“Preliminary reports indicate that a family of three was swimming in waters in the Staniard Creek area, when a child became distressed. An adult female attempted to assist the child; however, she too became distressed,” the statement said.

“An adult male relative was able to rescue the child; however, the female

was found unresponsive a short time later. The victim was transported to the local clinic where she was pronounced dead. Investigations into this incident continue.”

This matter follows another apparent drowning that police said occurred on Saturday Police said reports indicate that two men dove into waters at Mangrove Cay to retrieve two small fishing vessels that had become unattached from their parent vessel, a 42ft fishing boat.

One of the men, a 52-year-old resident of Pinewood Gardens, surfaced a short time later, while the second - Roynardo Strachan - did not.

Police said while conducting a search of the area with local mariners, they later found Mr Strachan’s body in waters 300 yards off Little Harbor Creek, Mangrove Cay.

YOUNG MAN DROWNS AT PARADISE COVE GRAND Bahama police said the body of a juvenile male was pulled from waters near Paradise Cove, Deadman’s Reef.

On Monday, shortly before 7pm, the Police Control Room on the island received information of an apparent drowning in the area.

As a result, uniformed and plain clothes officers were dispatched to

investigate.

Police said initial reports revealed that five males went swimming on Celebrity Beach near Paradise Cove, Deadman’s Reef when one of the males didn’t return to shore.

A team of officers made several checks for the male but could not locate him.

However, yesterday shortly after 5pm, a team of officers along with

other individuals assisted with the search of the water where the lifeless body of a juvenile male was pulled from the waters. The victim was later transported to the Rand Memorial Hospital, where he was seen and examined by a doctor and pronounced dead.

An autopsy will have to be done to determine the exact cause of his death.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, August 3, 2022, PAGE 3

70 percent goal before mask mandates are lifted LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said yesterday that officials are hoping to have 70 percent of the population vaccinated against COVID-19 before lifting the remaining mask mandates in the country.

He also said the government is hoping to reach its vaccination goal by the end of the year.

According to the government’s latest vaccine tracker, more than 170,000 people have been fully vaccinated in The Bahamas to date, while more than 159,000 people have received their first dose.

“We are now somewhere between 54 to 56 percent and I say that very loosely,” Dr Darville said yesterday ahead of a Cabinet meeting. “We have now brought in the paediatric vaccines as well and we’re hoping to reach 60 percent within a few months and hopefully, reach our target of 70 percent by the end of the year.

“Once again, we’re pleading to the country and those who have not received vaccines to please come forward and get their first and second jab and for those who need boosters, the centres are open. Let us begin to work together to achieve the target of 70 percent in the country by the end of the year.”

The government’s push to get more Bahamians

vaccinated comes amid heightened calls for the remaining mask mandate to be removed.

While mask wearing is not required in outdoor settings, it is still largely required indoors.

Speaking on the issue last week, Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis told reporters government would consider removing the COVID-19 protocol if another 20,000 people were to get vaccinated.

Asked yesterday what officials considered the ideal number of people to be vaccinated to lift the measure, Dr Darville said there was no ideal number.

“There’s really no ideal (number),” he added. “It is a lot of associated factors within country. One of the things that we’re committed to is the World Health Organisation’s mandate for 70 percent of the population to be vaccinated by the end of the year.

“It’s out there. Many other Caribbean countries are trying to meet that particular target.

The reason why that’s important is because we believe that if we get at that level, it will prevent a large influx of individuals to our hospital systems in the event that we start to see higher instances of COVID in country.

“Fortunately for us right now, the numbers appear to be trending downward and we have already petitioned the CDC for us to go back at Level Two, which is important to us in our tourism sector as well as our economy.”

HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville.

Dr Darville said since the He also said once the country meets its vaccina- government launched its tion target and virus cases vaccination programme for and hospitalisations remain children last week, there low, “we will be able to has been a good turnout.

“We launched on the reduce or even remove the 28th,” he said. “We had a mask mandate”.

Previously, only people very good turnout. I think aged 12 and older were about 63 to 68 young individeligible for doses in the uals received the vaccines. country; however, chil- We’re starting vaccinations dren aged 5 to 11 years are again today (Tuesday) and now able to have access to we have about 66 bookings COVID-19 vaccines thanks and a lot of walk-ins and to a donation of 24,000 pae- so we’re watching it very diatric doses from France closely because we’re just last month. ironing out the kinks here

in New Providence and of course, we’ll be rolling it out in Grand Bahama and the Family Islands as soon as we work pout all of the logistics and the timing for each clinic.”

Yesterday, Dr Darville was also asked how soon vaccines for the monkeypox virus could be in country.

However, he was unable to give a timeline, only saying “it would be sooner than later”.

He added: “We have been working from day one

with our partners at the Pan American Health Organisation. We are definitely in the community. We are presently starting consultations with those in the border, customs and immigration and some of our uniformed individuals. We are presently reaching out to high-risk groups in the tourism sector and so the list goes on and on and so we’re working very closely with PAHO and we realise that it’s important for us to stay on top of it.”

BODY FOUND IN VEHICLE A MAN was found in a silver-colored CRV Honda SUV on Warren Street, off Farrington Road, yesterday.

The victim was said to be Jermaine Bastian, according to area residents.

They told The Tribune he was in his mid 40s and frequented the Warren Street area.

He was also known to be afflicted by frequent seizures, residents said.

Both matters are actively being investigated.

THE SCENE in Warren Street yesterday where the body of a man was found in a Honda SUV.

S S

T IS H

from page one Munroe further faced an additional three charges of attempted murder and three counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

On July 26 on Fleming Street and West Street, the defendant, being concerned with others, was reportedly pursuing a male target on foot armed with handguns.

It was during their pursuit that Kenton Seymour Jr was caught in the crossfire, as he sat on his mother’s lap in a car.

The child was pronounced dead at hospital.

It was because of this same incident that Munroe faced additional charges of attempted murder of the four-year-old’s bereaved

WITH BOY’S father and mother Kenton Seymour Sr and Normareaka Smith. Munroe was also charged for the attempted murder of 27-year-old Deashano Joseph, the target in this incident who is currently in police custody.

The defendant was arrested at 4.25pm on July 27 on Ferguson Street.

In court, Munroe was informed that his case would proceed by way of Voluntary Bill of Indictment (VBI).

The Chief Magistrate further told the accused that he would be denied bail at this time but that he had the right to reapply for bail in Supreme Court, where his case will be held.

Until such time that bail is granted to him, the

defendant will be remanded to BDCS. However, during a brief exchange with Magistrate Ferguson-Pratt, Munroe said that he did not meet the description of the suspects in the incident caught on camera footage. As he indicated that while these men were wearing masks, they were both at least 6’3” with Munroe stating that he is only 5’7”.

As such, the Chief Magistrate officially noted that from the very beginning the suspect denied being at the scene or having any involvement in the shooting.

Before being taken into custody, Munroe was allowed a brief moment with his aunt and mother.

The accused is expected to be served his VBI on December 7.

Photo: Austin Fernander

PAGE 4, Wednesday, August 3, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

SOLOMONS HOLDS COMMUNITY GIVEBACK

VISITORS at a community giveback event held by Solomans in Yamacraw recently.

Photos: Austin Fernander

SALES BEGINNING TO RISE AHEAD OF SCHOOL RETURN

By JADE RUSSELL jrussell@tribunemedia.net

LOCAL businesses say they are beginning to see CAREY’s Fabric & Uniform Store yesterday.

sales ramp up as customers Photo: Moise Amisial

shop for supplies in anticipation of the opening of schools in the coming weeks.

Carey’s Fabric & Uniform Store’s managing director Kim Gibson told The Tribune yesterday that parents have been eager to outfit their children for their return to classrooms.

It is welcomed coming out of a time where schools utilised virtual learning, minimising the need for materials for uniforms.

“Since 2019, we haven’t had a full back to school.

So, the parents are happy to see their children going back to school and, and we are happy to outfit them,” Ms Gibson said in an interview yesterday.

She added: “Once we saw that the country was opening up full time, then we went into full preparation mode, getting uniforms

in for all schools on New Providence.

“And we also have uniform fabrics, for all schools in the entire Bahamas. So, if for some reason we don’t have the uniforms, like ready-made and hanging, we even have them custom made. Parents are relieved to know that they could come here and definitely find everything they need.”

Carey’s is also having sales throughout the month of August to assist parents with school shopping expenses.

Nassau Stationers was yesterday also said to be seeing an influx of shoppers, with its manager Uhura Woodside saying persons were already starting to purchase required texts and books for the upcoming academic year.

The manager highlighted that customers are eagerly coming into the store inquiring about prices so

they can start the process of purchasing items.

However, some stores described the back to school season as “steady but not at a rush yet”.

This was according to Shaniqua Johnson, sales manager at Deep South Bookstore.

Ms Johnson noted that before pandemic business was better and that the influx of customers hasn’t fully reached its peak yet.

Additionally, a cashier at the John Bull Business Centre said that business has been booming this season.

She explained things have been busy as students and educators are entering the store to get the supplies they need.

She continued that the John Bull Business Centre is offering 20 percent off sale on school items until September, assisting in the hefty cost of back-to-school preparation.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, August 3, 2022, PAGE 5

Migrants solution needs help for Haiti from page one fleets and ships leave…

“And so, if we don’t go down to the root then The Bahamas, the United States, Turks and Caicos, others as receiving countries we will continue to see this issue. The issue cannot be solved, the problem cannot be solved in The Bahamas… there needs to be greater emphasis or some more attempts, some new strategies to be implemented in trying to alleviate some of the issues that are in Haiti. It has to first start with the Haitian people, the Haitian government of course.

“But I do feel like CARICOM has a role that it can play, that it should play in assisting Haiti to stabilise as best as possible. “…New strategies need to be put in place in my opinion, to be adopted to at least diminish the numbers.”

Haitian Chargé de Affairs Anthony Pierre Brutus said last week he believed the only way to discourage Haitians from travelling illegally to and from The Bahamas is to grant visas to the community.

Although Mr Georges thought this would help, he added that a conversation in relation to the issue needed to take place.

“A plan would have to be put in place for better border management, migration management,” he said.

“Since the FNM administration, they would’ve come with some policy that says that in order for a Haitian to qualify for or be eligible for a Bahamian visa that Haitian would first have to have either an American, a Canadian, or a Schengen visa. If the Haitians doesn’t have one of those visas first, then

O

LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said any foreign national wishing to apply for a visa to enter The Bahamas can do so without any legal difficulties.

The ministry released a statement yesterday in response to recent comments made in the press about the government’s visa programme.

“It has come to the ministry’s attention that there was a statement in the news implying that there is prejudice against a specific nationality when it comes to properly entering The Bahamas,” the statement read.

“The Minister of Foreign Affairs wishes to emphasise

B I T

they’re not eligible and you don’t even have to waste your time in applying. I think for years we’ve never had that.

“The FNM brought that in 2018 somewhere about. Before then, Haitians were able to send for family members to visit for funerals, for christenings, for graduations, for weddings and you know the Immigration Department would give persons seven days, 10 days, 15 days, 21 days.

And the family member who you’re coming to see, who you’re coming to stay with would be responsible because you have to put your phone number (and) your address.

“So, I think we could do away with that tight restriction.

Loosen it up but at the same time place the onus on the receiving family member.

I think they had graduation the other day with immigration officers…put emphasis on following up on these sorts of thing, you know, have a unit in place that can follow up and make phone calls and require that the boarding pass or a ticket or something is presented (to) immigration after the fact, after this person would’ve had to leave within 10, 15 or 21 days.

“The issuing of visas would’ve allowed for us to bolster our tourism product. I mean it makes more money. It means more revenue for Bahamasair of course but at the same time ensures that you have the migration management policies or strategies in place to ensure that when persons come in they can leave but to make it near impossible for Haitians, a particular country or nationality to receive visas.

I mean it’s ridiculous, in my opinion.”

I I

that there is no legal obstacle to any nationality applying for a visa to enter The Bahamas or obtaining a work permit to enter The Bahamas legitimately.”

The ministry also reminded people that any foreign individual seeking to enter the country legitimately can apply for a visa through the ministry’s Consular Division where “that visa is required by the regulations, all of our embassies, in person or online.”

The statement came after Haitian Chargé de Affairs Anthony Pierre Brutus told reporters last week he believed the only way officials could discourage Haitians from travelling illegally to and from The Bahamas is by “opening up a visa system for the public”.

SURVIVORS cling to the overturned vessel carrying migrants last month.

TI S I His comments came in the aftermath of the recent boating tragedy that left 17 Haitian migrants, including a pregnant woman dead.

During a press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr Brutus was asked whether the Haitian embassy was discouraging Haitian nationals from partaking in illegal migration.

“At the embassy, we cannot discourage anyone, but we can ask them to apply for a visa just as the United States is doing and Canada is doing,” Mr Brutus replied.

“At that time, The Bahamas government will select who can come in. That happens in every country. The only way we can discourage the Haitian nationals from travelling here illegally is

T TO B I IS I T BO I S

LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net THE League of Haitian Pastors in partnership with the Haitian Embassy will be organising the burial process of unidentified victims from last month’s boating tragedy.

Dr Jean Paul Charles, the league’s president, told The Tribune yesterday that a date for the burial service will be finalised after the bodies have been released by the Bahamian government.

He also revealed it is likely the victims will be buried at one of the government cemeteries, adding “we think it might be (the one on) Cowpen Road.

“We’re waiting for the government to release the bodies first and then there’s the process of identification

and we’re waiting on that,” Dr Charles said. “We’re working very close with Haitian Embassy and then when the government releases the bodies, then we will have a meeting with the Haitian Embassy to see when we can proceed with the burial together with the Haitian Embassy and the Bahamian dignitaries.

I have already spoke to some of them like Bishop (Delton) Fernander and Bishop (Laish) Boyd from the Anglican and… so whenever the government will release the bodies to the Haitian embassy, then I will contact them for when the burial is to be held.”

According to police, some 50 people were travelling on a 33ft twin engine vessel that was enroute to Florida on July 24 when it overturned in rough seas

S

near Blackbeard’s Cay around 1am.

The tragedy left 17 Haitians dead, including a pregnant woman, while several people are still believed to be missing.

During a press conference last week, Public Hospitals Authority’s Managing Director Aubynette Rolle, revealed that five of those victims have been identified – one male, a one-year-old, a 13-year-old girl, and two women.

When contacted for an update yesterday, Ms Rolle said no additional bodies had been identified beyond the five already accounted for by relatives.

The Haitian government has already committed to covering the funeral expenses for the victims who died in the incident.

YI to open up a visa system for the public.

“The Haitians then can apply. The ones that get it, get it and the other ones that are refused are refused. That would be a better way for The Bahamas and Haiti to have a better relationship. It’s about an hour from The Bahamas to Haiti.”

The Haitian embassy official also claimed that around 150,000 Haitians are currently living in The Bahamas.

“There are a lot of Haitians that are travelling

O B H that go to Cuba. They go to the US. They go to Santa Domingo and there are 150,000 Haitians living here in The Bahamas,” he said.

“Around that number, there are persons who are here legally and (have been living) about 20 plus years in this country. The persons that are here legally can have a better relationship with others that once they come here, they will be able to flow and apply for a visa in coming to the country legally.”

However, when contacted

by The Tribune yesterday,

S IS ’ Labour and Immigration Minister Keith Bell called the claim “unfounded”.

As of May 3, 2010, there were 351,461 residents in The Bahamas.

Residents, as defined by the 2010 census report included all people regardless of their legal status, who had been living in the country for a period of six months prior to the census.

Of that figure, 17.3 percent (or 60,802) were citizens of another country and the largest group - some 39,156 people - were Haitian citizens.

PAGE 6, Wednesday, August 3, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

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Is Brave the man to tackle migration issues?

IN the aftermath of the boat capsize that killed at least 17 Haitians, there is no shortage of problems to consider.

The victims were among a party of at least 50 people on board a 33ft twin engine vessel headed to Florida as part of what would seem to be a human smuggling operation. A number of people are still believed to be missing after the boat overturned in rough waters near Blackbeard’s Cay. Yesterday, consultant Louby Georges, pointed the finger at the poorly manned borders of Haiti.

Others have pointed the fingers at the migrants.

The Haitian Chargé d’Affaires has urged people to apply for visas and called for a visa system to be opened up to the public from Haiti.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said anyone can apply for visas and dismissed any thought of prejudice against Haitian applicants.

In this column, we have spoken of the need to tackle the organised crime that brings these migrants through our country before carrying them on towards the United States.

Haiti needs to step up. The Bahamas needs to step up. The United States needs to step up. All around there is fault, and yet how do we begin to tackle the problem.

Again, in this column we have spoken in the past of the biggest issue being that people feel such a need to pack themselves into small boats and cross dangerous waters.

Read through all of that and you’ll see half a dozen problems and more.

There’s no easy place to start.

What is clear is that allowing our waters and our land to be used by human smugglers is intolerable. Stopping it isn’t so easy.

At present, we are seeing a significant number of migrants headed to the US. Previously, we have seen many migrants headed to our shores. The destinations vary over the years, but the volume of people looking to make that journey continues.

The instability in Haiti itself is clear to see. Only last year, president Jovenel Moise was assassinated at his residence. There have been arrests, but who orchestrated the assassination remains

unknown.

Large chunks of the nation are controlled by gangs, who dictate who does and who does not gain entry to neighbourhoods – and there have been abductions of foreign missionaries.

It’s a mess, whichever way you look at it.

What it needs is a co-ordinated effort – and someone willing to lead it. Step right up, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, whose globetrotting could put him in exactly the right places to lead a joint effort around the region.

He has already spoken up at the Summit of the Americas in June, expressing concern at the absence of Cuba from the summit when refugees from that country are a concern that needs to be addressed.

So can he now address the longstanding problem of migration? It needs an effort from CARICOM, from regional partners – and we have to face the facts that even that might not be enough.

But time and again we see boats being stopped. Too often, we hear of deaths amid capsizes or even people just being abandoned by the smugglers, as happened in Puerto Rico last week.

There is no easy solution, no perfect solution – but Mr Davis, it’s time to make your mark.

Drownings The story of the boy found dead in a pond yesterday is a tragedy – and one of several drownings reported on by The Tribune recently.

In today’s edition alone, there is also a body of a juvenile being pulled form waters near Paradise Cove, Deadman’s Reef, on Monday. Then there is a drowning of a woman in North Andros yesterday as she came to the rescue of a struggling child.

The waters of The Bahamas are beautiful, but they can also be deadly.

Summer is a time for the sea – but be sensible when you do. Don’t go alone, don’t leave children unattended, don’t drink and swim – and be safe.

We do not know the causes of these drownings as yet – but we don’t want to hear of any more such tragedies.

Have your say Readers have been posting their reactions to stories on tribune242.com.

After Haitian Chargé de Affairs Anthony Pierre Brutus said he believes the only way to discourage Haitians from travelling illegally to and from The Bahamas is to grant visas to the community, Sheeprunner12 said: “The USA had the contract back in the 1940s. Bahamians went over to work on the farms for given periods of time.

Why can’t we use that with the Haitians?”

That prompted this reply from Moncurcool: “You do know there is a legal visa process for any citizen, including Haitians, to come to The Bahamas right? This guy is talking nonsense.

The problem, many Haitians do not want to use the legal visa process that is in place.”

After Carnival announced it expects to commence dredging in East Grand Bahama for its mega cruise port in the next 60 to 90 days, Concerned799 posted this comment: “Amazing to me with ever rising national debt numbers, no one ever questions the logic that perhaps more cruise passengers spending very little per person is

in fact working against The Bahamas building more wealth. Like no one ever considers too seriously the notion that the cruise industry as distinct from the hotel industry exists in a place where the more it gets ahead the more The Bahamas actually slips.”

Last week, Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis revealed that stabilising the country’s finances and bringing economic relief to Bahamians would be key priorities for his administration for the remainder of year.

Maximilianotto responded with: “The government is reducing Far East container shipping costs by 40%? Without government it would be 50% or more. No further comments needed.”

But Sheeprunner12 said: “Davis has a tall order to work through. For our sake, we wish him every success.”

And after the finding that 99 percent of Bahamian firms had no

interest in seeking debt financing in COVID’s aftermath was branded “irrelevant” by a small business adviser, Twocent had this to say: “Any truly serious lending intention looking to help entrepreneurs and work towards an economically sound future will take into account previous debt, personal and business, and even consider a form of debt consolidation. In this case, understanding the road into the problem directs the way out. Poor business management is not a signpost to move forward with lending, but IS an indicator towards more education and character building. Business start-ups that failed because of COVID policies should not be held accountable for their failure but audited for whatever successes they gained pre-COVID; not necessarily to re-start the same blueprint but to recover what there was while also making the business more resilient. But one of the BIGGEST factors stopping myself and people I know from looking for loans is interest and the extortionate profiteering that comes off my back to the lenders.”

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

A PARTICIPANT in the Emancipation Day celebrations in Fox Hill at the weekend.

Photo: Austin Fernander

CARICOM at its limits?

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I AM indebted for the title of this commentary to the Honourable Bruce Golding, a former Prime Minister of Jamaica, who has been and remains one of the foremost political minds in the Caribbean and wider afield.

Mr Golding hosts a weekly serious discussion radio programme in Jamaica called, “Jamaica Live”. On July 25, he invited me to join the discussion “Has CARICOM reached its limits of regional integration”?

There was good reason for the former Jamaica Prime Minister to posit the question. July 4 next year will be 50 years since the Heads of Government of the four biggest (and independent) Caribbean countries signed the Treaty of Chaguaramas (the CARICOM Treaty) that brought the Caribbean Community and Common Market into effect on August 1, 1973 - at least, on paper. Eight other Caribbean countries, which had been members of a more limited grouping, CARIFTA, that had been in existence since 1968, joined CARICOM a few months later.

It was not an unreasonable expectation that the Treaty, which held out the anticipation of the integration of 12 Caribbean countries, would have produced a far better and deeper integrated region than currently exists, almost 50 years later. However, while CARICOM experienced an initial impetus, creating beneficial institutions, such as the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), and making some progress in free trade in goods and services, the characteristic of its history is short periods of activity followed by long periods of inaction.

The result is a suspension of confidence and faith in the CARICOM project by many sectors of the Caribbean society and the people in general.

Despite no real progress in establishing a Common Market – not even becoming a Custom Union – in July 2001, CARICOM leaders revised the CARICOM Treaty. A Customs Union would have been an arrangement by the member states to remove trade barriers, reduce or abolish customs duty and eliminate quotas. In a Common Market, the states would have adopted a common external tariff on goods entering their region from outside; allowed free trade of goods and services and permitted free movement of labour and capital among themselves.

The 2001 revised treaty provided the ways (not the means) to establish a Single Market and Economy (CSME). This revision of the treaty was hailed by the

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net private sector as presenting the opportunity for genuine free trade in goods and services; for cross border establishment of companies; and for free movement of labour. In short, for the creation of a single economic space. The prospect of free movement of people and a single currency, also titillated the appetite of the people of CARICOM to travel freely throughout the region.

By 2011, the CSME was effectively paused by CARICOM Heads of Government. At the time, a few leaders resisted that characterisation.

However, little progress has been made between 2011 and now in advancing the CSME. So much so that in May 2022, a representative group of CARICOM leaders, meeting in Guyana for an Agriculture Investment Forum, declared “trade barriers, particularly nontariff barriers, are one of the biggest inhibitors to the development of the regional market for agricultural produce, and that removing these barriers requires political consensus and determination”. The point is that not even trade barriers, particularly non-tariff barriers, have yet been overcome.

By comparison, other regions that initiated integration efforts, at the same time or after CARICOM, have advanced much further. The European Union (EU) is the most telling example. It started in earnest eight months before CARICOM in 1973 and rapidly expanded, under strict criteria, to 28 member states, until Britain exited in January 2020. But not only did the EU expand its membership, with new applicants still pending, it established a single currency; tore down border barriers, allowing for a common passport and free movement of people; established a single trading machinery; and a Commission empowered to initiate and make decisions for all the countries collectively in a broad range of areas.

As my friend and fellow commentator on Caribbean affairs, David Jessop, put it recently in assessing CARICOM and regional economic cooperation: “Elsewhere in the world, integration mechanisms have updated their governance, foregone aspects of national sovereignty, established procedures that ensure delivery, created measures that guarantee accountability, transparency, and core financing, and have delegated executive powers to enable outcomes”.

CARICOM, on the other hand, has limped along, sometimes halting

altogether, burdened by inadequate or no implementation of decisions, mistrust among leaders, frustration in the private sector, failure to establish binding rules, and institutional decline, including a weak and underfunded Secretariat.

It is not as if the failures of CARICOM to achieve its many important goals and to satisfy many popular and practical expectations, have not been carefully and scrupulously examined by some of the best political, economic, financial and social development thinkers in the region and beyond.

In 1992, at the behest of all CARICOM Governments, the West Indian Commission, produced a seminal work, “Time for Action”. Its recommendations to governments included the establishment of a Caribbean Commission (like the European Commission), answerable to Heads of Government but empowered to initiate ideas and implement decisions assigned to it. While many of the recommendations were accepted, the principal ones on governance structures, including the Caribbean Commission, went nowhere.

In 2016, the Jamaica Government commissioned Bruce Golding to head a commission to “review Jamaica’s relations with CARICOM”.

The Commission recommended, among many other things, that explicit provision should be made in the CARICOM Treaty, requiring governments to give effect to their rights and obligations under the treaty, and to implement decisions taken by Heads of Government within no less than six months. Again, scant regard was paid to the comprehensive report of the Commission which merited serious consideration.

In March 2021, a CARICOM Commission on the Economy, reignited many ideas, including the suggestion that those member states, interested in advancing the integration project, should proceed, leaving the door open for others to join at their own speed. This report, too, has not generated the action for which its authors might have hoped.

Many of the great ideals of CARICOM remain unfulfilled as its 50th anniversary approaches. But has it reached its limits of regional integration?

SIR RONALD SANDERS August 2, 2022 (The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States of America and the Organization of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London, and Massey College in the University of Toronto)

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, August 3, 2022, PAGE 7

Three fined over drugs charges

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A WOMAN and a pair of men were fined yesterday on two separate drug charges.

Delva Gray, 39, represented by Attorney Quentin Percentie, appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney on charges of possession of dangerous drugs and possession of

dangerous drugs with intent to supply.

On July 30 in New Providence, Gray was arrested by police for being found with six grams of Indian Hemp in her residence.

The defendant was further found with 2lbs and 5/8 oz of Indian Hemp with an estimated street value of $2,000. For this she was charged with possession with intent to supply.

Gray pleaded guilty to

both charges.

As part of Attorney Percentie’s plea of mitigation he stated his client was remorseful for her actions.

In addition to mentioning that Ms Gray was a mother and a woman of good character up to this point, Mr Percentie said her early plea of guilt saved the court’s time. He added he was of the view that a fine would be a fitting punishment as it would spare Gray

a custodial sentence for the offence.

The Magistrate then sentenced the defendant to pay a $200 fine for the six grams of Indian Hemp or risk one month at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS).

For the 2lbs and 5/8oz of marijuana Gray is expected to pay a fine of $1,500 or face six months in custody at BDCS. Magistrate McKinney

also informed the accused she must pay $1,000 of her fine before her release with the remainder to be paid off

by September.

The two men, Miguel Mackey, 32, and McKenzie Cela, 29, appeared before Magistrate McKinney on a shared charge of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply.

On July 28 the defendants were reportedly arrested after being found

with 8 oz of Indian Hemp.

In court Mackey pleaded guilty to the offence while Cela pleaded not guilty.

However Prosecutor Inspector Timothy Bain indicated that Cela had an antecedent with the court from 2018.

As such Magistrate McKinney imposed a fine of $500 or three months in prison for Mackey and a fine of $800 or four months for Cela.

COUPLE FINED AFTER AIRPORT ARGUMENT

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net AN AMERICAN couple were fined in a Magistrate’s Court yesterday on charges of disorderly behaviour, obstruction and causing harm to a police officer at Lynden Pindling International Airport.

Khairi Shabazz, 30, and Tanisha Jackson, 37, both of Richmond Virginia, stood before Magistrate Samuel McKinney on multiple charges. The pair faced shared charges of disorderly behaviour, obscene language, resisting arrest and obstruction.

Shabazz solely faced charges of possession of dangerous drugs, assaulting

a police officer and causing harm.

On July 28 at the JetBlue checkin counter at LPIA, the pair reportedly acted disorderly by flailing their hands about and cursing.

There they used expletives as they yelled at the airline ticketing agent that they just want to get home.

When officers approached them over their behaviour, the pair continued to act erratically with both cursing their arresting officers and telling them to let go of their respective significant others.

It was while resisting arrest that Shabazz caused harm to Constable 4344 Stubbs. Shabazz was further found with a half gram of Indian hemp in his possession that same day.

They would later admit to the offense and in court the pair pleaded guilty to all charges against them them.

In view of both defendants having no priors, the magistrate ordered Shabazz to pay a fine of $300 or one month for the drug charge and another $500 fine or three months for the obstruction charge. Shabazz was further ordered to compensate Constable Stubbs $200 or one month for the causing harm charge as well as facing another $500 fine or one month for the assaulting an officer charge.

Jackson faced a similar $500 fine or three months for her obstruction charge.

The remaining charges agaisnt the defendants were withdrawn.

MAN ACCUSED OF ATTEMPTED MURDER WITH HANDGUN

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A MAN was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services yesterday for allegedly attempting to kill two men with a handgun.

Gavante Rolle, 22, represented by Attorney Ian Cargill, stood before Magistrate Samuel McKinney in relation to six charges. The charges included two counts of attempted murder, two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, as well as possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition charges.

On July 26 at West

Dennis Court, Rolle reportedly pulled up to Franklyn Dean’s residence in a Nissan March and opened fire at Dean with a black 9mm pistol.

After successfully evading the gunfire, Dean is said to have gotten into a fight with Rolle over possession of the weapon. During this altercation Dean was beaten about the body with the gun, including to the face.

It was also at this time that the second victim in this matter, Timothy Dorsette, was caught in the crossfire and hit by a stray bullet.

After his arrest the defendant was found with the same 9mm pistol and

five live rounds of 9mm ammunition.

While the defendant pleaded not guilty to firearm and ammunition charges, Rolle was informed he was not able to enter a plea for the four remaining charges. As such Rolle was told those matters would proceed by way of Voluntary Bill of Indictment (VBI).

The magistrate further informed the accused that he had the right to apply for bail in the Supreme Court, where his trial will ultimately be held.

Until such time that bail is granted, Rolle will be remanded to BDCS. His VBI is expected to be served on October 4.

POLICE HUNT FOR MAN AFTER CUTLASS ATTACK CRIMINAL Investigation Department officers are looking for a man responsible for a cutlass attack on a 45-year-old resident of Market Street.

Police said the incident occurred around 6.40pm on Sunday.

Preliminary reports reveal the victim was in the area of his residence when he got into an altercation with a male known to him.

The suspect reportedly produced a cutlass and

caused serious injuries to the victim’s upper body, then made good his escape.

The victim was taken to hospital where he is detained in a stable condition.

Anyone with information that can assist police is asked to contact the police at 919 or the Criminal Investigation Department at 502-9991/2.

Meanwhile, authorities are also probing a shooting incident that left a

28-year-old man in hospital receiving care.

The incident reportedly occurred at around 2am on Monday.

Preliminary reports indicate that the victim was walking on Bernard Road when he was approached and subsequently shot by a group of men.

The victim, who is being electronically monitored, was taken to the hospital where he is listed in a stable condition.

GUNMAN SHOT DEAD PARTNER CHASING AFTER MURDER TARGET from page one counts of attempted murder and four counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

According to police reports shortly after 1pm on July 25 at Pigeon Plum Street in Pinewood Gardens, the defendant along with two other male accomplices pulled up at a residence in an orange Nissan March.

The accused and another male, later identified as 24-year-old Kendrick Lewis Jr, exited the vehicle armed with firearms with

the intent to kill the man who lived there, who upon seeing them fled the scene.

It was during their pursuit of the target on foot that the defendant accidently shot and killed his accomplice Initial investigations into the incident revealed the intended target was being electronically monitored at the time and that he is currently in police custody.

Miguel Lewis is further alleged to have attempted to kill Marquin Williams, Donald Cox, Leander Cox and Randy Mackey with a firearm on that same day.

The defendant would later surrender to officers of the

Criminal Investigations Department at around 7pm on July 27.

In court the defendant was told his case would proceed by way of Voluntary Bill of Indictment (VBI).

Lewis was further informed that he had the right to apply for bail through the Supreme Court, where his trial is slated to begin.

Until such time that Lewis is granted bail, he will be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS).

The defendant is expected to be served his VBI on October 11.

ROTARIAN Azaleta Ishmael-Newry (right) receives her award as Rotarian of the Year (20212022) from president Calnan Weech.

Photo: Kent Forbes

ROTARIAN OF YEAR NAMED AS BOARD CHANGES OVER THE Rotary Club of South-East Nassau (RCSEN) recently held its changeover of presidents and board members.

The outgoing president, Calnan Weech, congratulated his executive and board for a successful year that ended with the RCSEN earning a Silver Certificate of Rotary Service in Public Image from District 7020; a portfolio led by director Candice Hepburn.

A distinction award for outstanding and dedicated contribution during the Rotary year 2021-2022 was presented to president Weech and Rotarians at the District 7020 Convention in Saint Martin in May, including a silver award for Club of the Month.

Three female Rotarians also earned top recognition.

Rotarian of the Year

was awarded to Azaleta Ishmael-Newry, the second woman to join the Rotary Club of SouthEast Nassau in 1995.

New Rotarian of the Year was awarded to Megan Minus, a former three-year Rotaract member who served as secretary, and had transitioned to Rotary in August loast year. She will take up the secretary post in 2023.

Director of the Year went to Ruthnell BarrBethell whose portfolio was youth and literacy and who led community projects such as a book donation drive for the Department of Corrections and advancing literacy projects that included youth and adults.

The Rotary Club of South-East Nassau, Executives and Board for 2022-2023 are: Executive: president – Johann Bain; immediate

past president and foundation chair – Calnan Weech; president-elect – Leah Lowe; secretary – Tanishka Parker; treasurer – Michaela Bethell-Stuart.

Directors: club membership – Kent Forbes; attendance chair – PP Sean Blyden; club administration – Raymond Charles; community service – PP Lionel Haven; disaster relief – PP Bridgette Rolle, JP; health and wellness – Colin Jupp; youth and literacy – Tsega Thompson; public image – Megan Minus; international ervice – PP Jamaal Davis; vocational service – Shakera Rolle; fellowship – Abagale Butler; Rotaract liaison – Cecily Dean; family of Rotary – Aurea Bethell-Russell; fundraising chair – Javon Morley; club trainer – PAG Timothy N Ingraham; Sergeant of Arms – Valentine Maura.

PAGE 8, Wednesday, August 3, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Free in name - but what does it really mean for individuals and society?

By Alicia Wallace EVERY year, we celebrate Emancipation Day, often referred to as August Monday. In a statement released on Monday, Niambi Hall CampbellDean, PhD, Chair of the Bahamas National Reparations Committee acknowledged there are varying ideas about the meaning of “freedom” and how it is (not) realized and embodied.

Are we free? Where does power sit? What work is left to be done in order to be truly free? How would that work unseat people in positions of power? How does power need to be redistributed?

In her statement, Hall Campbell-Dean promoted decolonisation. “We can decolonise our workspaces by normalising clothes that reflect our hot climate as professional and hair that grows our of our heads at “neat”. We can decolonise our language by not referring to the beauty that is Bahamian creole as “broken” and even decolonise our perceptions of work by valuing rest.”

Those four areas — clothing, hair, language and rest — have all been raised in this space before.

It is important for us to interrogate the beliefs and practices that were forced upon us, collectively, before any of us were born. We have to be able to question what we accept as true. We need to be able to recognise oppression and attempts to devalue us and our culture.

We have to be attentive and critical in our thinking to avoid participating in or perpetuating that which bars us from true freedom.

Respectability politics has plagued us for a long time, and it has even become a source of comfort to some as they seek to prevent the progress and freedom of others. We were sold the idea that there is a positive

correlation between our value — our recognition as human beings — and our ability and willingness to follow a set of arbitrary rules that narrow our means of participating in and enjoying life. This is where the clothing, hair, language and rest come in.

“Dress the way you want to be addressed,” they say.

While it is true people often make judgments about other people when they see them, it ought not be a reason to for black people in particular to be policed on the basis of fashion and style choices and, related and not often acknowledged, the ability to afford and maintain certain kinds of apparel.

Racists are racist regardless of what people wear. Antiblack people are hateful and violent toward black people with no exceptions — not even three-piece suits or luxury brand accessories.

We cannot dress our way out of blackness, and we cannot earn racism immunity passes. We are not the problem.

Black hair has been another area in which racists try to exercise control.

They describe it in negative ways, from “unprofessional” to “unkempt,” all because of the texture. Black people have many different types of hair, and the tighter and/ or less defined the curl, the more it is frowned upon.

Companies make rules against certain hairstyles, and schools do the same. Are locks allowed? If so, who is allowed to have them? Are afros acceptable? Are they “neat” enough? Are braids too “distracting”? They are all, somehow, good enough to wear when people (who are not black) want to look “edgy” or wear blackness as a costume, whether it’s for Halloween or a themed party. Everyone but black people gets to enjoy black hair. Those of us who truly have it are expected to make

ACTION from celebrations in Fox Hill at the weekend.

Photos: Austin Fernander

it as white as possible, with chemical straighteners, heat-based methods, and a range of products meant to minimise the volume (while other people try to add volume to theirs). It does not make sense. Respectability politics never do.

We tend to say our first language is English, but is it? For many of us who grew up in The Bahamas, our first language was Bahamian Creole. English was acquired along the way, especially in the school system. Without being formally taught Bahamian Creole, we understand the way the language works, and we speak it fluently.

When Hall Campbell-Dean said we need to stop saying our language is broken, she called us to reject the idea that it is, in any way, an incorrect form or derivative of English. It is its own language that has words and features of the language spoken by our ancestors who were stolen from the continent of Africa, survived a horrific, deadly trafficking exercise, were enslaved and forced to live, speak and believe in different ways, and somehow

managed to retain some of their own practices, language and belief systems and pass them down from one generation to another.

Why would we reduce this legacy to something that is broken? Why wouldn’t we celebrate the survival of what is so much ours that it comes naturally to us?

Where else in the world does it spry? Who else has arguments about whether or not “Muddasick!” Is okay for a child to say?

Why do we all say “bey” the same way, even though we can’t agree on the spelling? (It is definitely not buoy.) There are no idioms quite like ours. We have our own proverbs, and some of them have different versions. We enjoy them.

We quote them. We laugh about some of them. We have the ability to switch between Bahamian Creole and English. Still, even this is policed. They tell us there is a “time and place for everything”, but what is the time and where is the place that it is not okay to be a black Bahamian, in The Bahamas?

One of the ways people often try to prove their worth is (over)working. Many black people are constantly, though unconsciously, working to disprove stereotypes and present themselves as somehow different and better. To be seen as lazy is one of the worst things that could happen. To avoid that, show up, work and avoid taking any action that would suggest anything

but a love for work. Working through lunch breaks, staying late, delaying and rescheduling vacations, and answering work calls outside of work hours are all ways we deny ourselves the rest we need. One racist’s stereotype, persisting and causing self-conscious, can impact our personal lives and our health. We cannot afford this. We need freedom from this.

It is easy to blame black people for the oppression experienced. People say we are the majority, and while we are the numerical majority, this does not mean we are not experiencing racism at the interpersonal level as well as at the institutional level. In fact, that racism demands our participation, and not all of us know how or are comfortable and confident to push back.

Some people do not realise they are a part of a racist system and helping to police other black people.

As a simple example, some people did not have a choice when their parents chemically straightened their hair. They are accustomed to maintaining their hair in that way. Some find it easier to manage their hair that way, and some people have been led to believe it looks better, or that it is better suited to professional environments. Some of these people become managers who have no problem enforcing the rules in the handbook because they have always complied, and some of them see no reason why others should not do

the same. Some of these people may have a different texture of length of hair that is deemed acceptable. The attitude is: “You want a job, and this is what is required for the job. Do it, or go home.” This happens when there is lack of awareness and sensitivity.

It happens when there is internalised racism — the unconscious acceptance of false narratives about black people which are used to falsify causation between both the value and behaviour of black people and the oppression of black people.

We are very uncomfortable with conversations about race and racism in The Bahamas. Raise the issue and watch as people shift in their seats, slip out of the room, declare that racism is over, or take some other action to show they are not open to the conversation.

How can we address what we refuse to discuss? Who does it benefit to ignore the issue of racism in The Bahamas? How is this discomfort, this constant refusal, related to the general feeling that 184 years after Emancipation Day, we still are not quite free? Hall Campbell-Dean challenged us to really think about freedom. What does freedom mean to you? I add to her question: when you think of freedom, are you able to think beyond the constraints of the way we live now? Is our collective freedom what you think of, or is it individualistic? How will we/you get there?

Recommendations 1. You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty

by Akwaeke Emezi. Feyi is a young widow who still trying to recover from the trauma of the car accident that killed her husband.

In this romance novel, she tries to navigate life, including sex and dating, while grieving the death of her husband. At first, it seems like Feyi is quite reckless and not interested in love or long-term relationships. Throughout this romance novel, there are

many points where the next scene seems predictable, but a twist is on its way.

Emezi demostrates their skill here, bringing humour and drama, queerness and blackness to the genre.

Heavy in parts, it still manages to be a fun read.

2. Loot. After 20 years of marriage, Molly divorces her husband and receives a settlement of $87 billion.

She doesn’t even seem to question what she’ll do with all of that money.

She goes about her life as

a wealthy woman, taking trips, making purchases and hanging out with her friends. This would make for quite a repetitive, boring show so, of course, there is a twist. She is called to urgently meet with the head of a charitable organisation she got in the settlement because they need her to reel it in to protect the organisation’s reputation. Well, they got more than they bargained for, and they are stuck with Molly now.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, August 3, 2022, PAGE 9

NASA TO LAUNCH 2 MORE CHOPPERS TECHTALK VIRGIN GALACTIC TO MARS TO HELP RETURN ROCKS PLANNING AN

By MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA is launching two more mini helicopters to Mars in its effort to return Martian rocks and soil samples to Earth.

Under the plan announced last week, NASA’s Perseverance rover will do double duty and transport the cache to the rocket that will launch them off the red planet a decade from now.

Perseverance already has gathered 11 samples with more rock drilling planned.

The most recent sample, a sedimentary rock, holds the greatest promise of containing possible evidence of ancient Martian life, said Arizona State University’s Meenakshi Wadhwa, chief scientist for the retrieval effort.

There’s “a diversity of materials already in the bag, so to speak, and really excited about the potential for bringing these back,” she said.

If Perseverance breaks down, the two helicopters being built and launched later this decade would

THIS photo provided by NASA shows a rock collected by the Perseverance rover on Mars. NASA is launching two more mini helicopters to Mars in its effort to recover Martian rocks and soil samples and bring them to Earth. (NASA via AP) load the samples onto the rocket instead.

The helicopters will be modeled after NASA’s successful Ingenuity, which has made 29 flights since arriving with Perseverance at Mars early last year.

The chopper weighs just 4

pounds (1.8 kilogrammes).

The new versions would have wheels and grappling arms.

NASA officials said Perseverance’s impressive performance at Mars prompted them to ditch their plan to launch a

separate fetch rover.

Jeff Gramling, director of NASA’s Mars sample return programme, said the revised path forward is simpler. Each helicopter will be designed to lift one sample tube at a time, making multiple trips back

and forth.

“We have confidence that we can count on Perseverance to bring the samples back and we’ve added the helicopters as a backup means,” Gramling said.

NASA is collaborating with the European Space Agency on the retrieval mission. If all goes as planned, as many as 30 samples would blast off from Mars in 2031 and arrive at Earth in 2033. Lab analysis is needed to see whether any sample holds signs of microbial life that may have existed on Mars billions of years ago when water flowed on the planet.

As for the grounded ExoMars rover, it cannot be refashioned to help retrieve these samples, said David Parker, director of human and robotic exploration for ESA. It was returned to storage after Russia and Europe cut ties with the project because of the war in Ukraine. Russia was supposed to provide the rocket ride.

A decision on when the rover still can launch to Mars later this decade won’t come until late fall, Parker said.

WHY LOUVRE’S MONA LISA KEEPS A SMILE: PARIS’ COOLING SYSTEM

By THOMAS ADAMSON and NICO GARRIGA Associated Press PARIS (AP) — The Mona Lisa may maintain her famously enigmatic smile because she benefits from one of Paris’ best-kept secrets: An underground cooling system that’s helped the Louvre cope with the sweltering heat that has broken temperature records across Europe.

The little-known “urban cold” network snakes unsuspecting beneath Parisians’ feet at a depth of up to 30 metres (98 feet), pumping out icy water through 89 kilometre (55 miles) of labyrinthine pipes, which is used to chill the air in over 700 sites.

The system, which uses electricity generated by renewable sources, is the largest in Europe — and chugs on around the clock with a deafening noise totally inaudible above ground.

Paris City Hall has now signed an ambitious contract to triple the size of the network by 2042 to 252 kilometres (157 miles). It would make it the largest urban cooling system in the world. The new contract intends to help the city to both adapt to and combat the threat of global warming. Many parts of Europe hit 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in July.

The city is extending the cooling network to hospitals, schools and metro stations over the next two decades. It’s unclear how much of the system will be operational by the time of the Paris Olympics in 2024, but it’s possible the systems will be used in several Olympic sites.

Unbeknown to millions of tourists, the piping currently cools the City of Light’s most emblematic sites, such as the Louvre and the Quai Branly Museum. It might even help cool the tempers of agitated lawmakers as it is used to

MAGGIE SCHELFHAUT, communication manager of Fraicheur de Paris walks through one of the company’s underground cooling sites during a visit in Paris.

(AP Photo/Lewis Joly) drop temperatures in the National Assembly.

The scheme is operated by the joint-venture company Fraicheur de Paris — 85% owned by the state’s French energy company EDF and the rest by public transport operator RATP. The company’s officials tout its benefits for the entire French capital.

“If all (Parisian) buildings get equipped with autonomous installations (such as air-conditioning), it will gradually create a very significant urban ‘heat island’ effect,” said Maggie Schelfhaut of Fraicheur de Paris, referring to the increased heat in cities due to less vegetation, which cools, and more urban infrastructure, which absorbs the sun’s rays.

But Schelfhaut said that the pipe network could make the whole of Paris one degree Celsius (1.8 Fahrenheit) cooler than if autonomous installations were put up across the city.

“One degree less in the city

centre is a lot,” she added.

Three of the 10 high-tech cooling sites lie on the Seine river and are accessed by a retractable spiral staircase barely visible from street level — in something resembling the lair of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”

When the Seine’s water is cold enough, a machine captures it and uses it to chill the system’s water.

The heat created as a byproduct is sent back into the Seine where it is absorbed. The chilled water is then pumped though the system’s pipes to its 730 Parisian clients.

Paris’ cooling sites all use renewable energy sources such as wind turbines and solar panels. Four new solar energy sites which will feed into this network are also earmarked for construction. French officials see this energy independence as particularly important given the threat of Russia cutting off energy supplies to Europe.

Russian energy corporation Gazprom on Wednesday cut the

amount of natural gas flowing through a major pipeline from Russia to Europe to 20% of its capacity. European nations are rushing to find alternatives amid fears that Russia could completely cut off gas exports — which are used for industry, to generate electricity and to cool homes — to try to gain political leverage over the bloc.

The merits of using a cooling system which uses renewable energy to operate are already being felt by sites that use them. The world’s most visited museum, the Louvre, has benefited from the network since the 1990s — with officials proud of its ecological, economic and art conservation advantages.

“It allows us to benefit from energy with a lower carbon footprint available all year round,” said Laurent Le Guedart, the Louvre’s Heritage Director. “The particularity of the Louvre Museum is that it needs to use iced-cold water to correctly conserve the artwork and to control the humidity.”

The Louvre does not use air conditioning and officials say the cooling also wins them much needed floor space in the sprawling, yet cramped, former palace that is home to 550,000 artworks.

Le Guedart said that the system is a money-saver given the rising cost of energy linked to the Ukraine conflict. It operates notably in the State Room of the Pavillon Denon where the Mona Lisa lives. Perhaps it’s why beads of sweat have never trickled down the brow painted by Leonardo da Vinci.

“The energy bill of the Louvre is around 10 million euros per year in 2021. We are trying to control this bill as much as possible, amid the evident fluctuations and increases to energy costs,” Le Guedart said.

The system could save it millions by cushioning the shock as Russia continues to roil the energy market.

ASTRONAUT CAMPUS IN NEW MEXICO

SIERRA COUNTY, N.M. (AP) — Aerospace and space travel company Virgin Galactic announced Tuesday that it’s planning to build an astronaut campus and training facility in southern New Mexico.

Company officials said in a statement that it has secured land for the facility outside Truth or Consequences near the location of Spaceport America.

They said the planned facility will include training facilities, accommodations, tailored experiences, an observatory, wellness centre and dining option and it will only be available to future astronauts of Virgin Galactic and some of their guests.

There’s no immediate word on when construction of the project will begin.

“I’m thrilled to welcome the next chapter of Virgin Galactic’s continued investment in New Mexico,” Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a statement Tuesday. “The new astronaut campus in Sierra County will spur further economic activity for New Mexico, creating more local jobs and attracting new visitors and spending to the area.”

Last month, Virgin Galactic announced it had selected the Phoenix suburb of Mesa as the site where it will assemble its next class of rocket ships with the facility capable of producing up to six spaceships per year.

Officials said the Delta class suborbital spaceplanes will be designed to fly weekly, supporting the company’s target of 400 flights annually from Spaceport America.

They said the first of the spaceships is expected to start payload flights in late 2025 with private astronaut flights in 2026.

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PAGE 10, Wednesday, August 3, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

GUATEMALA ARRESTS MIGRANT SMUGGLERS WANTED BY US HUEHUETENANGO, Guatemala Associated Press

DETAINEE Abel Mateo Baltazar, front, and his sister Ana Mateo Baltazar, are escorted in handcuffs to court after a police operation against alleged migrant smugglers in Guatemala City yesterday.

Photo: Oliver de Ros/AP

AT DAWN, police and federal agents with cover from helicopters flying overhead raided a large ranch nestled among the mountains of northern Guatemala, not far from the border with Mexico.

Unlike the ranch’s impoverished neighbors, inside authorities found horse stables, a swimming pool, late model vehicles, guns and a still drunk Felipe Diego Alonso, the alleged leader of a smuggling ring that moved migrants from Guatemala north to the United States.

The raid was part of several carried out Tuesday in four Guatemalan provinces against a migrant smuggling ring, for which authorities say they’ve documented $2m in revenue since 2019.

Alonzo and three others arrested yesterday were targets of US prosecutors,

wanted in connection with the death of a Guatemalan migrant in Texas last year.

In total, authorities nabbed 19 alleged members of the smuggling ring.

The arrests came a month after 53 migrants, including 21 Guatemalans, died in a failed smuggling attempt when they were abandoned inside a sweltering trailer in San Antonio, Texas. There was no indication those arrested yesterday were involved in the San Antonio tragedy.

The extradition of alleged migrant smugglers known as “coyotes” has been rare and these would be the first known cases in Guatemala of smugglers allegedly pursued for the death of a migrant in the United States.

Prosecutions of migrant smugglers in Guatemala have proven exceedingly difficult because migrants are almost never willing to identify or testify against their smugglers.

Pelosi focus of attention as she pays visit to Taiwan TAIPEI, Taiwan Associated Press US HOUSE Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan late yesterday, becoming the highest-ranking American official in 25 years to visit the self-ruled island claimed by China, which quickly announced that it would conduct military maneuvers in retaliation for her presence.

Pelosi flew in aboard a US Air Force passenger jet and was greeted on the tarmac at Taipei’s international airport by Taiwan’s foreign minister and other Taiwanese and American officials. She posed for photos before her motorcade whisked her unseen into the parking garage of a hotel.

Her visit ratcheted up tension between China and the United States because China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, and it views visits by foreign government officials as recognition of the island’s sovereignty.

The Biden administration, and Pelosi, say the United States remains committed to the socalled one-China policy, which recognises Beijing but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei.

The speaker framed the trip as part of a broader mission at a time when “the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy”.

Her visit comes after she led a congressional delegation to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in the spring, and it serves as a capstone to her many years of promoting democracy abroad.

“We must stand by Taiwan,” she said in an opinion piece published by The Washington Post on her arrival in Taiwan. She cited the commitment that the US made to a democratic Taiwan under a 1979 law.

“It is essential that America and our allies make clear that we never give in to autocrats,” she wrote.

Taiwan and China split during a civil war in 1949, but China claims the island as its own territory and has not ruled out using military force to take it.

The Biden administration did not explicitly urge Pelosi to call off her plans.

It repeatedly and publicly assured Beijing that the visit did not signal any change in US policy toward Taiwan.

Soon after Pelosi’s arrival, China announced a series of military operations and drills, which followed promises of “resolute and strong measures” if Pelosi went through with her visit.

The People’s Liberation Army said the maneuvers would take

IN this photo released by the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, centre, walks with Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, left, as she arrives in Taipei, Taiwan, yesterday. Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday night despite threats from Beijing of serious consequences, becoming the highest-ranking American official to visit the self-ruled island claimed by China in 25 years.

Photo: Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP time, we will not engage in Newt Gingrich in 1997. place in the waters and The statement called trips Relations Act of 1979.

Pelosi’s trip was not offi- saber-rattling.” skies near Taiwan and by members of Congress to Pelosi’s aircraft, an Air cially announced ahead of US officials have said Force version of the Boeing include the firing of long- Taiwan routine.

Senate Republican time. the American military 737, took a roundabout range ammunition in the Leader Mitch McConnell Barricades were erected will increase its move- route, flying east over IndoTaiwan Strait.

“This action is a solemn backed Pelosi’s visit as a outside the Grand Hyatt ments in the Indo-Pacific nesia rather than directly deterrent against the display of support for Tai- Hotel in Taipei. Journal- region during Pelosi’s visit. over the South China Sea. recent major escalation wan’s democracy and said ists and onlookers thronged The aircraft carrier USS The speaker has long of the negative actions of any allegations that her itin- the streets just outside and Ronald Reagan and its challenged China on human the United States on the erary was provocative were pressed against the hotel’s strike group were in the rights, including traveling lobby windows as they Philippine Sea on Monday, to Tiananmen Square in Taiwan issue, and a seri- “utterly absurd”.

“I believe she has every awaited Pelosi’s motorcade. according to officials who 1991, two years after China ous warning to the ‘Taiwan independence’ forces seek- right to go,” McConnell Two buildings in the capital spoke on condition of ano- crushed a wave of democsaid in a Senate speech. lit up LED displays with nymity to discuss military racy protests. ing ‘independence.’”

Senators are consider- words of welcome, includ- operations.

China’s official Xinhua In 2009, she handThe Reagan, the cruiser delivered a letter to News said the army ing legislation to bolster ing the iconic Taipei 101 planned to conduct live- Taiwan’s defense as direct building, which said “Wel- USS Antietam and the then-President Hu Jintao fire drills from August 4-7 response to China’s rheto- come to Taiwan, Speaker destroyer USS Higgins left calling for the release of Singapore after a port visit political prisoners. She had across multiple locations. ric. The Taiwan Policy Act, Pelosi”.

China has stepped up and moved north to their sought to visit Taiwan’s An image released by the which has support from news agency indicated both parties, will be dis- overflights and other pro- home port in Japan. island democracy earlier Meanwhile, Taiwan’s this year before testing posthat the drills were to take cussed Wednesday by the vocative moves toward place in six different areas Senate Foreign Relations Taiwan and neighbouring Defense Ministry said early itive for COVID-19. territory in recent years, Wednesday that China had in the waters surrounding Committee.

China has been steadily The package would asserting broad claims of its sent 21 planes flying toward ratcheting up diplomatic Taiwan.

Taiwan, 18 of them fighter and military pressure on Chinese Foreign Minister bolster Taiwan’s defense rights around the region.

China’s military threats jets. The rest included an Taiwan. China cut off Wang Yi said Washington’s capabilities with nearly $4.5 betrayal “on the Taiwan billion in security assistance have driven concerns about early warning plane and an all contact with Taiwan’s issue is bankrupting its over the next four years a new crisis in the 100-mile- electronic warfare plane. government in 2016 after and provide other support wide Taiwan Strait that Beijing sees official President Tsai Ing-wen national credibility”.

“Some American politi- for Taiwan’s democratic could roil global markets American contact with refused to endorse its claim Taiwan as encourage- that the island and maincians are playing with fire government and civil soci- and supply chains.

The White House insisted ment to make the island’s land together make up a on the issue of Taiwan,” ety. The measure would Wang said in a statement also designate Taiwan as a that China had no valid decades-old de facto inde- single Chinese nation, with pendence permanent, a the communist regime in that referred to the US as “major non-NATO ally”, cause for anger.

“The United States step US leaders say they Beijing being the sole legiti“the world’s biggest sabo- which opens the door to more security and trade will not seek, and does don’t support. Pelosi, head mate government. teur of peace”. not want, a crisis,” John of one of three branches Back in the United benefits.

Pelosi kicked off her Backers call it the most Kirby, spokesman for the of the US government, is Asian tour Monday in SinStates, 26 Republican lawmakers issued a statement comprehensive restructur- National Security Council, the highest-ranking elected gapore. She is to travel to of rare bipartisan support ing of US policy toward told a White House brief- American official to visit Japan and South Korea for the Democratic speaker. Taiwan since the Taiwan ing Tuesday. “At the same Taiwan since then-Speaker later this week.

SPORTS PAGE 11

ThompsonHerah, Page 13

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2022

LAMAR TAYLOR ADVANCES TO 50M FREESTYLE FINAL

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

LAQUAN NAIRN, of the Bahamas, competes in the men’s long jump qualifying yesterday during the athletics segment in the Alexander Stadium at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

LaQuan Nairn lands in final

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net BIRMINGHAM, England — After falling short of getting into the final of the men’s long jump at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, LaQuan Nairn said he’s looking forward to nothing but the gold here at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

On day one of the track and field competition yesterday, Nairn got closer to claiming his prediction with the second best qualifying leap of 25-feet, 11-inches or 7.90 metres on his third and final attempt.

He opened with 25-7 ¼ (7.80m) and followed that with 23-11 1/2 (7.30m).

His performances enabled him to trail India’s 23-year-old Murali Sreeshankar, who was the only jumper to clear the automatic qualifying distance of 26-3 (8m) for Thursday’s final at 2:45 pm EST. Sreeshankar head into the final with the leading

SEE PAGE 14

JUDOKAS SUFFER LOSSES

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

mark of 8.05m. With a lifetime and season’s best of 26-11 ¾ (8.22m) coming into the games, Nairn said he’s prepared to erase the disappointment from Eugene where he bowed out of the qualifying round with a best of 25-7 ¼ (7.80m) for 10th place in his group and 18th overall.

“I backed off. I know my coach is going to be mad.

But we got into the final.

That was what we wanted,” Nairn said. “The game is on. I have the legendary coach Peter Pratt out there with me and Kaiwan

SEE PAGE 14

BIRMINGHAM, England — The Bahamas’ pair of judokas, Cynthia Rahming and Andrew Munnings, didn’t fear as well as they had anticipated in the judo competition yesterday at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

But with the support of Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg, chef de mission Roy Colebrooke, Munnings’ father Tim Munnings and Natasha Miller, the duo - coached

by Willard McKenzie felt they both gave a good account of themselves.

Competing at the Coventry Arena, competing in the women’s 63 kilogram class, Rahming lost to Canadian Catherine BeaucheminPinard in the quarter-final match. She came back in her second match and was defeated 10-0 by Lauren LAQUAN NAIRN, after qualifying for the finals of the long jump, is looking forward to nothing but winning the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

Gaither confident she can be contender for 100 final

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net BIRMINGHAM, England — Tynia Gaither wasn’t quite pleased with the time, but she’s confident that she can be a contender for the final in the women’s 100 metres at the 2022 Commonwealth Games at the Alexander Stadium, while Denisha Cartwright was just elated to be here for the experience.

Coming off her stunning false start in the semi-finals of the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon where she rebounded to make the semi-finals of the 200m, falling short of advancing to the final of the World Championships about two weeks ago, Gaither looked to be in great form.

She advanced to the semi-final yesterday with her second place finish in the fifth of seven heats in a time of 11.19 seconds to

BIRMINGHAM, England — Lamar Taylor decided to save the best in his specialty event in the men’s 50 metre freestyle to give the Bahamas one last swim on the final day of competition for Team Bahamas at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Last night at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre, Taylor had to dig down deep and rallied from behind in lane six with a burst of energy to touch the wall in fourth place in the last of the two semi-final heats in a personal best of 22.45 seconds.

He booked his appearance in the final today at

TYNIA GAITHER

DENISHA CARTWRIGHT

trail Trinidad & Tobago’s Michelle-Lee Ahye, who won the heat in 11.14.

While Ahye emerged as the fastest qualifier

for today’s semi-final and final, Gaither was listed at number eight. Nigeria took two of the top three spots with Nzubechi Grace

Nwokocha at No.1 in 10.99 and Rosemary Chukwuma third in 11.02.

Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah occupies the second spot in an identical time of 10.99 as Nwokocha.

Despite her time and position, Gaither said she’s not too concerned. She’s right where she needs to be.

“I feel a little rusty, but I feel like that woke me up, so I should be ready for the semis,” Gaither said.

“There’s no reason why I should not be able to run a PB (personal best time) and make the final. If I do that, I will be straight.”

With a number of the women coming over from Eugene, Gaither said that will definitely make each round an exciting one, but after she posted her PB at the championships, she is confident that she can run faster here.

The 29-year-old Gaither also had some company in

SEE PAGE 14

SEE PAGE 14

PAGE 12, Wednesday, August 3, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

TEAM BAHAMAS IN COMMONWEALTH GAMES SPOTLIGHT

ONE FINAL SWIM: Lamar Taylor booked his appearance in the final of the men’s 50 metre freestyle today to give the Bahamas one last swim on the final day of competition for Team Bahamas at the Commonwealth Games. Last night at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre, Taylor had to dig down deep and rallied from behind in lane six with a burst of energy to touch the wall in fourth place in the last of the two semi-final heats in a personal best of 22.45 seconds.

SEE THE FULL STORY ON PAGE 11

TEAM EFFORT: Bahamian judokas Cynthia Rahming and Andrew Munnings didn’t fear as well as they had anticipated in the judo competition yesterday at the Commonwealth Games. But with the support of Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg, chef de mission Roy Colebrooke, Munnings’ father Tim Munnings and Natasha Miller, the duo - coached by Willard McKenzie - felt they both gave a good account of themselves.

SEE THE FULL STORY ON PAGE 11

Swimmer McKeon becomes most successful Commonwealth athlete

By COURTNEY WALSH Associated Press BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Australian swimmer Emma McKeon became the Commonwealth Games’ most successful athlete during a historymaking night in the pool on Sunday.

The 28-year-old McKeon claimed her 11th career gold medal, spread across editions in Glasgow, the Gold Coast and Birmingham, to set a new Commonwealth Games mark for most titles.

It was her third gold in Birmingham, with the other two coming in the 4x100-metre freestyle and 4x100-metre mixed relays.

Australian swimming celebrated again with a world record later Sunday when Maddie Wilson, Kiah Helverton, Mollie O’Callaghan and Ariarne Titmus won the women’s 4x200-metre freestyle relay in 7 minutes, 39.29 seconds.

Titmus, a double Olympic gold medallist in Tokyo last year, anchored the relay with a time of 1:52.82, the quickest split in a 4x200metre relay in history. The 21-year-old Titmus touched the wall more than 12 seconds in front of the silver

medallists Canada, with England another five seconds behind in third.

McKeon’s gold was part of an Australian medal sweep in the women’s 50 free.

She won in a time of 23.99 seconds, with teammates Meg Harris taking silver and Shayna Jack claiming the bronze.

With McKeon’s parents Ron and Susie, both former international swimmers, sitting in the stands, the five-time Olympic gold medallist surpassed fellow Aussie swimmers Ian Thorpe, Susie O’Neill and Leisel Jones for most career golds at the quadrennial event.

“It is a fun event for me, the 50. I feel like I am a lot more relaxed this year than last year,” McKeon said.

“I have not done as much work as I had this time last year but the place I am in mentally is showing in my performances.”

McKeon is within range of setting another record in Birmingham. She has now won 16 Commonwealth Games medals in total and has another four races on her programme. South African Chad le Clos equalled the current Commonwealth

record total of 18 medals earlier Sunday — a decade after causing one of the great Olympic upsets in London.

The South African swimmer timed his finish to perfection in the 200-metre butterfly in the 2012 Olympics to beat American superstar Michael Phelps by .05 seconds.

Bidding to celebrate the milestone with a golden success in the same event in Birmingham, the 30-yearold le Clos led for most of the race but was reeled in late by New Zealander Lewis Clareburt.

The silver medal was enough for le Clos to join shooters Michael Gault and Phil Adams in a three-way tie for most career medals at the Games, although McKeon is closing rapidly on the trio.

England took gold in the men’s 100-metre breaststroke, but from an unexpected source.

Adam Peaty said his shock defeat in the final was “heartbreaking” after he finished outside the medal positions, as James Wilby claimed gold.

Peaty is the Olympic champion and holds the world record, and went into

AUSTRALIA’s Emma McKeon.

(AP) the final without a loss in eight years in his favoured event.

There were some dramatic crashes in London, with three cyclists hospitalised and spectators requiring medical attention when Olympic gold medallist Matt Walls and his bike slid into the stands at the Lee Valley velodrome.

It promoted calls from champion cyclist Chris Hoy called for a design change at velodromes to prevent competitors from being catapulted into the crowd.

The cycling morning session was abandoned and spectators ushered out of

the velodrome as doctors treated Walls for almost 40 minutes.

The Isle of Man’s Matt Bostock and Canadian Derek Gee were also taken to hospital, while it was reported that an injured fan was taken away from the scene in a wheelchair.

Team England confirmed Walls was well enough to be released from hospital later Sunday. “Following medical treatment in hospital, Matt Walls has been discharged with stitches in his forehead, scrapes and bruises, but thankfully no major injuries,” the statement said. “We send our best wishes to all other riders and spectators involved in the crash and thank the medical teams for their expert care.”

Bostock underwent scans, and a statement from Team Isle of Man said the prognosis was positive.

Gee also underwent tests and has since posted social media footage of the crash.

While serious injuries were avoided, six-time Olympic gold medalist Hoy said incidents where cyclists were thrown into the crowd are preventable. “Personally, I think it’s preventable if you put

a plexiglass screen around, like they do in ice hockey,” he told BBC Sport.

“Look at motorsport and its catch fencing and the lengths they go to to protect the crowd and also the athletes.

“All we can do is learn from mistakes and think: How can we make the velodrome safer for athletes and spectators?”

After three days of competition, Australia led the medal standings with 22 gold and 52 overall. England had 11 gold, one more than third-place New Zealand.

South Africa had four gold medals, including the men’s rugby sevens upset over two-time Olympic champion Fiji in the final.

Canada and India had three gold medals apiece.

Fiji had a shot at two gold medals in the Pacific island nation’s beloved rugby format, but had to settle for a pair of silvers.

Australia, winner of the inaugural women’s rugby sevens gold medal at the Olympics in 2016, beat Fiji 22-12 in the women’s final.

In the men’s title match, South Africa raced to a 17-0 lead at halftime before finishing 31-7.

PADRES OBTAIN JUAN SOTO FROM NATIONALS IN BLOCKBUSTER DEAL

By BERNIE WILSON and STEPHEN WHYNO AP Sports Writers lSAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres left no doubt about their desired destination when they added superstar Juan Soto to a lineup anchored by AllStar Manny Machado and about to welcome back flashy Fernando Tatis Jr. Deep into October. Maybe even November.

General manager A.J. Preller, already known for an innate ability to pull off trades, navigated his way through perhaps one of baseball’s biggest deals ever at the trade deadline when he acquired Soto, the superstar outfielder from the Washington Nationals who is one of the game’s best young hitters, and switch-hitting

first baseman Josh Bell. The haul going back to Washington was significant: rookie left-hander MacKenzie Gore, first baseman/ DH Luke Voit and prospects James Wood, C.J. Abrams, Robert Hassell III and Jarlin Susana.

The Padres feel it was more than worth it. “We feel like we’re going to put up a show and it’s going to be really fun to watch,” said Tatis, the star shortstop who is close to returning from a fractured left wrist. “It’s really hype to be over here.”

Could that hype extend to a World Series run? “Ooooh,” said Tatis, who has known Soto since they were teenagers in the Dominican Republic. “We have the talent. We definitely have the talent, and we have the team to do it. Now it’s up to us to put

the work out there and make it happen.”

That’s why Preller, owner Peter Seidler and team president Erik Greupner were willing to part with prospects and push their team into a higher luxury tax threshold to get the generational superstar.

Soto remains under team control for two more seasons after this one, which made it no sure thing the Nationals would trade him now.

The Padres getting him for potentially three playoff runs even absent a new deal made this the peak of Soto’s value.

“Ultimately, we’re looking at it as three years, three pennant races with one of the best hitters, maybe the best hitter in the game,” Preller said. “That’s a long time. … We’ll have time to figure

out down the road the long-term commitment. Peter, Eric, have wanted to do that with elite players, elite people, he’s one of those.

“You’re talking about a 23-year-old player who won a World Series, won a batting title, is a perennial MVP candidate, at that age. I think we were on the same page what it meant for our franchise.”

Machado called Soto and Bell “impact players who are going to come in here and help out this team tremendously. Top of the game right now.”

Asked what made Soto special, Machado paused and said, “I don’t even know how to answer that question. I mean, he’s Juan Soto. He does what he does every single day, every single year and he showed it in the postseason, showed it in All-Star Games, the

Home Run Derby. Just the way he posted up every single day.”

The Padres entered the day 12 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West and two games ahead of Philadelphia for the second of three wild-card spots. Their only playoff appearance since Preller took over in 2014 was a wild-card series win after the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. They were then swept in the division series by the Dodgers, who went on to win the World Series. “We feel like it’s going to be a dogfight. It’s going to be a heck of a pennant race,” Preller said. “We feel we’re a better team, a stronger team.

We’re a stronger team, but we know it’s going to be a lot of competition. It’s getting to October, getting to the dance, and see what happens.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, August 3, 2022, PAGE 13

ThompsonHerah tops women’s 100 heats

By COURTNEY WALSH Associated Press BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah confirmed she was the sprinter to beat in the Commonwealth Games with a strong 100-metre heat run yesterday.

A recent world championships bronze medallist in Oregon, the Jamaican progressed to the semifinals in 10.99 seconds when winning the second of seven heats.

The double Olympic gold medallist in the event finished behind Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson in a Jamaican sweep of the 100 in the United States.

Thompson-Herah, the equal-fastest qualifier for the semifinals alongside Nigeria’s Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha, is confident she can reclaim her best form in Birmingham.

“You have to believe in yourself because no-one else can believe in you,” Thompson-Herah said.

“I wanted to do well this year. It’s not on God’s watch. It is on my watch.

Whatever time I put together, I will work my way back up to the top.

(My plans) are to have fun, smile, breath and just run.”

Fraser-Pryce is in Birmingham but has opted against competing in the games. She is preparing for the remainder of the

ELAINE THOMPSON-HERAH, of Jamaica, runs in her women’s 100m heat during the athletics segment in the Alexander Stadium at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Alastair Grant) season with her coach Reynaldo Walcott, who has other athletes competing in Birmingham.

The women’s 100 semifinals and final will be run today at Alexander Stadium.

India’s Murali Sreeshankar needed only one attempt to qualify for the

men’s long jump final when recording a leap of 8 metres on the opening day of the athletics.

Sreeshankar, seventh at the world championships, was the only Commonwealth competitor to breach the automatic qualifying mark of 8 metres.

At the weightlifting, Canada’s Maya Laylor lifted a

games record total of 228 kilograms to win the women’s 76 kilogram category.

“I feel amazing. I’m so happy to win a gold medal for Canada,” she said.

“All the cheers encouraged me and the energy helped to keep me going.

I just believed I could do anything my coach put on

the bar and I just stayed focused. “I was tired, but I’m proud of myself.”

In lawn bowls, Welsh combination Daniel Salmon and Jarrad Breen defeated England’s Jamie Walker and Sam Tolchard 19-18 in a tense men’s pairs final.

The English rallied from 15-6 down to tie 16-16.

PEATY BOUNCES BACK WITH GOLD IN 50M BREASTSTROKE

By COURTNEY WALSH Associated Press BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — English swimmer Adam Peaty turned a testing Commonwealth Games around with a resounding triumph in the 50-metre breaststroke final yesterday.

The 27-year-old Peaty, who was beaten for the first time in eight years in the 100-metre breaststroke on Sunday, had vowed to bounce back after a loss he described as devastating.

He did so in style, winning the goal medal by recording a time of 26.76 to beat Australian Sam Williamson by .21 of a second, with Scotland’s Ross Murdoch claiming the bronze medal.

Peaty, who missed the world championships in Budapest in June with a broken foot, revealed last week he was struggling for motivation after a decade of success. But the victory clearly meant a great deal to the three-time Olympic gold medallist. It is the

only major international event he had not claimed.

Amid a dominant gymnastics display from England, there were two standout male performers.

Jake Jarman became the most successful English male gymnast at a single Games when he added a fourth gold medal to his haul yesterday, this time in the vault.

Competing in his first major senior competition, the 20-yearold Jarman also claimed golds in the all-round, floor and team events in the best performance from an Englishman in any sport in 24 years.

“You can be under just as much pressure at a smaller competition as well as a competition this big,” Jarman said. “But to be able to come here and enjoy it and produce an amazing result. I am absolutely honoured.”

Jarman’s performance was arguably overshadowed by the courage shown by teammate Joe Fraser, who managed to overcome recent injury and illness to win three gold medals.

GOLD medallist Adam Peaty, of England, celebrates during a medal ceremony for the Men’s 50m Breaststroke Final of the swimming competition at the Commonwealth Games, at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre in Birmingham, England, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Three years after winning a world championship on the parallel bars, the 23-year-old Fraser became the first English gymnast to win the event in the Commonwealth Games.

What makes Fraser’s success more extraordinary is that he limped into the athletes’ village before the Games wearing a moon boot after breaking his foot two weeks ago.

Just one month earlier, he ruptured his appendix. But inspired by competing in front of his home crowd, Fraser delivered worldclass performances throughout the competition.

“We have got Lion on our leotard and our chest, so I guess I feel pride,” he said.

India enjoyed a successful day, which included its first-ever gold medal in lawn bowls.

The Indian quartet of Lovely Choubey, Pinki, Nayanmoni Saikia and Rupa Rani Tirkey defeated South Africa 17-10 in the Women’s Fours event. Tirkey said the foursome awoke motivated by

the opportunity to create history for their nation.

“I didn’t get adequate sleep last night because I was nervous whether we would win the gold or lose the gold,” she said.

“Thoughts like these keep swirling in your head all night when you play a game of this magnitude. “We woke up with the mindset that this is a new day, a new beginning, and that we have the opportunity to do something very special. We are glad to have been able to achieve that.”

India’s men’s table tennis team defended the gold medal it won on Australia’s Gold Coast in 2018 by defeating Singapore 3-1 in the final.

Harmeet Desai partnered Sathiyan Gnanasekaran to win and then proved too strong for Zhe Yu Clarence Chew 11-8, 11-5, 11-6 in the third singles to clinch victory for his nation.

“This time, it was my time to prove it, to prove my worth and I’m happy I could win this match,” he said.

WITH HAALAND, MAN CITY AGAIN THE TEAM TO BEAT IN ENGLAND

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer LET’S get the bad news out of the way for Manchester City: As it stands, this will be the seventh and final season of Pep Guardiola’s trophy-filled time at the club.

Seeing the back of a coach who has taken English soccer to new levels of excellency in his longerthan-expected time at City will be a relief to the rest of the Premier League.

Now for all the good news.

City returns for the new Premier League season, which starts on Friday, as the reigning champion, the team to beat once again and having been reinforced by the signing of one of the world’s best players.

Erling Haaland, a 22-year-old Norway striker who was prolific in Germany with Borussia Dortmund and also has broken a number of Champions League scoring records, is the marquee acquisition of a wild offseason of transfer dealings in the Premier League.

Big, strong, fast and a fantastic finisher, Haaland is regarded as a generational talent and beefs up a department of the squad City was most short in — don’t forget, City won the league last season essentially without playing a recognised striker.

Also new to the squad is one of South America’s most highly rated young forwards, Julián Álvarez, and England defensive

midfielder Kalvin Phillips, a like-for-like replacement for departed former captain Fernandinho.

With City also expected to bring in a left back, Guardiola has an enviable squad at his disposal to launch a bid for his fifth league title in seven seasons at Etihad Stadium, even if the offseason departures of Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko do deprive the team of some seasoned and high-quality backups.

Is it asking too much for another 100-point season?

City is already enjoying one of the most dominant periods of success in English soccer history, along with Aston Villa in the 1890s, Arsenal in the 1930s, Liverpool in the 1970s and ‘80s, and Manchester United in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Fuelled by the riches of its owners in Abu Dhabi, it doesn’t look like ending soon, either, especially while Guardiola is still around.

“It’s my seventh year here — I didn’t expect that when we arrived,” he said.

“This club, for the future, the standards are there. All of us, we have to fight to maintain that.”

Not that the rest of the Premier League has given up the chase. This offseason — one without the disruption of any major men’s international tournament — has been one of the busiest and biggest-spending for some time, with about $1.2 billion believed to have been splashed out on player

MANCHESTER City’s Erling Haaland.

(AP Photo/Leila Coker) incomings in the Premier League.

Spending, it seems, has returned to pre-pandemic levels and every major club has made signature moves, with the majority strengthening their attacks.

Aside from Haaland to City, Liverpool signed Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez from Benfica for 75 million euros ($78 million); Chelsea signed England forward Sterling from Man City for 47.5 million pounds ($56.5 million); Tottenham signed Brazil forward Richarlison from Everton for 50 million pounds ($60 million); and Arsenal signed Brazil striker Jesus from City for 45 million pounds ($54 million).

Arsenal has spent the most — about $130 million — while Leicester hasn’t spent a thing, not even making a single signing.

The problem for the clubs chasing City is the point totals Guardiola’s teams have put up in their title-winning seasons: 100 in 2017-18, 98 in 2018-19, 86 in

2020-21 (losing two games after the title was won), and 93 in 2021-22.

Only Liverpool has been able to live with City and is the best-placed of any club to do so again, even if the departure of Sadio Mane robs manager Jurgen Klopp of a crucial component of the Reds’ success in recent years.

Much could depend on how Nunez, Mane’s replacement, settles. His four-goal burst against Leipzig in preseason, plus another goal in the Community Shield win over City on Saturday, suggests he could hit the ground running.

Chelsea appears to be in a state of flux at the start of the post-Roman Abramovich era — with the new ownership, big-name departures in Romelu Lukaku and Antonio Rudiger, and with manager Thomas Tuchel being unhappy with his squad’s preseason mentality — so it’s a chance for Arsenal and Antonio Conte’s Tottenham to close the gap on their London rival.

Arsenal, in particular, has had some excellent preseason results, like beating Chelsea 4-0 and Sevilla 6-0.

Who knows how Manchester United, the record 20-time English champion, will fare with its latest manager, Erik ten Hag, new to English soccer and Cristiano Ronaldo heading into the season looking to leave.

Amid questions about his future, Ronaldo played 45 minutes in the 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano in a friendly at Old Trafford on Sunday.

How about Newcastle or Aston Villa breaking into the elite? Newcastle is flush with cash from Saudi Arabia and building methodically, if less spectacularly as some might have expected of a club with the world’s richest owners.

Villa is in its first full season under Steven Gerrard, an England playing great who has had an impressive start to life as a manager, and appears to have bought well this offseason, especially highly rated French midfielder Boubacar Kamara.

In each of the last two seasons, two of the three promoted clubs have been immediately relegated.

This year, they are Fulham,

Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest, a historically big name in English soccer which is back in the top division for the first time since 1999.

It might be even harder for the promoted clubs to preserve their places in the lucrative Premier League as they go about building squads capable of lasting the course of the season.

That’s because teams have the ability to make five substitutions per game from this season, with England belatedly falling into line with the rest of Europe.

Expect that to favour the big clubs with deep squads, like City and Liverpool.

As if they needed any more help.

PAGE 14, Wednesday, August 3, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

LAMAR TAYLOR MAKES IT TO 50M FREE FINAL FROM PAGE 11 2:45 pm EST out of lane one. “It feels pretty good.

I believe I was the younger in the field, so I was just happy that I was able to do my best,” said Taylor, who is just 19. “I am speechless. I had a rough start, but I caught myself inside the race and fought for that fourth place finish.”

Taylor became the first Bahamian male swimmer to make a Commonwealth Games final. However, he joined female swimmers Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace and Joanna Evans, who all made a final before.

Vanderpool-Wallace, the flag bearer at the 2014 games in Glasgow, Scotland, went on to win the first medal in swimming for the Bahamas when she took the silver in the 50m butterfly, got fourth in the 50m freestyle and fifth in the 100m freestyle.

In his final event in his debut at the games, Taylor came out of the morning

GAITHER FROM PAGE 11

22-year-old Cartwright, whom she was able to help pull along. Gaither said whatever she can do to help the 20-year-old Cartwright she will do because she is going to be one of the athletes to watch in the future.

In making her global debut, Cartwright was fourth in the last heat in 11.85, which was only good enough for 32nd overall. Cartwright, who had another sensational season at Minnesota State, said she’s just glad to get her

JUDO

FROM PAGE 11 Semple of Jamaica in the Repechage A/B match. The 28-year-old Rahming, who moved up in division in her second appearance at the games, said it was a good insight for her with her getting two fights to her ledger.

“I went into the competition with confidence in my skill because I’ve trained with the Canadian before, and her being 3rd in the world and knowing that in training I was able to throw her and hold my own I felt in the competition I had a chance to do the same,” she said.

“In both matches I attacked and executed what I could so I am of course disappointed in the results, but glad to get the experience in a new division and at such a high level.”

session in the heats with a time of 22.59 seconds as he got second in the seventh of nine heats to qualify for the semi-finals. He was beaten

by England’s Benjamin Proud in 22.44 for the third fastest qualifying time.

Still shocked by his semifinal performance, Taylor was lost for words when he came into the mixed zone where the athletes are interviewed by the media after they have completed their events. “Thank God I made it back,” Taylor said.

“Honestly, that was the biggest heart stoppage. I felt first taste of a major international competition.

“I just came here to have fun. I just wanted to execute and have some fun,” she said. “I felt I could have gotten out quicker, but when I did go, I was able to work my arms. So overall, I just wanted to represent the Bahamas.”

Cartwright said she couldn’t believe the size of the crowd as they cheered for each competitor. “I was like wow,” she said.

Cartwright noted that Gaither was able to help calm her nerves and that was what helped her to get

Before the games, Rahming said she was contemplating which division she should compete in and more so on how effective her strategy would be. She said she got to go back to her original fighting style and it turned out to be the best eureka moment of her career. “It was very natural and more effective than my recent previous competitions,’ she said. “So I will be doing more of that.

But that also entails training. Andrew and I will be headed to Japan so I have high hopes for the path to the future.”

In making his games’ debut, the 24-year-old Munnings lost in the men’s 75 kilogram class elimination bout 10-0 to Daniel Powell of England. “The fight didn’t go as I hoped. My opponent and I had similar gripping strategies which

LAMAR TAYLOR, centre, with his parents Gena and Lester Taylor after his historic swim at the Commonwealth Games. it. It was the semis, but I was still worrying if I would make it back to the finals. It was just exhilarating to be among the best in the final tomorrow (tonight).”

Just as he was being interviewed, his parents, Gena and Lester Taylor, were shown in the stands celebrating his feat on the big screen inside the arena.

Taylor said they really gave him a lot of inspiration to go out there and perform.

“Without them, I don’t think I would have the energy or the confidence to swim my best and drop my time,” he said. “They put so much energy into the crowd and I could feel it.”

His mother said it was just an “awesome swim and

through the race. “I look up to her. I met her in Miramar, Florida where we ran on the relay team and I passed the baton to her,” Cartwright remembered. “So seeing her out here, it was really special. She’s been a role model for me, so I’m glad that I can watch her and see what she does to get ready for this level of competition.”

Whether she comes back on Thursday and runs in the 200m or not, Cartwright said she’s just thankful for the opportunity to compete at the games and she feels she can only benefit from the experience for the future.

In the evening session, Jahmaal Wilson also made his Commonwealth Games’ debut in the last of the two heats of the men’s 110m hurdles.

But it was short lived as he was disqualified.

Today, in addition to Gaither in the women’s 100m, Grand Bahamian Alonzo Russell will begin his campaign for a medal in the men’s 400m and fellow Grand Bahamian Donald Thomas and Shaun Miller Jr will compete in the men’s high jump final, in which they didn’t have to do the qualifying round yesterday.

BAHAMIAN judo team, from left to right, Andrew Munnings, coach Willard McKenzie snd Cynthia Rahming. leaned in his favour and in the end was my tactical mistake that he capitalised on,” Munnings said. “I was able to overcome the challenge at different points in

an amazing experience and I give God all the glory.”

But his father said they spoke to their son and he told them he was going to “do his best,” so he was asked to “say his prayers” and he did it.

“He showed that this is what the Bahamas can do.

I hope he can medal, but if he doesn’t, I hope he will do his personal best,” the senior Taylor said.

Bahamas Aquatics president Algernon Cargill said the federation was thrilled to have a finalist at the games.

“He swum the best time of his career and it speaks about the hard work that he put in to get ready for the Commonwealth Games,” Cargill said.

“We expect him to go even faster in the final. He’s just a tenth of a second off the national record of 42.39 that was done by Vereance Burrows in Rome in 2009.”

Cargill said the federation was also pleased with the other events Team Bahamas competed in yesterday.

Davante Carey, who also had a national record breaking performance, was 18th overall in the men’s

the match, which showed my improvement since Pan American Championships.

“In the match I blocked the full ippon of his first throw, evaded his second

200m backstroke in 2:12.22 and Katelyn Cabral was 24th overall in 32.27.

The Bahamas was also entered in the 4 x 400m mixed medley relay with the team of Carey in the backstroke in a split of 58.96, Lilly Higgs in the breaststroke in 1:13.22, Cabral in the butterfly in 1:05.67 and Taylor in the freestyle in 50.95. But they missed a chance in the final with 11th overall in 4:08.30.

While Taylor was the only finalist, Carey rewrote his own national record in the men’s 50m backstroke in 25.86 to advance to the semi-final where he was 16th in 25.98. Together, they joined Lilly Higgs in producing three semifinalists for Team Bahamas.

Higgs earned the first feat in the women’s 100m breaststroke in 1:12.67, only to finish 16th overall in 1:12.97.

Behind Taylor, the next highest individual finish for the Bahamas came from Cabral, who was 12th overall in the women’s 200m backstroke in 2:33.19.

Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson was next with 13th in the women’s 200m breaststroke in 2:51.09.

LaQuan Nairn in long jump final FROM PAGE 11 (Culmer) is also helping me. “But coach Peter Pratt knows what he’s doing and so I’m glad that he is here with me. He helped me to adjust with the wind and stuff, so I feel good.”

When asked what to expect from him in the final, Nairn simply stated: “Gold.”

Asked again, his answer was the same: “Gold.”

The 26-year-old Nairn further stated that the national record of 27-7 ¼ (8.41m) that was established by Craig Hepburn on June 17, 1993 at the Bahamas National Track and Field Championships is “gone.” Asked how serious he was about it, he quipped: “Guaranteed.”

Only time will tell on Thursday.

and got in an attack myself, but in the end he threw for a second wazari, ending the match.

While he’s done with competition, Muninngs said the games turned out to be an enjoyable and memorable experience for him and it has added fuel to his fire to make sure that he will be standing on the podium at the Olympic Games in Paris, France, in 2024.

“I have received an invitation for elite training in Japan in preparation for the World Championships in October,” Munnings said. “At Tenri University many Japanese national team members train there so the programme is highly creditable and will transform my level. “This will be my second time attending training. I will be focused on preparing myself for the worlds.”

The judokas now join triathlete Armando Moss, boxers Carl Hield and Rashield Williams and the eight-member swim team, who are now all done with their competition.

The eight-member swim team will be done today after Lamar Taylor competes in the finals of the men’s 50m freestyle.

Still waiting to compete are wrestler Rashji Mackey in the men’s 97 kilogram and the two-man cycling team of Lorin Sawyer and Felix Neely in the road race on Sunday.

The 10-member track and field team is also competing at the games. Their competition will wrap up on Sunday as well at the Alexander Stadium where the opening ceremony was held last Thursday and the closing ceremony will take place on Sunday.

WNBA playoff picture still muddled, 2 weeks left in season

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer THE WNBA playoff race is still very much undecided with just two weeks left in the regular season.

Five teams have clinched postseason berths with only three games separating Chicago, Las Vegas and Connecticut at the top of the standings. Seattle and Washington also have earned berths in the postseason and are tied for fourth and fifth spots.

Under the new playoff format those two teams, right now would meet in a first-round, best-of-three series.

The first two games of each first-round series will be played on the higher seeds court. If a third game is necessary, it will take place at the lower seed.

There are still six teams vying for the final three spots, setting up an exciting finish to the regular season.

Each of the six teams has at least one game remaining against the others in this group.

Los Angeles is currently holding onto the final playoff spot.

“It’s exciting for all the teams involved, especially ourselves. Got to play it one possession at a time. For us, if we can pull two of the next three out we’ll be in a good spot,” Sparks interim coach Fred Williams said.

“When taking over this team, wanted to keep us in position towards the end of the season to have the last five or six games where we have a playoff opportunity,” he said.

Minnesota has been playing the best of the teams battling for the final postseason berths, winning two pivotal road games last week. The Lynx moved up four spots to seventh in the AP WNBA power poll this week.

1. Chicago (23-7): The Sky got Courtney Vandersloot back in the lineup but lost Candace Parker to a non-COVID illness. They have a four-game homestand before finishing the season on the road, including a matchup against the team chasing them — Las Vegas.

2. Las Vegas (22-8): The Aces have three games left — all on the road. The trip will crisscross the country with games in Washington, Dallas and Seattle.

3. Connecticut (20-10): The Sun have two losses since the All-Star break, those setbacks were against Las Vegas and Chicago.

They have two games this week: home against Phoenix and at Chicago.

4. Seattle (19-12): The Storm return home after a three-game eastern trip that saw them earn the

will go a long way to determining whether the Sparks are a playoff contender or not.

12. Indiana (5-27): The Fever have a 14-game losing streak and guard Kelsey Mitchell is done for the season with a plantar fascia tear in her left foot.

THE LAS Vegas Aces celebrate with the Commissioner’s Cup after defeating the Chicago Sky 93-83 in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup on July 26 in Chicago.

(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) tiebreaker against the Mystics if the teams finish the regular season with the same record.

5. Washington (19-12): Elena Delle Donne played in back-to-back games for the Mystics over the weekend.

It was a great sign going forward for coach Mike Thibault’s squad. She has been taking games off during the season to rest her back that caused her to miss most of the last two seasons.

6. Dallas (13-16): Teaira McCowan has been a force

the last couple of games, going 15-for-22 from the field and averaging 20.5 points and 12.5 rebounds.

She needs to maintain that momentum with pivotal games against Chicago and Las Vegas this week.

7. Minnesota (12-19): Road wins at Atlanta and Los Angeles last week kept alive the Lynx’s playoff hopes. They had dropped four of five before those victories.

8.

Phoenix (13-17): Sophie Cunningham has been a solid third scoring option for the Mercury to

complement Diana Taurasi and Skylar Diggins-Smith.

9. New York (11-18): The Liberty have all seven games left against the teams they are chasing for the final playoff spots.

10.

Atlanta (12-18): The Dream have lost four straight and have two more games at home this week to try and end the skid and stay in the playoff hunt.

Atlanta lost AD Durr for the season because of a hip injury that will require surgery.

11. Los Angeles (12-17): A four-game eastern trip

Courtney Vandersloot of Chicago was voted the AP Player of the Week. She averaged 19.5 points, 10.5 assists and 7 rebounds to help the Sky win both of their games.

Elena Delle Donne of Washington, Kahleah Copper of Chicago, Sylvia Fowles of Minnesota and Kelsey Plum of Las Vegas also received votes.

The New York Liberty unveiled a new secondary court in collaboration with Xbox. It’s the first-ever gaming inspired basketball court. The court is also the WNBA’s first secondary court among current teams.

Las Vegas at Seattle, Sunday. Sue Bird’s final home game in the regular season will have potential playoff positioning ramifications as the Storm are currently fourth, tied with Washington.

The Aces trail Chicago by one game for the league’s best record.

PAGE 16, Wednesday, August 3, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Governor targets loan delinquency ‘under 5%’ FROM PAGE A20 on which the borrower is effectively either bankrupt or near bankrupt because they are unable to meet their obligations. As at endJune 2022, non-performing loans stood at $487.8m or equivalent to 9 percent of all total bank credit outstanding to companies and individuals, meaning at least a further four percentage point improvement is required.

Still, Mr Rolle said the latter figures represented a marked improvement on the delinquencies and payment deferrals reported in 2020 at the COVID-19 pandemic’s height. “While the lending environment remains risky, the average delinquency or non-performing loan rate now appears to have peaked since the most stressful

periods of the pandemic,” he added.

“It has declined at a steady, incremental pace since the beginning of 2022.

Nevertheless, the Central Bank is continuing to target for the non-performing loans rate to be reduced considerably further below the levels that existed before the pandemic. Even then, these averages were considered too high to support a healthier private sector lending environment.”

Banks, though, continue to struggle to find qualified borrowers who meet their risk appetite when it comes to lending. “The increased holdings of foreign reserves, and the positive near-term outlook for these balances, leave the banking system in a position to sustainably accommodate more domestic credit expansion. Positioned as such, the system is able

to accommodate both the public sector’s projected net borrowing needs and expanded lending to the private sector,” Mr Rolle added.

“So far, however, lending to the private sector has remain subdued, still reflecting limited opportunities for banks to expand credit to new prospective borrowers given heightened risks that still persist within the environment. Where creditworthy borrowers exist, the Central Bank is reviewing what additional flexibility banks could be given while continuing to observe prudent limits on the burden of debt borrowers take on.”

When asked by Tribune Business what this “additional flexibility” will involve, Mr Rolle said the Central Bank had been “fielding some requests” from licensees for an easing of the down payment

requirements for especially creditworthy borrowers when it came to mortgage and personal loans.

“What we continue to be mindful of is that banks often have in their mix of creditworthy borrowers individuals who they provide loans to on more relaxed equity or down payment requirements,” Mr Rolle said. “We’ve been fielding some requests from banks for us to look more closely at the down payment that typically applies on personal loans, mortgages and the like.

“We’re looking at that, but it’s also always subject to the borrower’s overall capacity to carry the debt having regard to their total level of indebtedness, and the overall capacity they have based on their earnings with which to repay the debt.

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that PRINCE ASTLEY WILLIAMS of Hibiscus Close, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 3rd day of August, 2022 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

“Banks have some categories of borrower where they prefer to have more flexibility within their qualifying criteria. Our focus as regulators will be on how they manage their overall asset quality, particularly how they manage the impact of any relaxation on the delinquency rates they experience.”

Mr Rolle said foreign exchange flows indicated a strengthening Bahamian private sector as the economy continues to reflate following COVID-19. “In 2022, the foreign exchange markets resumed a more entrenched seasonal pattern of positive net inflows through the private sector.

Over the first half of the year, commercial banks reported a 50 percent rise in total purchases of foreign exchange from the private sector,” he added.

“The system also experienced a one-third rise in local demand for foreign exchange, mostly to pay for imported goods and services. Net of such usage, the private sector contributed to more than half of the net foreign exchange that was consequently retained by the Central Bank over the first six months of 2022, and which helped provide the strong increase in external reserves.

“The foreign reserves also increased due to the Central Bank’s purchase of net proceeds from foreign currency borrowings by the Government. In contrast, transactions with the Government had explained more than four-fifths of a much lesser build-up in reserves that occurred in the first half of 2021.”

Mr Rolle, responding to Tribune Business questions,

said the investment currency market (ICM) - which facilitates overseas portfolio investments by Bahamians and local entities in stock market securities and real estate - has “shown considerable strengthening in terms of the rebound” since it re-opened last year.

“We are on trend to see use in that market exceed any of the prior years, so we are not very far off from reaching new heights in terms of the investment currency market,” he revealed.

“That reflects largely the kinds of investments that Bahamians are making in foreign stock markets, and drawing some interest though not dominant - but some interest within the market has been in cryptocurrency and other types of investment.”

“Further reforming exchange control remains in the mix, continuing to emphasise those aspects of policies that affect the ease of doing business and long-term investments.

Given downside risks to the economy, policy changes targeting portfolio investments and liquid financial flows continue to require a very gradual approach, as these would have a more immediate impact on our ability to maintain the currency peg,” Mr Rolle added.

Among the exchange control aspects to receive near-term attention, he said, will be the ability of Bahamian entrepreneurs and small businesses to access external financing sources outside the country. The Central Bank governor said he was also aware of “the pain points that need to be addressed” within the country’s payment system to improve access to, and take-up, of digital channels and encouraging movement away from reliance on cheques.

PUBLIC NOTICE

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL The Public is hereby advised that I, Donnette Frances Jolly of P.O. Box EE-16584, Pine Barren Road, New Providence, Bahamas, intend to change my child’s name from KENDACE NEVAEH PRECIOUS JOLLY FORBES to KENDACE NEVAEH PRECIOUS FORBES. If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Chief Passport Officer, P.O. Box N-742, Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.

MARKET REPORT www.bisxbahamas.com

TUESDAY, 02 AUGUST 2022

BISX ALL SHARE INDEX:

CLOSE

CHANGE

%CHANGE

YTD

YTD%

2609.46

4.10

0.16

381.22

17.11

(242) 323 2330 (242) 323 2320

BISX LISTED & TRADED SECURITIES 52WK HI 6.70 53.00 2.47 2.61 2.60 6.20 10.05 4.15 10.30 3.65 8.25 17.50 2.65 10.75 11.25 10.85 18.10 4.00 11.00 16.50

52WK LOW 5.30 33.80 1.60 2.20 1.30 5.75 6.96 2.82 5.40 2.27 5.95 9.80 1.99 8.25 10.02 10.00 13.10 3.50 8.20 15.50

SECURITY AML Foods Limited APD Limited Benchmark Bahamas First Holdings Limited Bank of Bahamas Bahamas Property Fund Bahamas Waste Cable Bahamas Commonwealth Brewery Commonwealth Bank Colina Holdings CIBC FirstCaribbean Bank Consolidated Water BDRs Doctor's Hospital Emera Incorporated Famguard Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) Limited Focol Finco J. S. Johnson

SYMBOL AML APD BBL BFH BOB BPF BWL CAB CBB CBL CHL CIB CWCB DHS EMAB FAM FBB FCL FIN JSJ

LAST CLOSE 6.70 39.95 2.44 2.35 2.51 6.20 9.75 3.88 9.98 3.50 8.06 16.00 3.11 10.26 11.59 10.85 18.10 3.90 11.00 15.50

CLOSE 6.70 39.95 2.44 2.35 2.51 6.20 9.75 3.88 10.30 3.50 8.06 16.00 3.05 10.26 11.44 10.85 18.10 3.90 11.00 15.50

CHANGE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.32 0.00 0.00 0.00 (0.06) 0.00 (0.15) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

VOLUME

1,000

400

EPS$ 0.239 0.932 0.000 0.140 0.070 1.760 0.369 -0.438 0.140 0.184 0.449 0.722 0.102 0.467 0.646 0.728 0.816 0.203 0.939 0.631

DIV$ 0.170 1.260 0.020 0.080 0.000 0.000 0.260 0.000 0.000 0.120 0.220 0.720 0.434 0.060 0.328 0.240 0.540 0.120 0.200 0.610

P/E 28.0 42.9 N/M 16.8 N/M N/M 26.4 -8.9 73.6 19.0 18.0 22.2 29.9 22.0 17.7 14.9 22.2 19.2 11.7 24.6

YIELD 2.54% 3.15% 0.82% 3.40% 0.00% 0.00% 2.67% 0.00% 0.00% 3.43% 2.73% 4.50% 14.23% 0.58% 2.87% 2.21% 2.98% 3.08% 1.82% 3.94%

PREFERENCE SHARES 1.00

1.00

1000.00 1000.00

1000.00 1000.00

1.00 10.00 1.00

1.00 10.00 1.00

Bahamas First Holdings Preference Cable Bahamas Series 6 Cable Bahamas Series 9 Colina Holdings Class A Fidelity Bank Bahamas Class A Focol Class B

BFHP CAB6 CAB9 CHLA FBBA FCLB

1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00

1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 6.25% 7.00% 6.50%

CORPORATE DEBT - (percentage pricing) 52WK HI 100.00 100.00

52WK LOW 100.00 100.00

SECURITY Fidelity Bank (Note 22 Series B+) Bahamas First Holdings Limited

SYMBOL FBB22 BFHB

LAST SALE 100.00 100.00

CLOSE 100.00 100.00

CHANGE 0.00 0.00

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.10 100.45 100.09 100.54 100.34 100.00 89.62 100.00 100.00 100.00

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

VOLUME

INTEREST Prime + 1.75% 6.25%

MATURITY 19-Oct-2022 30-Sep-2025

BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT STOCK - (percentage pricing) 115.92 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.10 100.57 100.43 100.43 100.34 100.23 100.00 100.00 100.98 100.00

104.79 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.10 100.34 99.96 100.43 100.04 100.00 89.62 89.00 90.24 90.73

Bahamas Note 6.95 (2029) BGS: 2014-12-7Y BGS: 2015-1-7Y BGS: 2014-12-30Y BGS: 2015-1-30Y BGS: 2015-6-7Y BGS: 2015-6-30Y BGS: 2015-10-7Y BGRS FL BGRS76026 BGRS FL BGRS95032 BGRS FL BGRS97033 BGRS FL BGRS75022 BGRS FL BGRS81037 BGRS FL BGRS88028 BGRS FX BGR129249 BGRS FX BGR131249 BGRS FX BGR132249 BGRS FX BGR136150

BAH29 BG0107 BG0207 BG0130 BG0230 BG0307 BG0330 BG0407 BSBGRS760265 BSBGRS950320 BSBGRS970336 BSBGRS750225 BSBGRS810375 BSBGRS880287 BSBGR1292493 BSBGR1312499 BSBGR1322498 BSBGR1361504

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.10 100.45 100.09 100.54 100.34 100.00 89.62 100.00 100.00 100.00

6.95% 4.50% 4.50% 6.25% 6.25% 4.50% 6.25% 4.25% 4.56% 4.31% 4.31% 4.43% 4.87% 4.33% 5.55% 5.60% 5.65% 5.69%

20-Nov-2029 15-Dec-2021 30-Jul-2022 15-Dec-2044 30-Jul-2045 26-Jun-2022 26-Jun-2045 15-Oct-2022 18-Jan-2026 25-Sep-2032 17-Apr-2033 7-Sep-2022 26-Jul-2037 26-Jul-2028 15-Apr-2049 15-Jul-2049 15-Oct-2049 21-Apr-2050

MUTUAL FUNDS 52WK HI 2.52 4.69 2.22 207.86 212.41 1.74 1.84 1.83 1.03 9.37 11.83 7.54 16.64 12.84 10.77 10.00 10.43 14.89

52WK LOW 2.11 3.30 1.68 164.74 116.70 1.69 1.75 1.76 0.97 6.41 7.62 5.66 8.65 10.54 9.57 9.88 8.45 11.20

FUND CFAL Bond Fund CFAL Balanced Fund CFAL Money Market Fund CFAL Global Bond Fund CFAL Global Equity Fund Leno Financial Conservative Fund Leno Financial Aggressive Fund Leno Financial Balanced Fund Leno Financial Global Bond Fund RF Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Secured Balanced Fund RF Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Targeted Equity Fund RF Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Prime Income Fund RF Bahamas International Investment Fund Limited - Equities Sub Fund RF Bahamas International Investment Fund Limited - High Yield Income Fund RF Bahamas International Investment Fund Limited - Alternative Strategies Fund Colonial Bahamas Fund Class D Colonial Bahamas Fund Class E Colonial Bahamas Fund Class F

NAV 2.52 4.69 2.21 197.44 202.39 1.74 1.84 1.83 0.97 9.37 11.79 7.54 15.94 12.47 10.74 N/A 10.43 14.89

YTD% 12 MTH% 0.99% 4.22% 0.36% 5.78% 0.67% 2.74% -2.97% -2.35% -4.72% 6.04% 1.37% 3.03% 1.19% 5.23% 1.62% 4.13% -5.25% -6.07% -0.02% 10.36% -0.33% 18.23% 0.22% 3.05% -3.89% 14.76% -1.04% -2.57% 0.81% 4.20% N/A N/A 3.00% 25.60% 7.90% 48.70%

NAV Date 31-Mar-2022 31-Mar-2022 25-Mar-2022 31-Mar-2022 31-Mar-2022 31-May-2022 31-May-2022 31-May-2022 31-May-2022 31-Jan-2022 31-Jan-2022 31-Jan-2022 31-Jan-2022 31-Jan-2022 31-Jan-2022 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021

MARKET TERMS BISX ALL SHARE INDEX - 19 Dec 02 = 1,000.00 52wk-Hi - Highest closing price in last 52 weeks 52wk-Low - Lowest closing price in last 52 weeks Previous Close - Previous day's weighted price for daily volume Today's Close - Current day's weighted price for daily volume Change - Change in closing price from day to day Daily Vol. - Number of total shares traded today DIV $ - Dividends per share paid in the last 12 months P/E - Closing price divided by the last 12 month earnings

YIELD - last 12 month dividends divided by closing price Bid $ - Buying price of Colina and Fidelity Ask $ - Selling price of Colina and fidelity Last Price - Last traded over-the-counter price Weekly Vol. - Trading volume of the prior week EPS $ - A company's reported earnings per share for the last 12 mths NAV - Net Asset Value N/M - Not Meaningful

TO TRADE CALL: CFAL 242-502-7010 | ROYALFIDELITY 242-356-7764 | CORALISLE 242-502-7525 | LENO 242-396-3225 | BENCHMARK 242-326-7333

PAGE 18, Wednesday, August 3, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

US: Bahamas campaign finance open to abuses FROM PAGE A20 were late to comply,” the report said.

“The Government did not publish a summary of the individual declarations, and there was no independent verification of the information submitted. The campaign finance system remains largely unregulated with few safeguards against quid pro quo donations, creating a vulnerability to corruption and foreign influence.”

The Bahamas has experienced several episodes where foreign residents with questionable motives have openly declared they made donations with the expectation of receiving something in return from a newly-elected government. For example, Peter Nygard, now facing sex trafficking and abuse charges in both Canada and the US, bragged about making a donation - said to be $5m to the PLP’s 2012 campaign.

There were suggestions that the fallen fashion tycoon had expected his illegal Nygard Cay land grab, where land had been reclaimed from the sea without permission, would be legitimised and approved

after-the-fact by the former Christie administration until this was blocked in the courts by Save the Bays.

And, before that, Paradise Island resident Mohammed Harajchi donated to the PLP’s 2002 campaign with the seeming expectation that the banking licence for his Suisse Security Bank & Trust would be restored if the party won (it was not). But, with no disclosure or transparency-related campaign finance laws or other limits in place, all political parties remain open to the “influence” referred to in the US report.

Many of the concerns detailed in the US Investment Climate Statement are repeated on an annual basis. And while many Bahamians will likely argue that the US should first address its own political and other woes first, rather than pointing the finger at other countries, this does not mean the issues raised are any less important.

Noting the concerns raised over the seeming lack of transparency over the former Minnis administration’s COVID-related spending, the US report said: “The current [Davis]

administration has accused the former administration of inappropriate spending and misappropriation of millions of dollars, particularly during the state of emergency issued due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Emergency Powers (COVID-19) Regulations, passed in March 2020, granted widespread powers to the Government during the state of the emergency.

For example, the legislation allowed the Government to bypass normal spending rules and procurement processes, although it did require the Government to present Parliament with reports of contracts and pandemic-related funding within six weeks of the expiration of the state of emergency.

“Despite the state of emergency expiring and being extended several times throughout 2020 and 2021, the former administration failed to report.

The Emergency Power regulations expired for the final time without extension in October 2021,” it continued.

“The new administration has called into question several contracts awarded to companies and individuals

by the former administration under the Emergency Powers regulations and has ordered forensic audits of government ministries and agencies. Initial findings suggest significant misappropriation of funds. The former administration admitted it failed to report but denies allegations of corruption.”

The US State Department report fails to identify the “initial findings” it is referring to. While probes into the National Food Distribution Task Force and Bahamas Health Travel Visa found issues of poor record-keeping, lack of processes and procedures, and actions and decisions that were not in accordance with best practice, neither provided any hard evidence that taxpayers had been defrauded or government funds abused, misappropriated or siphoned off.

However, the Investment Climate Statement’s contents indicate it was prepared several months before Adrian Gibson, the former Water & Sewerage Corporation executive chairman, was charged before the courts with several

corruption-related offences to which he has pleaded not guilty.

Noting the controversy over the Public Procurement Act’s implementation, the US report said: “In September 2021, the Government enacted the Public Procurement Act which overhauls the administration of government contracts to improve transparency and accountability.

“Senior government officials have called for the legislation to be amended to reflect government capabilities and strengthened with new regulations.

Though functional, most agencies with large procurement budgets do not utilise the existing e-procurement portal or registry.

Senior officials purport that the existing e-procurement portal requires modernisation to improve functionality.”

Michael Pintard, the Opposition’s leader, has frequently charged that the Davis administration is violating this law through not having disclosed a single contract award, and to whom and for what amount, since it took office on September 16.

Brace for higher inflation as growth trimmed to 5% FROM PAGE A20 for the year to April 2022, he added that the country’s dependence on US imports - and inability to influence prices itself - meant consumers should brace for further increases.

Mr Rolle said that while Bahamian inflation has “not yet reached the same level represented in the US, nevertheless we do expect the average inflation rate in The Bahamas will continue to move a bit higher in the near term. Right now, the official government measure estimates that probably The Bahamas’ inflation rate is below 5 percent but that is still significantly higher than a year or two years ago”.

Asked how high Bahamian inflation rates may go, the Central Bank governor replied: “I would not speculate, but I would say the rates that have been published are still below where we expect they will peak in The Bahamas. We have to appreciate that if inflation in the US is 7-8 percent, and we are still running below 5 percent, since we import goods that largely originate in the US we are going to

see more of that reflected in our prices.”

Mr Rolle said the one counter to inflation, and where The Bahamas has seen some “head off”, has been on electricity (energy) costs that have been somewhat contained via the fuel hedging initiatives employed by Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) and Grand Bahama Power Company.

It is unclear, though, how long BPL will be able to hold fuel costs at their current level given the ongoing doubts about the status of its fuel hedging initiative and whether the Government is subsidising the utility’s fuel costs - something it is supposed to be blocked from doing by law under regulations passed in 2020.

Low-income Bahamians, especially, but also those in the middle class as well as on fixed incomes such as pensioners, have been hit hard by food and gas price increases in the wake of COVID-19. Wages have largely remained stagnant, which has resulted in living standards for many eroding while the cost of living remains high.

“We are feeling the impact in terms of higher prices for imported goods and services, as well as fuel costs,” Mr Rolle added, indicating the worst may be yet to come. “What I also think we need to appreciate, which has been said on several occasions, is inflation is imported by The Bahamas. This is not something we should expect to have a significant, or any ability at all , on the Bahamian side in terms of influencing the rates coming through.”

Warning that higherpriced imports inevitably such up increased amounts of vital foreign exchange, the Central Bank governor added: “What’s important is that the economy is able to adjust prudently because higher inflation for us really means that there’s an additional amount of every dollar spent on imports.

There’s an additional amount of foreign exchange represented in that as a result of higher prices.

“Higher inflation for us is an increased claim on foreign exchange we use to pay for goods and services.

At a national level, it means there’s going to be some managing of expenditure as

we continue to satisfy our import needs.”

Still, Mr Rolle said he expected the country’s foreign currency reserves which support the one:one exchange rate peg with the US dollar - to finish 2022 higher than the prior year’s close of $2.459bn despite the anticipated second half drawdown for summer vacations and Christmas inventory purchases.

“At the end of June, the reserves were estimated at $3.2bn, and as of the beginning of August, the balances were still around those same levels,” he added. “Over the reminder of 2022, a normal seasonal contraction in the reserves is expected. However, it is still forecasted that balances will end the year at a higher level than at the end of 2021.”

As for the overall economic outlook, the Central Bank governor indicated a slight revision downwards from previous projections that Bahamian gross domestic product (GDP) will expand by 6 percent.

“The economy is projected to grow at a healthy pace of at least 5 percent in 2022, and gains are also expected in 2023, continuing to reflect a bounce back from COVID-19,” Mr Rolle said.

“In this environment, it is important to continue lay

a foundation for sustained and strengthened growth, particularly beyond the COVID-19 recovery phase.

This would impact the speed at which the unemployment rate falls to below pre-COVD levels, and the pace at which the Government’s finances improve.”

Noting the mixed US economic performance, with recession fears running parallel to strong job market numbers, Mr Rolle said The Bahamas must understand that “any slowdown in the US economy will impede or step on the ability of consumers to travel”.

Adding that The Bahamas’ post-COVID recovery would be much stronger, and would have progressed further without the negative global headwinds affecting it and its major source markets, he said that while tourism and investment was expected to continue strengthening through 2023 “we should appreciate the positive outcomes would be greater in the absence of the headwinds being experienced”.

Mr Rolle said The Bahamas’ post-pandemic recovery momentum is “still sufficient” to offset “the drag of these forces”. He added: “The momentum in tourism is being sustained, despite other challenges in the international economic environment, which

The Government, though, has retorted that the Act was rushed and illthought through, arguing that regulations and guidelines were lacking, and that multiple things need to be put in place for it to function properly. It is also contending that the legislation has increased bureaucracy and red tape.

“The Government’s laws to combat corruption by public officials have been inconsistently applied,” the US report said. “The law provides criminal penalties for corruption, and the Government generally implemented the law effectively when applied.

“However, there was limited enforcement of conflicts of interest related to government contracts and isolated reports of officials engaging in corrupt practices, including accepting small-scale ‘bribes of convenience’. The political system is plagued by reports of corruption, including allegations directing contracts to political supporters and providing favourable treatment to wealthy or politically-connected individuals.” are expected to discourage some travel. Such headwinds are expected to reduce, but not eliminate the total economic gains being experienced through at least the end of 2023.

“By this point, the major part of the recovery from COVID-19 is likely to be completed, leaving other external factors to become more dominant in influencing travel sector trends.

At present, headwinds include elevated labour shortages that are holding back the airline industry’s ability to swiftly restore seating capacity, fuel costs that are making travel less affordable for some consumers, and increasing central bank interest rates which, while intended to fight off inflation, would also make travel less affordable for some households.”

Focusing on the tourism rebound, he added: “The recovery is driven significantly by a return to pre-pandemic levels of tourism. In this regard, there is room for additional gains as a result of pent-up demand for travel previously unmet, particularly during the first year of the pandemic.

“The tourism turnaround has featured both rebounded visitor volumes and steady-to-improved average pricing for stopover accommodations.

Moreover, performance in the vacation rental market remains strong, with significant benefits accruing to the Family Islands.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, August 3, 2022, PAGE 17

Broker’s lawsuit dismissal fails over Bahamas whistleblowers FROM PAGE A24 Fisher, in the same Florida court.

He is alleging that, as the persons who now represent Mintbroker and its SureTrader affiliate, the official liquidators have “acted in bad faith” by failing to defend the SEC’s action and “thus harmed” himself and other shareholders.

However, Mr Wizman and Ms Fisher have not submitted themselves to the south Florida court’s jurisdiction, and have yet to file anything in response to Gentile’s claim.

Mintbroker’s former principal, who initially named his business Swiss America Securities when he first arrived in The Bahamas in late 2011, also claimed that the Securities Commission of The Bahamas “acted in concert” with the SEC, its US capital markets regulatory counterpart, “to shut down” his company by placing it under Supreme Court supervision that has ultimately evolved into full liquidation.

The Securities Commission’s actions, though, received the full backing of a Supreme Court judgment from Justice Diane Stewart in December 2021. And Monday’s verdict means that the SEC’s pursuit of Mr Gentile, for alleged violations of US law by actively soliciting American clients when he was not licensed or registered to do so, continues.

The decision ended a two-month battle that was sparked by Mr Gentile’s June 3, 2022, salvo that accused the SEC of “actively working with and directing individuals who stole documents from SureTrader in violation of the terms of their employment and Bahamian law”.

Alleging that the regulator was planning to exploit this to bolster its case against him, Mr Gentile alleged: “The SEC sought, received and reviewed certain records of SureTrader obtained from at least one former employee of the company, Philip Dorsett, which Dorsett stole from SureTrader and later turned over to the SEC at its request.

“It is unclear at this time what subtle or implicit threats (or promises) the SEC may have made against (or to) Dorsett that resulted in his decision to knowingly violate Bahamian law to assist the SEC in this litigation. The SEC has also sought, again by way of ‘informal’ request, stolen company documents from Yaniv Frantz, another former employee.

“What is so stunning about this conduct is that the SEC has issued no formal document requests to defendant SureTrader, nor subpoenas to Dorsett or Frantz, and had not otherwise sought company records through any formal channel until after receiving the stolen company records.”

To bolster his claim about breaches of Bahamian law, Mr Gentile produced an affidavit sworn by a Bahamian attorney, Michael Miller, who asserted: “I am of the opinion that under the Data Protection (Privacy of Personal Information) Act 2003, a person who obtains access to personal data, or obtains any information constituting such data, without the prior authority of the data controller (the person who determines how it is to be used) and discloses the data or information to another person shall be guilty of an offence.

“In the circumstances, the disclosure of information to the SEC in the absence of a court Order was in breach of the aforesaid

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legislation.” And Edward Cooper, who succeeded Mr Dorsett as Mintbroker’s chief compliance officer, also alleged that both the latter and Mr Frantz had violated the broker/dealer’s employee confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements designed to “protect company trade secrets and comply with Bahamian law [to protect] sensitive client information”.

However, both Mr Dorsett and Mr Frantz both vehemently denied that they had “stolen” or otherwise illegally obtained data relating to their former employer. The former, in a June 27, 2022, affidavit alleged that Mr Gentile frequently backed up SureTrader/Mintbroker’s data using Mr Dorsett’s personal laptop and Gmail account.

The Bahamian executive, who now works as a chief compliance officer and money laundering reporting officer, said he received no instructions “to destroy or otherwise remove” this SureTrader data when he and Gentile separated in August 2017.

“I became uncomfortable with how Gentile ran SureTrader and, in particular, his risky disposition towards US authorities, and was concerned that Gentile was putting SureTrader and its officers - including me - at risk,” Mr Dorsett alleged.

“After I brought my concerns to Gentile about these

risks and did not receive a satisfactory answer, and Gentile continued with the same behaviour, I felt that I had no choice but to contact the US SEC and I voluntarily provided information and documents to the SEC.” Mr Frantz, too, in an affidavit sworn on the same day as Mr Dorsett’s, said he, too, was given no instruction about what to do with all the SureTrader data and documents on the work laptop he was allowed to retain. He added that he was also “concerned with how Gentile ran SureTrader and that his conduct may violate US securities laws”.

And the SEC itself, in a blistering riposte to Mr Gentile’s bid to have its lawsuit thrown out, alleged this was merely “his latest attempt to thwart producing documents and to delay this litigation”.

It alleged: “When faced with the possibility that former SureTrader employees would produce evidence of his and SureTrader’s violations, Gentile immediately employed the sharp tactics of seeking sanctions against the SEC and discrediting non-parties by improperly accusing them of theft and violations of the law.

“Gentile has made baseless accusations against the two former SureTrader employees in an attempt to threaten and scare

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that AKEEM AKANDE SANUSI of P. O. Box CB-13814, #14 Season Street, Canterbury Subdivision, Prince Charles, New Providence, Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 27th day of July, 2022 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that CHIOMA KATE ARUNGWA of 48 Garden Hills off Soldier Road, New Providence, Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twentyeight days from the 3rd day of August, 2022 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that KERLINE ESTIME of P.O. Box SS-6392, Yellow Elder Gardens, New Providence, Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 3rd day of August, 2022 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

LEGAL NOTICE

International Business Companies Act (No. 45 of 2000)

Sandyford Holdings Limited (the “Company”)

Notice is hereby given that, in accordance with Section 138 (8) of the International Business Companies Act, No.45 of 2000, the Dissolution of Sandyford Holdings Limited has been completed, a Certificate of Dissolution has been issued and the Company has therefore been struck off the Register. The date of completion of the Dissolution was the 20th day of July, 2022.

Delio José De León Mela Liquidator

them. Neither employee ‘stole’ SureTrader documents or violated any laws in voluntarily providing information to the SEC. Instead, SureTrader was fully aware that they had possession of SureTrader records upon their separation from the company and never instructed them to delete or remove SureTrader records from their computers.

“Gentile has no standing to object to the production of documents from former SureTrader employees.

The Supreme Court of The Bahamas has stripped Gentile of his powers and control of SureTrader, and appointed joint official liquidators to wind-up and make decisions for the company,” the SEC continued.

“The persons who have standing to take a position regarding production of documents from former SureTrader employees – the joint official liquidators – have taken the position that they have no objection to said production and Gentile has no standing to object.”

Indeed, EY Bahamas’ Mr Wizman, in a July 29, 2002, affidavit said that the documents provided by Messrs Dorsett and Frantz to the SEC would help the liquidators “in their duties” and they had requested that the

US capital markets regulator share the data with them.

Mr Gentile, though, hit back by reasserting his belief that the SEC had “procured false declarations from two former SureTrader employees who were fired four to five years ago, and stole or illicitly retained company records in violation of their employment agreements and Bahamian law, and then transmitted (or prepared to transmit) those documents to the SEC”.

The former Mintbroker principal also sought to discredit Mr Dorsett by reproducing a March 5, 2015, e-mail the latter sent to him regarding a US subpoena. “In our haste to fulfill US law we must be cautious not to break Bahamian law,” Mr Dorsett wrote. “To grant any client information otherwise would expose us to legal ramifications both from the client and also the Attorney General (for breaking Bahamian law).”

Mr Gentile, meanwhile, said the concerns over his and Mintbroker’s direct “solicitation” of American clients and violation of US securities laws arose from requests by the US Justice Department and FBI that they continue to

act as a trap to ensnare securities fraudsters and other white collar criminals who abuse capital markets and fellow investors.

He has long asserted that his Bahamian businesses were “forced” to play key roles in undercover ‘sting’ operations targeting criminals earning millions of dollars from market manipulation scams.

Their participation even extended to the ‘bugging’, both by video and sound, of Mintbroker’s Bay Street head office in a successful bid to gain evidence against a Canadian fraudster who subsequently pleaded guilty to the charges against him.

Now-prime minister, Philip Davis QC, and Davis & Company previously represented Mr Gentile and Mintbroker while in private practice in the ultimately unsuccessful battle to defeat the Securities Commission’s effort to put the broker/dealer into liquidation in The Bahamas.

Following Monday’s verdict, the south Florida federal court yesterday issued a letter seeking judicial assistance from the Bahamian court in obtaining evidence related to Mr Gentile’s ongoing battle with the SEC.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, August 3, 2022, PAGE 19

PM IMPLORES GOLD ROCK OWNERS ON PORT DISPUTE FROM PAGE A20 furnishings and accessories businesses remain in operation for the benefit of Grand Bahama’s economy and its people.

However, the Del Zottos replied that their relationship with Freeport’s quasi-governmental authority and DevCo had broken down to the point where it was likely irretrievable.

“Regrettably a number of Bahamian jobs were lost. It’s the main reason why we’ve asked them to reconsider their position,” Mr Davis said in a statement, noting the public positions taken by both sides.

“Despite the very difficult issues, again, we asked the Del Zotto family to spend every effort to resolve the

matter.” The Prime Minister’s intervention came as a former MP said the Gold Rock episode brought “the GBPA’s relevancy” to Freeport, Grand Bahama and its role in the island’s overall development “into question” again.

Frederick McAlpine, the ex-Pineridge MP, who was a key figure in a march on the GBPA’s headquarters earlier this year to deliver the concerns of residents and businesses about Freeport’s seeming lack of progress, said: “It has become a little bit perplexing to the Bahamian people in Grand Bahamas because, again, it means we’re losing jobs.

“It doesn’t seem that Gold Rock has good sentiments towards the Port Authority.

They basically describe the

Port Authority as a stumbling block to development in Grand Bahama. It puts us back to the point where we have to ask the question: Is the GBPA relevant? The closure of this company, it puts a lot of things in question. The question is who will be doing the concrete blocks, who will be making the blocks?

“This is just a question people want to know. Is the GBPA forcing them out to bring someone else in?

That’s worth taking a look at, and is certainly not the first time I’ve heard of this.

Outside of this family [the Del Zottos] I’ve heard it in other quarters as well, other investments in the past,” Mr McAlpine added.

“Although we hear about some of these things

given the hostility exhibited to each other in their respective statements.

The spark that triggered the conflict appears to have been Gold Rock’s negotiations with DevCO over access to aggregate/fill in the latter’s Devonshire subdivision that was critical for its ready mix, block and pre-cast concrete products.

DevCO, though, has argued that Gold Rock’s continued monopoly over this source cannot be justified because it had under-performed the previous contract by not taking the stipulated tonnage.

Unable to make headway over the terms they want, Gold Rock and the Del Zottos branded the GBPA as “the leaders of the most grossly underperforming island in The Bahamas” as they unveiled the shuttering of not just their concretemaking business but also

supposedly taking place, things are still extremely slow. We’re not hearing about the contract for the sale of the hotel, and the airport is still in shambles.

It’s too small for the citizens of this island; it’s not the best of times. There’s still a lot of ambiguity around the hospital. A lot of these things we’ve heard about we have to lay at the feet of the Government and the Port Authority.”

A successful intervention by the Government could also be extremely difficult to achieve given that relations between Gold Rock and the GBPA, plus its Grand Bahama Development Company (DevCO) affiliate, appeared to have completely broken down with little prospect of reconciliation

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-DAY FORECAST

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 75° F/24° C

TAMPA

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

A t-storm in spots in the afternoon

Partly cloudy with showers around

A t-storm in spots in the morning

Breezy; a stray morning t-storm

Breezy; a passing morning shower

Cloudy and breezy with a shower

High: 89°

Low: 78°

High: 88° Low: 78°

High: 89° Low: 80°

High: 88° Low: 79°

High: 89° Low: 80°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

98° F

83° F

96°-81° F

96°-85° F

97°-85° F

96°-87° F

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

ALMANAC

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 79° F/26° C

6-12 knots

S

High: 92° F/33° C Low: 81° F/27° C

7-14 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 80° F/27° C

E S

E

W

WEST PALM BEACH

W

UV INDEX TODAY

THURSDAY

N

N

| Go to AccuWeather.com

TONIGHT

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 79° F/26° C

MIAMI

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 79° F/26° C

4-8 knots

KEY WEST

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 78° F/26° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2022

N

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

TIDES FOR NASSAU High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

12:26 p.m.

-----

2.8 -----

6:15 a.m.

6:38 p.m.

0.5 0.8

Thursday

12:36 a.m.

1:17 p.m.

2.8 2.9

6:57 a.m.

7:34 p.m.

0.5 0.9

Friday

1:27 a.m.

2:13 p.m.

2.6 3.0

7:46 a.m.

8:37 p.m.

0.5 0.9

Saturday

2:24 a.m.

3:15 p.m.

2.5 3.1

8:41 a.m.

9:44 p.m.

0.4 0.9

Sunday

3:28 a.m.

4:19 p.m.

2.5 3.3

9:42 a.m. 0.3 10:51 p.m. 0.8

Monday

4:35 a.m.

5:22 p.m.

2.5 3.4

10:46 a.m. 0.2 11:55 p.m. 0.6

Tuesday

5:40 a.m.

6:22 p.m.

2.7 3.6

11:49 a.m. 0.0 ---------

SUN AND MOON Sunrise Sunset

6:38 a.m.

7:54 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

11:45 a.m.

11:41 p.m.

First

Full

Last

New

Aug. 5

Aug. 11

Aug. 19

Aug. 27

CAT ISLAND

E

W

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 78° F/26° C

N

S

E

W

6-12 knots

S

7-14 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 88° F/31° C Low .................................................... 79° F/26° C Normal high ....................................... 89° F/31° C Normal low ........................................ 76° F/24° C Last year’s high ................................. 84° F/29° C Last year’s low ................................... 74° F/23° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ............................................... 37.68” Normal year to date ................................... 20.12”

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 79° F/26° C

their Grand Bahama-based hardware store and furniture and home centre.

The GBPA, though, said DevCO wanted to “right size” the deal such that Gold Rock would still have access to the same level of aggregate it previously mined, and be able to sustain its operations, but give up its exclusivity to let other Bahamian contractors have access to the same fill and thus create a “more equitable” arrangement for all industry players.

Arguing that the Home Design Center and Do It Center closures are “unnecessary”, because they are not impacted by the aggregate talks, the GBPA said: “This move, seemingly motivated by nothing but spite, will cost yet more hardworking families their livelihoods and further shrink the options available to consumers in a struggling economy.”

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 77° F/25° C

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 79° F/26° C

N

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 77° F/25° C

E

W S

LONG ISLAND

TRACKING MAP

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 78° F/26° C

7-14 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 88° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 86° F/30° C Low: 78° F/26° C

H

GREAT INAGUA High: 88° F/31° C Low: 78° F/26° C

N

H

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 77° F/25° C

E

W

E

W

N

S

S

8-16 knots

8-16 knots

MARINE FORECAST ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday:

WINDS E at 7-14 Knots ESE at 8-16 Knots E at 6-12 Knots ESE at 8-16 Knots E at 7-14 Knots ESE at 8-16 Knots E at 8-16 Knots E at 10-20 Knots E at 7-14 Knots ESE at 8-16 Knots E at 6-12 Knots ESE at 7-14 Knots E at 7-14 Knots E at 8-16 Knots NE at 8-16 Knots E at 12-25 Knots E at 8-16 Knots E at 8-16 Knots E at 8-16 Knots E at 10-20 Knots E at 7-14 Knots ESE at 8-16 Knots E at 8-16 Knots E at 10-20 Knots E at 7-14 Knots ESE at 8-16 Knots

WAVES 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 0-1 Feet 1-2 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-6 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet

VISIBILITY 5 Miles 7 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 4 Miles 6 Miles 5 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 7 Miles 8 Miles 6 Miles 7 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 6 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 4 Miles 6 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 86° F 85° F 85° F 86° F 84° F 84° F 83° F 83° F 84° F 84° F 87° F 88° F 85° F 85° F 83° F 83° F 84° F 84° F 83° F 83° F 85° F 85° F 83° F 83° F 84° F 84° F

business@tribunemedia.net

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2022

$6.92

$6.97

Broker’s lawsuit dismissal fails over Bahamas whistleblowers

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A BAHAMIAN broker/dealer’s principal, who once acted as FBI “bait”, has failed to dismiss a lawsuit by US federal regulators who he claims improperly obtained 44,000 pages of evidence from two locallyemployed whistleblowers.

Guy Gentile, head of the former Mintbroker International, which is now in court-supervised liquidation in The Bahamas, had argued that the Securities & Exchange Commission’s (SEC) latest US action against him should be thrown out because it violated this country’s laws in securing documents ‘“stolen” from his business.

Legal papers filed in the south Florida federal courts, and which have been seen by Tribune Business, reveal that Philip Dorsett, the first Bahamian employee ever hired

GUY GENTILE

by Mintbroker and its predecessors, and the broker/ dealer’s ex-chief operating officer, Yaniv Frantz, both “voluntarily” reached out to the SEC due to concerns that Mr Gentile was putting them - and the company - “at risk” by breaching US securities laws.

However, Mr Gentile asserted that both Mr Dorsett, who is still employed in the Bahamian financial services industry as a chief compliance officer, and Mr Frantz violated this nation’s Data Protection

Act by disclosing potentially valuable information to the SEC without being ordered to do so by this country’s Supreme Court.

He argued that this “blatant disregard” of Bahamian law, US court rules and the legal discovery process by the SEC was sufficient grounds for the US court to dismiss the entire lawsuit against him.

However, Judge Alicia Otazo-Reyes on Monday rejected Mr Gentile’s arguments and kept the action alive, although the two sides must now determine how the material provided by the two Bahamas-based whistleblowers must be handled.

Meanwhile, for good measure, Mr Gentile has also initiated a “thirdparty lawsuit” against Mintbroker’s Bahamian court-appointed liquidators, Igal Wizman, the EY (Ernst & Young) Bahamas accountant and partner, and his colleague Eleanor

SEE PAGE A17

Governor targets loan delinquency ‘under 5%’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE CENTRAL Bank’s governor yesterday said he is targeting a commercial bank loan delinquency rate of “less than 5 percent” as some institutions push

for an easing of lending restrictions.

John Rolle, unveiling the regulator’s half-yearly economic and financial outlook, conceded that the industry-wide non-performing loan rate eyed by the Central Bank was far lower than that achieved prior to COVID-19 and

US: Bahamas campaign finance open to abuses

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE US government has warned that election campaign financing in The Bahamas remains wide open to abuse that exposes this nation’s governance to “corruption and foreign influence”.

The Biden administration’s State Department, in its just-released annual Investment Climate Statement on The Bahamas, added that the Public

Disclosures Act was an inadequate mechanism for casting a spotlight on politicians’ personal finances because that latest declarations have neither been published not independently vetted.

“The Public Disclosure Act requires senior public officials, including Senators and members of Parliament, to declare their assets, income and liabilities annually. For the 2021 deadline, the Government gave extensions to all who

SEE PAGE A18

that it will “take several years” to reach that mark.

“On the non-performing loan rate, in The Bahamas we need to continue to target rates that average less than 5 percent,” he said in response to Tribune Business questions.

“We were not even at that level before the pandemic

started. We anticipate that the system will take several years to get to that level, but it’s important to continue to move in that direction.”

Non-performing loans represents credit that is 90 days or more past due, and

SEE PAGE A16

$6.96

$7.27

Brace for higher inflation as growth trimmed to 5%

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Central Bank’s governor yesterday trimmed forecast Bahamian economic growth for 2022 “to at least 5 percent” while warning that the cost of living crisis facing many families has yet “to peak”.

John Rolle, speaking as the regulator unveiled its half-yearly economic and financial update, said Bahamians should expect to see higher US inflation rates, which are running at 40-year record highs and hit 9.1 percent last month, increasingly reflected in the price of goods and services sold locally.

While official measures place Bahamian inflation at below 5 percent, the Central Bank’s report yesterday pegging it at 3.8 percent

SEE PAGE A18

JOHN ROLLE

PM implores Gold Rock owners on Port dispute

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Prime Minister last night said he had implored Gold Rock’s owners to “spend every effort” to resolve their differences with the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) and its affiliates despite signs the impasse cannot be resolved.

In a statement issued by Clint Watson, his press secretary, Philip Davis QC said he had updated his Cabinet

after speaking with Gold Rock’s owners, the Floridabased Del Zotto family, in an effort to convince them to reverse their decision to exit Grand Bahama and leave an estimated 130 Bahamians without a job.

The Prime Minister said he had indicated they should seek to resolve the dispute with the GBPA and Grand Bahama Development Company (DevCO) so that their concrete manufacturing, hardware and home

SEE PAGE A19