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AG: No conflict over Sandals Maynard-Gibson denies involvement of family in resort By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net ATTORNEY General Allyson Maynard-Gibson yesterday dismissed rumours that her family has a business interest in the Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort. The false reports circulated over the weekend as discontent continues to swell over her decision to issue a nolle prosequi to stop a private prosecution against the hotel and two of its senior executives. “My family has no shop space nor any business interest at Sandals,” she said, responding to questions from The Tribune. In April, Columbian Emeralds International opened a new store at Sandals LaSource Resort in Grenada. Mrs Maynard-Gibson’s husband, Maxwell Gibson,
FORMER PRESIDENT MARTELLY MAKES SWEET MUSIC FOR FANS
is the franchisee for Columbian Emeralds International’s locations in Nassau and Freeport. The attorney general told The Tribune that her husband had shop space at Sandals Royal Bahamian in the past, but could not recall the time period. She insisted there were no present ties to the resort. The nolle order halted the action launched against the resort, its general manager, Gary Williams, and financial controller, Fitzroy Walker, by five officers of the Bahamas Hotel Maintenance and Allied Workers Union (BHMAWU) who had alleged that Sandals Royal Bahamian was in breach of the Industrial Relations Act by failing/ refusing to “treat or enter into negotiations” with the union. SEE PAGE 12
BAHAMAS Bar Association President Elsworth Johnson yesterday defended Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson against critics calling for her resignation over her decision to stop a private prosecution against the Sandals Royal Bahamian resort. While he noted that the matter reinforces the ar-
gument for an independent director of public prosecutions, Mr Johnson branded criticisms as “unfair” and suggested that the move could bolster public perceptions of her level of independence in the role. “High ranking members of the Cabinet seem to be saying that the AG should have consulted with them,” he said. SEE PAGE 12
By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net POLICE are investigating an apparent suicide after a Haitian man was found by his brother hanging from a tree behind his home yesterday morning. Assistant Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean said the deceased - who is believed to be in his mid60s - was discovered hanging by a rope tied to a tree behind the Canaan Lane home off Shirley Street that he shared with his brother. The victim’s brother, Moliere Joseph, said he was shocked to find the deceased’s body, telling reporters that he had spoken with his brother the previous night. SEE PAGE TWO
‘UNACCEPTABLE’ MALFUNCTION HAS DELAYED SURGERIES By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
MALFUNCTIONING air-conditioning units in the $100m Critical Care Block at the Princess Margaret Hospital have stalled surgeries in the last few weeks, prompting Free National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis to criticise the government for the “unacceptable” situation. “As a doctor and the former minister of health, I am appalled by the alarming reports coming from Princess Margaret Hospital that there has not been air conditioning in the operating rooms for two weeks,” Dr Minnis said in a statement. SEE PAGE SIX
BAR PRESIDENT COMES TO THE DEFENCE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
HAITIAN MAN FOUND HANGING FROM TREE
McCARTNEY WELCOMES CHALLENGE TO LEADERSHIP FORMER Haitian president Michel Martelly was back to performing as Sweet Mickey Martelly at the Caribana Music Festival held at Botanical Gardens on Saturday night. He is pictured getting a helping hand from police as a fan took to the stage to hug him. For more pictures from the event, see page 14. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
ONLY TWO-THIRDS OF FIRED STAFF REAPPLY TO WORK AT SANDALS ONLY two-thirds of the more than 600 employees who were terminated by Sandals Royal Bahamian in August reapplied to work at the hotel, with a resort official saying the severance payout from the surprise terminations “opened up opportunities” for former staff members. Yesterday, the resort announced that nearly 500
jobs have been offered and accepted as the property moves to fill some 600 posts brought on by a temporary closure and renovation project. The property closed in mid-August and is expected to open in midOctober. Labour Minister Shane Gibson and union officials have criticised the hotel for the surprise ter-
minations, accusing resort executives of “union busting”. The Bahamas Hotel Maintenance and Allied Workers Union has several ongoing disputes with the hotel and has been fighting for years to be recognised as the property’s bargaining agent. SEE PAGE SIX
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net LESS THAN a week before the Democratic National Alliance convenes its first convention, party Leader Branville McCartney said he welcomes challengers to his position, one that he has held since the organisation was formed in 2011. Mr McCartney, who has been criticised by pundits for appearing to operate the party as if he were a one man band, said he not only welcomed United Democratic Party Leader Greg Moss to contest the post, but others should certainly do the same. SEE PAGE 14
PAGE 2, Monday, September 26, 2016
HAITIAN MAN FOUND HANGING FROM TREE from page one
Yesterday, ACP Dean said: “Shortly after 8am we received the report, when officers arrived they met the lifeless body of man hanging from a rope. He was pronounced dead at the scene. He is believed to be in his mid-60s, and preliminary information suggests that he might be a Haitian national.” ACP Dean said police have not found evidence to suggest foul play; however, he noted investigators will
MOLIERE Joseph speaking to the media yesterday. await the results of an autopsy to determine cause of death. Police did not release the man’s identity, but The Tribune understands he is
Santiele Joseph, a father of seven. Last month, Delroy Anthony David Cartwright was found in a similar manner by his niece in the backyard of his Murphyville Road home off Rosetta Street. Mr Cartwright was believed to be in his early 70s. Chief Superintendent Clayton Fernander, officerin-charge of the Central Detective Unit (CDU), said the deceased was discovered shortly after 10.30am hanging from a rope tied to a tree on August 18.
Mr Cartwright’s family expressed shock after his death, telling The Tribune that he was a “very loving” man who “didn’t show any signs of being unhappy” leading up to his death. In June, a 48-year-old father of three was found hanged from the ceiling of a wooden shed attached to his Hillside Estates home. According to police, the victim’s wife found him hanging from the rafters with an extension cord tied around his neck. At the time, Chief Supt Fernander said the man’s wife, after
THE TRIBUNE
A BODY is removed from the rear of an apartment complex yesterday. Photos: Tim Clarke/Tribune Staff praying with her husband, from a drop cord thrown went about “her normal over a rafter in the shed. routine getting ready for At the time, Chief Supt work” when she realised Fernander said police did she had not seen her spouse not suspect foul play. He for some time. said the family of the deHe said the wife went to ceased said he had been decheck on her husband only pressed for some time and to discover him hanging was receiving counselling.
THE TRIBUNE
Beach vendor claims rejected by property owner By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net AS tension over the presence of vendors on Cabbage Beach escalates, one Paradise Island property manager is firing back at claims that he is the one behind efforts to have the group removed and jailed for trespassing. Tony Knowles, general manager of the Paradise Island Beach Club, told The Tribune that allegations made by Cabbage Beach Business Owners Association (CBBOA) President Monique Taylor on Thursday are inaccurate, accusing her of misrepresenting operations at the property. Mr Knowles claimed that the vendors are not being harassed and removed as punishment for operating on the beach, but because they have opted to “set up shop on private property” as they continue their fight against other property owners adjacent to the Paradise Island beach. He said his interaction with the group only started in recent weeks, noting that following the recent court ruling that negated the association’s claims that its members had the legal right to operate businesses from the lots bordering Cabbage Beach, the vendors opted to move further east along the coast and set up shop “in his backyard”. The resort operator said while he sympathises with the group’s ongoing issues, he does not believe it is fair to property owners that the vendors should have a right to operate their enterprises as they see fit. “Hold your claim and do what you must,” Mr Knowles said of the CBBOA members. “Just not at my front door. It isn’t right. There was a lot of work placed into building the brand of the Paradise
MONIQUE Taylor speaking to the media on Cabbage Beach last week. Photo: Tim Clarke/Tribune Staff Island Beach Club, and I are trying to protect the am not going to sit back and tourism industry and a allow these people set up group like (the CBBOA) their stalls and small shops doesn’t do nearly enough on my property. to improve the Bahamian “They have no respect or product. At the Paradise regard for anyone else try- Island Beach Club, we have ing to make a living from visitors who have been this beach. They refuse to coming here for years and act accordingly and organ- we work very hard to enise themselves in a manner sure that they want to come that encourages best prac- back.” tices. Where is the portable He flatly refuted claims bathroom for their clients? by Ms Taylor that his emIf they were serious about ployees comprised over 80 creating legit businesses, per cent foreigners without shouldn’t they work to en- the proper work permits. sure sanitary conditions for In May, Supreme Court visitors? All they do is (al- Justice Bernard Turner sidlegedly) harass the people ed with landowners Access that come out to this beach Industries over the dispute for leisure. We have to be as to whether vendors had a responsible for the future of right to work on the beach. this industry. No one is say- Justice Turner acceded to a ing that they can’t operate position put forward by legal here; all we are saying is do counsel for Access Indusso in a sustainable manner.” tries suggesting that the assoMr Knowles said mem- ciation did not hold the legal bers of the CBBOA refuse position to file an injunction to adequately police them- or block the property’s ownselves, accusing the group ers from restricting vendors. of rank deficiencies and a In 2014, ownership of the lack of institutional control. Cabbage Beach property “They can go on and on was transferred from Atabout the high water mark lantis - owned by Brookand where property lines field Asset Management start and stop,” he said. - to a subsidiary of Access “But the reality is this: we Industries, the One&Only
PRISON OFFICER ARRESTED AFTER SUSPECTED MARIJUANA DISCOVERY AN officer from the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services is in custody after being arrested at the institution for possession of dangerous drugs on Friday. According to police reports, shortly after 10pm, officers from the BDCS conducted a routine search of a male corrections officer and allegedly found a quantity of marijuana in his
possession. Police were notified and the officer was handed over to officers from the Drug Enforcement Unit, who took him into custody. Police also reported that officers in Eleuthera arrested an American man on Friday after they allegedly found a quantity of dangerous drugs in his possession. Shortly before 2pm, po-
lice officers stationed in Spanish Wells, acting on information, conducted a search of a home at Russell Island where they arrested the man after they found a quantity of marijuana, allegedly in his possession. The corrections officer and the male visitor are expected to appear in court early this week to be formally charged.
AMERICAN COUPLE ARRESTED OVER FIREARMS FIND By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
AN AMERICAN couple have been arrested for possession of unlicenced firearms and ammunition found at a residence in the
upscale subdivision of Fortune Bay, Grand Bahama. Police, acting on information, went to the residence around 8pm on Thursday and discovered a 7.62 rifle with 75 rounds of ammunition and a black and chrome Mossberg
12-gauge shotgun with 21 shotgun shells. A man and woman were arrested and taken into police custody. The couple are expected to be formally arraigned early next week in the Freeport Magistrate’s Court.
Ocean Club. A second access path further east, between the Paradise Island Beach Club property and the Ocean Club Beach Estate at the bottom of Garden Drive, is now being used as the primary access by vendors. As a result, many of the vendors have opted to remain near the access point in a bid to attract guests as they enter the property. Responding to this aspect of the issue, Mr Knowles said: “No matter how they pout and complain, the bottom line is that you can’t set up a lemonade stand on private property, no matter how profitable a lot you think it can be. “Yes they have licences to operate on public property. But the easement is an easement for beachgoers. It isn’t a strip mall or a place to offer goods and services. The boardwalk is a passage built to lead on to the beach, not a sales office. They can walk up a down the beach and sell their products, man knock yourself out, but you can’t set up shop on private property or the boardwalk.” Mr Knowles recommended that members of the CBBOA negotiate a deal with the government of the Bahamas to buy a small section of beachfront property near Cabbage Beach, which can be used to construct several stall areas. In March, dozens of irate beach vendors blocked traffic on the bridge over to Paradise Island in protest of the sudden closure of the main entry point for vendors to the beach. That incident led to the arrest of at least two persons and further protests. The dispute climaxed with the tearing down of the fence erected in a bid to block access to the property by vendors. Subsequently, 10 persons were taken into custody, charged with destroying private property.
VERA ALBURY, who is missing.
WOMAN MISSING
POLICE are asking for the public’s help in locating 38-year-old Vera Albury who was reported missing by relatives. Ms Albury, of Penny Savings Bank Lane in New Providence, was last seen five days ago. She has a dark brown complexion, is of medium build and is about 5’6” to 5’8”. Call police at 919 or Crime Stoppers at 328TIPS (8477) or 242-3008476 in the Family Islands.
Monday, September 26, 2016, PAGE 3
‘DON’T WORRY IF PAY DOESN’T MATCH UP,’ BAHA MAR STAFF TOLD By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
WITH payouts to former Baha Mar workers set to begin tomorrow, Claims Committee Chairman James Smith yesterday advised employees not to worry if payments did not match the amount listed on their redundancy letters. Mr Smith urged workers with discrepancies to bring in the letter they received from the resort’s human resources department upon their termination as the committee was prepared to deal with any dispute. He explained that the amounts listed on those letters were in line with the country’s labour laws on severance pay, but noted that the claims process was not subject to those laws. “(Workers) became a creditor to Baha Mar with that letter, and could use that to get relief in the courts. In this process, we were trying to use those letters or come as close as we can to those letters even though there is no obligation on our part since it’s not being done under labour legislation. But the idea is to meet as close as possible their expectations. “We had one or two calls saying that the amounts that they say in the letter seem to be different from the amounts that they are now being offered. If that happens, and it could in some cases as we’re dealing with 2,000 employees, we’re asking them to bring those
letters and we’ll see if we can deal with it. The idea is to meet their expectations as best they can or even more,” he said. Employees with last names beginning with the letters A through F will collect payments on Tuesday, those with last names beginning with the letters G through O will collect their cheques on September 28, and last names beginning with the letters P through Z will collect their cheques on September 29 from the Crystal Palace Training Hotel, Casino Entrance. The cheques are expected to cover unpaid salaries, accrued vacation pay, severance pay and payments in lieu of notice for more than 2,000 Baha Mar workers made redundant in October last year. Payments will be made by Perfect Luck Claims Ltd, the special purpose vehicle (SPV) that has been created specifically to purchase claims held by Baha Mar creditors under the terms of the Export-Import Bank of China’s (CEXIM) agreement with the Christie administration. Mr Christie announced last month that an agreement had been reached with the bank to remobilise the hotel. At the time, he said construction was expected to restart in September. However, last Thursday, Minister of Works and Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis said construction should resume within the next two weeks.
PAGE 4, Monday, September 26, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
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Bahamas murder rate among highest in Caribbean AFTER succeeding in their demand that MP Richard Lightbourn be removed as a contender for the Montagu seat in the next election because of his unacceptable solution to our crime epidemic, it would be interesting to know what plans these same PLP women now have to solve a problem that is steadily destroying our society. Yamacraw MP Melanie Griffin, Englerston MP Glenys Hanna Martin, and Seabreeze MP Hope Strachan - branded as “despicable” Mr Lightbourn’s proposal for state-sponsored sterilisation of unmarried women after their second child as a partial solution to our crime problem. Mr Lightbourn, in an effort to solve a very serious social problem, created a moral problem for himself for which he quickly apologised. “I would like to sincerely apologize to the Bahamian public and women in particular for my comments made last night at the Free National Movement convention,” he said early the next morning. “It was never my intention to offend anyone but to speak to the need for effective parenting and the support for a strong family structure which will go a long way toward solving many of our country’s social ills. “It is a woman’s right to decide what to do with her body. “I received immediate and justified criticism for my comments. It was an extremely poor decision on my part,” he concluded. However, the matter can’t end there. It is true that Mr Lightbourn made an error of judgment in his solution for the problem, but, he, like everyone else in this country, has to find a solution to a serious problem that is going to crush our nation. Tying of tubes is certainly not the answer. As we recently recalled in this column the distress some years ago of a young doctor who remarked that the Princess Margaret Hospital’s gynaecological ward was a factory churning out this country’s future problems – children under 15 years giving birth. His words were prophetic … unwanted children turned lose on a society that had no plans to support them. Crime was the only escape route for many of them. “We need to have this conversation with regard to sexual responsibility to our country and I don’t think that we are going to serve this House and the country well unless we stop pushing this matter under the table,” said Mr Lightbourn. Denying him his parliamentary seat is not the solution. Although, his solution to the problem was certainly not acceptable, it did not reduce the enormity of our social crisis. So instead of the hand-wringing and crying foul, it is time for some very serious decision making. The Bahamas with the background of a strong moral fibre in which we grew up has long since disappeared. Self-gratification is the name of the game, whether it be gathering a troupe of “Sugar Daddies” to support the unwanted offspring that grow into society’s rudderless misfits, or the get-rich-quick group with no moral compass, Bahamians have lost their way. In a report in June last year from The Sandals Foundation in New York in a plan to assist The Bahamas’ Delta Sigma Theta Sorority to assist teenage mothers, it was reported that about 700 teenage girls are impregnated each year in The Bahamas, with about 20 per cent of them eventually becoming pregnant again
while still in their teens. The aim of this Sorority is to try to provide admirable support in various areas, including pregnancy prevention, spiritual enrichment sessions, necessary tools to rejoin the workforce, and continuing support after they have left the programme. With 20 per cent of them repeating what at first could have been considered a moral misfortune, their lapse seems to indicate that the old-fashioned way of banning them as society’s social outcasts was an even greater moral deterrent. Not that we are advocating that we return to those days, but religion and morality in the training of our young people should get more emphasis. As for the men, they always seem to get off scot free. If men were forced to shoulder their responsibilities by providing for these unwanted offspring until they were 18, they might think twice before trotting out on the town looking for female prey. And older men, who take advantage of the young, should be named and shamed. In June this year, the Inter-Development Bank released a report on Crime and Violence in which a question was asked as to the causes of crime in the Bahamas. “Many Bahamians,” said the report, “will cite substance abuse, unemployment, poverty, poor parenting, teenage pregnancy, absentee fathers and the breakdown of social capital (defined as the incapacity to transmit positive values to young generations).” In 2014, The Bahamas’ homicide rate was 31.9 per 100,000 population, which is higher than the average homicide rate for the Caribbean region (16 per 100,000). It said that when compared to the homicide rates with four other Caribbean countries, “The Bahamas shows a worrying trend. The homicide rate in the Bahamas has continued to climb, while rates in Barbados and Suriname have stayed constant at much lower levels, and rates in Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica have experienced sharp declines since 2008 and 2009, respectively.” It also said that while “the RBPF reported a drop in the number of armed robberies from 2012 to 2013, they have increased 54 per cent in the last decade”. The murder rate has “more than doubled in the last 10 years and is now among the highest in the Caribbean region.” Although the report did not give much credit to the poor data keeping at the Princess Margaret Hospital, what figures the hospital did have showed that “the number of gunshot and stabbing wounds far outweigh the number of murders in The Bahamas. For example, although there were 119 murders in 2013, there were 4.5 times as many stabbings and shootings”. Stabbings and shootings appear to be increasing at an even higher rate than murder, it reported. Also the “average rate of rapes reported over 2009–2013 was 27 per 100,000 population, which is above the already high Caribbean regional average. Emergency room data shows that this number is far under-representative of the number of actual cases taking place, yet proportionally far fewer resources and policy initiatives have been dedicated to reducing rape than other types of crime. We would highly recommend that instead of these PLP women hand-wringing over tube tying, they dedicate their time to finding solutions to help lift this country out of its cultural decadence.
Failing in support for teachers EDITOR, The Tribune
LETTERS
EACH time I think that we are making a few steps forward in correcting simple issues in our education system I am quickly put in my place by the debacle that is our public service system. A few months ago, I visited Preston H Albury High School in Rock Sound, Eleuthera, and to my surprise I came to learn that they were missing teachers for core subjects which ought to be taught to Bahamian students as this, I believe, is the least to be expected of their birthright. Disturbed by this, I inquired to find how I could become a part-time teacher and in short I was told to call the Ministry of Education. Fair enough, I thought to myself as I envisioned that this would be a great way to assist the children who attended the school. On August 5, 2016 (yes, a Friday) I called the Ministry of Education on Thompson Boulevard to familiarise myself with the process. Of course, I was greeted very dryly by a seemingly uninterested switchboard operator, who in between eating something and sighing breathlessly managed to murmer “Education, hello”. After stating my reason for calling, she patched me through to the Human Resources Department (HR). Brilliant, I thought to myself, they will definitely understand my concern for calling and they would be able to point me in the right direction. That wishful thought was short-lived to say the least. It’s impor-
letters@tribunemedia.net tant that I mention that I had called “Education” at 3.30pm, so feel free to infer on that note. Having been asked my credentials by an unnamed lady in HR, I complied with her question and informed her that I had both an undergraduate as well as a graduate degree in business. I should have ended the call the moment she said that I was interested in teaching at Harbour Island All-Age School as that was a clear indication that she was not paying attention to a single word I said. Perhaps I should give her credit for getting the schools close enough by association? About two minutes into our conversation, I could hear the frustration in her tone as I expressed to her that we are doing a disservice to the children by not having enough teachers to cover core subjects. She abruptly placed me on hold, or so she thought as I could hear a full conversation she and a male colleague had, through her hand that covered the receiver, during which they insisted that I was a “liar talkin’ ‘bout I wanna teach”. As a result of having her impromptu meeting with her colleague, she returned to our call to let me know that “the ministry is aware of which areas are lacking and teachers are placed according to need”. After hearing that statement, I asked her if she’s implying that there isn’t a need for
However, I do understand that petty dictators are born every day – and their first attack is at the heart of justice. It is now for us to stop them. The rumour floating around — and daily getting stronger – is that AttorneyGeneral Maynard Gibson is shortly to be announced as the new Chief Justice. Will this be a Chief Justice who will sit around the Cabinet table and have to toe the party line to the extent that
she will have to consult with her Prime Minister and certain party heavyweights before she can hand down an objective judgment? I suggest that any such proposal be stopped immediately. Instead immediate steps should be taken to appoint an independent prosecutor with respected legal qualifications to replace the function of the Attorney General. The rumour is that there are already underground
Justice is under attack EDITOR, The Tribune. BEFORE I start this letter, I plead ignorance – ignorance of the facts of the case, but not of the judicial principles. I always understood that the position of attorney general was to be free of politics. The person in this position was to make decisions based on facts, not on political considerations of the party in power. I don’t pretend to know
anything about the rights or wrongs of the Sandals case or for the justification of the nolle prosequi pronounced by the Attorney General dismissing the case with the unions. However, I am surprised – no stunned – by the reaction of the Attorney General’s political colleagues, who have criticised her for not telling many of the political entities involved before making her judicial announcement. These
parties included, not only the union leader, but such political colleagues as Labour Minister Shane Gibson, Deputy Prime Minister Brave Davis, Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe and others. Does this suggest that Attorney General Allyson Maynard Gibson is expected to make a judgment on behalf of a litigant, not based on the law, but after discussion with her colleagues? Say this is not so.
core teachers on the islands. Noticing that she had started to raise her voice in an answer to me I retracted my question and replaced it with a simpler one. “How do I go about making an application and is it online because I am out of the country at the moment?” In an irritated tone, she informed me that it was online; however, the information online is incomplete, therefore I would have to physically visit the office for a complete list of requirements. I informed her that I would much rather get the information now, so that I would be prepared once I visit the office. At this point it was ten to four and she was at her boiling point when she said in the most vulgar sentiment: “I don’t have the time to let you know what all you need to bring so you need to come in and pick up the application ‘cause it has the list stapled to it”. The last I checked there was not a surplus of teachers in The Bahamas (let alone ones willing to move to the out islands). Further, I recall that a function of HR was recruitment; therefore a Human Resources professional would have seen my phone call as an opportunity to ensure that sufficient teachers were in place for the new school year. I found my experience troubling. However, it was not unexpected, therefore the mass resignation of Bahamian teachers was no surprise at all. SHENA JOHNSON Nassau, September 23, 2016.
scoundrels sniffing around to find a way to undermine any independent judge that might get in their way. We are living in perilous times, with evil men polluting this planet. It is now time for every citizen to be vigilant. The courts are our last bastion – their integrity must be protected at all cost. INDEPENDENT Nassau, September 24, 2016.
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, September 26, 2016, PAGE 5
Neymour doubtful over Rubis explanation for foul odour By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net A FORMER Cabinet minister is not convinced that the fumes emanating from a service station on East Bay Street are the result of “rotting vegetation” instead of a gas or diesel leak. Former State Minister for Environment Phenton Neymour yesterday expressed his reservations on a Rubis executive’s dismissal of concerns by neighbouring businesses of the “bad smell” as “not harmful”. Managing director of Rubis Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Gordon D Craig told The Tribune last week that since work began on renovating the service station, the Department of Environmental Health Services (DEHS) has done inspections everyday to ensure that the site is up to standard. However, Mr Neymour yesterday called on Minister for Environment Kenred Dorsett to make an official statement on the matter after discovering a waste truck and dump truck at the site during yesterday’s thunderstorm. “I’ve spoken with experts in the petroleum industry who themselves have smelt
THE SCENE yesterday at the Rubis garage on East Bay Street, where foul smells have been blamed on rotting vegetation. cause a cesspit truck would Harold Road landfill, they the odour and they are of was never completed.” Mr Neymour said the have to be removing it to an would risk the dump catchthe view that the smell is from gasoline,” the former company may have alleg- approved treatment facility ing fire again. I’d ask the edly neglected to carry out and the Harold Road land- government to do their job state minister said. “I know that site had a re- due diligence “in evaluat- fill was not designed for pe- in monitoring the Rubis site lease in early 2000s because ing the site and deficiencies troleum waste. I know this and I call on them to make I witnessed it. It was deter- which they knew of as own- because I was an engineer a statement, especially the for that project.” mined that the site need- ers for the last four years”. minister responsible for enHe added: “I visited the The former state minis- vironment. I question the ed to be remediated and equipment to be replaced. site moments ago and to ter said there are private safety of what transpired It required a lot of work by my surprise, in all of this companies that deal with yesterday as well as the enthen owners Chevron Texa- storming rain, there was a petroleum products for vironmental stewardship,” co. They began the exercise dump truck and there was treatment but not ground Mr Neymour said. but Texaco was sold to Ru- also a sewage truck, which contaminants and waste. Attempts to reach Mr “Where is the soil being bis in early 2012. It appears, is presumably there to refrom what I understand, move ground contaminants. removed to because it has that the remediation work I now question what is be- to be treated properly and either ceased entirely or it ing done with this waste be- if they’re taking it to the
MAN MUST PAY $5,000 OR GO TO JAIL FOR AMMUNITION POSSESSION By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
A MAN accused of being the mastermind behind a firearms trafficking ring was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine for possession of ammunition or face 18 months in prison on Friday. Omar Roberts, of Lumumba Lane, returned to Magistrate’s Court three days after he and his wife, Jessie, were arraigned on the charge concerning 14 shotgun shells that were found in their home on September 16. Roberts, at his initial arraignment on Tuesday, pleaded not guilty to the offence as did his wife. However, he changed his plea to guilty concerning the shells. The charge was withdrawn against his wife. His lawyer, Ryzsard Humes, had asked Magistrate Constance Delancy not to impose a custodial sentence
for the offence given that his client had previous good character and was gainfully employed. He had also stressed that his client had no previous convictions. Magistrate Delancy acknowledged the points raised by defence counsel but said the mitigating factors had to be balanced against the seriousness of the offence. Failure to pay the $5,000 fine will result in incarceration for 18 months at the Department of Correctional Services. Roberts remains on remand at the prison as he awaits trial on 30 other firearm related offences that were levied against him in Magistrate’s Court earlier this week. The accused faces seven counts of “introduction of a revolver into the Bahamas,” six counts of “introduction of ammunition into the Bahamas”, eight counts of “conspiracy to introduce a
revolver into the Bahamas” and six counts of “possession of ammunition with intent to supply”. He also faces a count each of “conspiracy to introduce ammunition into the Bahamas,” possession of an unlicenced firearm and possession of unlicenced revolvers with intent to supply, which completed the 30 offences he is alleged to have committed on September 16. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. Roberts denies conspiring with others to bring in, possess and distribute a Betonics .45 pistol, a HiPoint .380 pistol, a Beretta 9mm pistol, a Makarov 9mm pistol, a Remington Inc .40 pistol, a Smith
& Wesson .38 revolver, a Jiminez INC 9mm pistol and a 7.62 rifle. He further denies conspiring with others to bring in, possess and distribute a combined 318 rounds of assorted ammunition for these weapons. He will be tried on November 21. Assistant Superintendent of Police Clifford Daxon is prosecuting the case.
Dorsett were unsuccessful up to press time. Rubis has been under scrutiny ever since details surfaced that the company’s Robinson Road Station had a fuel leak in late December 2012. Black and Veatch was contracted by the government in 2013 to ensure that the actions taken by Rubis (Bahamas) to address the spill were appropriate to protect public health and adequately remediate the environment. A report prepared by Black and Veatch, completed on February 20, 2014, confirmed there were elevated levels of benzene in the area and concluded that assessments conducted by Rubis were insufficient and could not be used to determine whether persons in the area were exposed to contamination associated with the fuel release. Last year, Rubis (Bahamas) officials were also investigating reports by residents and storeowners in the Sandyport area alleging that the company’s service station was emitting fumes and leaking small amounts of fuel into a nearby canal.
PAGE 6, Monday, September 26, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
‘UNACCEPTABLE’ MALFUNCTION HAS DELAYED SURGERIES from page one
“It is unacceptable that patients are being turned away from their scheduled procedures and told to go to Doctors Hospital. Princess Margaret Hospital serves those most in need, some
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who cannot afford health insurance. “How can this government ignore the pleas of patients and doctors who have been crying out for help? A functioning hospital for the care of all Bahamians is a basic necessity, yet through the continued ineptitude of this PLP government, many are being forced to go without. We are not a third world country,” Dr Minnis added. “Bahamians have rights and expectations - the right to accessible healthcare
9/9/16 6:27 PM
and the expectation that it is quality care. They deserve nothing less, but this government is forcing them to delay needed surgery or spend additional funds at a private facility.” Tosheena Robinson-Blair, granddaughter of 89-yearold Elaine Williams who has been awaiting surgery on a leg since September 13, spoke to this newspaper of her concern about a delay of the operation. She questioned the Public Hospital Authority’s (PHA) plan of action for
patients and their families who have been affected and may not be able to afford an alternative option other than the public hospital. “My grandmother broke her leg in a fall. She’s supposed to have gotten surgery already but we were told that the air condition units were not working in the operating room so it was cancelled with no new date for her surgery,” Ms Robinson-Blair said. “She’s in good spirits and I must say that the staff at the hospital, doctors and nurses, have been completely professional and made her as comfortable as possible. It’s not their fault but the family and other families that are likely going to experience these delays just want to know what is the hospital’s plan B? “Right now, her leg is elevated on her bed,” Ms Robinson-Blair added. “She’s receiving great care from the staff but I’m worried (about) her muscles deteriorating if surgery does not occur soon. I do want to stress that she’s receiving great care and she’s on pain meds so pain is a non-issue but this is something that needs to be expedited.” Sources close to the hospital attributed the equipment breakdown to recent power outages and said that even with a generator, not much of a difference was made. Yesterday PHA Director of Communications Judy Terrell-Hamilton confirmed to The Tribune that there were issues with the
DR Hubert Minnis said it is “unacceptable” that patients are being made to wait for surgery because of problems with the air conditioning unit at Princess Margaret Hospital. air-conditioning units, however she could not say what the cause was. “Our efforts to rectify the matter have been significantly hampered by the inclement weather this week but the hospital and PHA are doing the best we can in the current circumstances to get the units back up and running,” she said. However, she opted not to comment on the statement issued by Dr Minnis. The Killarney MP also called on the government to “focus on fixing this prob-
lem immediately,” and expressed concern for Family Island patients who would be financially affected by the delays. The opposition leader called on the government to “inform the public of what steps it is taking to fix the problem.” “Silence is not leadership. Ignoring a problem won’t make it go away. The FNM will continue to stand with the people and the patients being turned away until this matter is rectified,” Dr Minnis said.
ONLY TWO-THIRDS OF FIRED STAFF REAPPLY TO WORK AT SANDALS from page one
In a press release issued yesterday, the resort said hundreds of people began orientation last week, preparing for new jobs at the property once it reopens after a multi-million-dollar makeover. According to the release, some senior staff members walked away with more than $34,000 in severance pay from the resort. Sandals has said there would be no overall job loss, pledging that the resort would employ the same number of people that it had on staff prior to the closing. The property held a four-day job fair shortly after it closed. “Only about two-thirds of those employed before turned out for the job fair though everyone was invited,” said Jeremy Jones, Sandals Resorts International’s director of corporate services. “While we were a bit dis-
appointed in the numbers, we were not totally surprised. The severance packages made it possible for people who had been working hard to take some time off. Others may have chosen to go back to school or develop skills for a different position or career. For many, the unexpected closure and immediate pay-out opened up opportunities.” As of yesterday, nearly 180 of those former staff members who applied have started orientation and there are still more positions to be filled, the resort said. “We continue to aim for a mid-October soft opening and we want to make sure all posts are filled with a six-month training cycle so there is little time to spare,” Mr Jones also said. “Fortunately, everyone is showing tremendous enthusiasm and there is a real spirit of rejuvenation, a pride in being part of something historic and something new all at once.” Sixty employees were transferred to Sandals Emerald Bay in Exuma to help accommodate the extra bookings from transferring guests who had reservations for Nassau. Those guests were also treated to extra complementary days and the company covered the cost of airfare to the new destination, the hotel said. “We are on target for a mid-October soft opening,”
Mr Jones said. “When you are doing extensive repairs in an historic property like the Royal Bahamian you learn to expect the unexpected. Despite extra work that had to be undertaken, construction crews and subcontractors have brought their best game and have hit schedules remarkably well and we really thank them for that.” More than a dozen Bahamian companies were engaged to work on repairs that were so extensive the hotel had no option but to close, according to an engineer’s report, resort officials said. Boilers and chillers were being replaced, two large pool decks completely removed and replaced, ballrooms renovated, guest rooms redone, several villas gutted and rebuilt, pathways and common areas reworked, original wooden floors sanded and refinished, air conditioning replaced and a new dining option created. Hotel sources were caught somewhat off-guard, knowing repairs were imminent, but not fully aware the hotel would have to close to make way for the work, the resort’s press release added. According to officials, the closure came as the Cable Beach all-inclusive property was enjoying nearly 100 per cent occupancy and was facing a nearly fully booked property for the next several months.
the stories behind the news
insight@tribunemedia.net
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016
PLP betrays its legacy by turning against workers B
y the end of this week, Allyson Maynard-Gibson, the Attorney-General of the Bahamas, should have either resigned from her post or be fired by Prime Minister Perry Christie. It is that simple. The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) has no choice in the matter. If the party wants to stand even a glimmer of a chance in 2017, Mrs Maynard-Gibson has to go. The Free National Movement (FNM) has already called for her resignation, and three sitting members of the Cabinet have publicly disagreed with her decision to stop a private prosecution of senior management at Sandals via a nolle prosequi. The leaders of the Labour movement were rightly incensed to learn that on the day of the termination of 600 employees, the Government’s lead attorney was busy ensuring that no private charges could be brought against the executives - essentially blocking the union and the workers right in their tracks. To understand how unbelievable this action is, we must first remind the public from where the PLP, as a political organisation, has come. The PLP was formed from the belly of the labour movement in this country. The party has always aligned itself with the workers in this nation and, as such, has prided itself on being on the side of the “small man” or the working class. That has been the party’s modus operandi from its inception. Of course we all know that the PLP betrayed that legacy long ago, but the façade has been maintained and bandied about during election time for votes. That is, until now. Now, the AttorneyGeneral has blown that pretense to smithereens. FNM MP for Long Island, Loretta Butler-Turner, was the first of her colleagues to pounce on Mrs Maynard-Gibson, trashing her for her “callous and uncaring attitude” towards workers in this country. Mrs Butler-Turner said:
The political party formed from the labour movement has abandoned its roots and the Attorney-General’s directions against the unions have exposed its contempt for Bahamian people, says Malcom J Strachan “The PLP is disrupting the judicial process and playing fast and loose with the rule of law by intervening in a private matter that affects the lives of hundreds of Bahamian workers and their families. The government has secretly intervened in a court matter, clearly taking sides with foreign interests over hard working Bahamians. The Bahamas Court, the arbiter and proper place for justice to be carried out for all, is being circumvented by a heavy-handed, non-transparent and unaccountable administration, which has a habit of siding with foreign interests at the expense of Bahamians.” Mrs Butler Turner added that the government was “acting in an autocratic and dictatorial manner” by denying the constitutional rights of Bahamians seeking justice through the judicial system. We could not agree with her more. he Government, through their Attorney General, instead of allowing the courts to decide the arguments on both sides of this case, stepped in the middle of it and became the judge and jury. They decided to not give the workers a chance. For clarity, the prosecution involved allegations that Sandals general manager Gary Williams and financial controller Fitzroy Walker failed or refused to enter into contract negotiations with the Bahamas Hotel Maintenance and Allied Workers Union from November 16, 2015, to July 12, 2016. Williams and Walker were accused of intimidating three workers and union officials and firing them unlawfully. They pleaded not guilty to the charge.
T
So on the face of it, what was so pressing that warranted the Government to intervene? Where was the national security risk, or their latest pretext of “national sovereignty” to warrant such an intervention? As we all can see, there was none. What is worse is that the Attorney-General made this decision more than a month ago, while members of her Government were still out attempting to negotiate with the unions and their leaders towards a resolution. For their part, the union leaders were livid when they heard the news. Trade Union President, Obie Ferguson, said he remained in the dark despite holding two subsequent meetings with the Attorney-General. Mr Ferguson also held three meetings with the Prime Minister, and at no time did either person make him aware that a nolle had been filed to dismiss the case against the Sandals executives! “They should have mentioned to us from August 15, they had already signed off on the nolle prosequi. They should have indicated to us that they intended to discontinue that,” he told the press. “What is sad is that the Bahamian workers who were charged, their matter is going on. So why wouldn’t the government nolle it? On October 23 they have to be in court. Is the Bahamas for Bahamians or what? “We have done what I think any responsible body ought to have done,” he added, “that is to deal with the government up front, but it’s quite obvious that if the AG signed off on the 15th, and these people were fired on the 15th, and if they met with us and
Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson
“For the membership of these unions and its leaders, this is a time that will test their fortitude and determine their relevance in a modern Bahamas. Can they show their members why they even exist in the first instance, and second, that they are capable of impacting decision making by any government?” they never disclosed to us what they did, that speaks volumes.” For his part, Mr Ferguson warned that the united labour movement will be taking a “position on this matter”. But what does that actually mean? What will Mr Ferguson and the other union leaders do? Can they finally show this Government that they are more than a shadow of their former selves? Their members are calling for a nationwide strike
- to bring the Government to its knees. But we doubt that will happen because we have seen a systematic dismantling of the labour movement in this country over the last four and half years by this PLP administration. For the membership of these unions and its leaders, this is a time that will test their fortitude and determine their relevance in a modern Bahamas. Can they show their members why they even exist in the
first instance, and second, that they are capable of impacting decision making by any government? We shall wait and see. But what we do know is that the Government’s pretense of putting Bahamians first has been laid bare for the world to see as nothing more than cheap public relations and spin. They care very little about Bahamians, or workers in this country. As far as the PLP is concerned, workers are only here to be used as pawns. Just listen to their electioneering slogans which are flooding the airwaves with promises of a “Stronger Bahamas”. The patronising and condescending tone that this campaign has taken, which we hasten to add is being run by foreigners, shows you their true contempt for the Bahamian people. And we do not use that word contempt lightly. Because that is all it can be - contempt. The PLP and its leadership must hold a deep-seated hatred for the people of this country. Because at every turn, they have misled us, outright lied to us, or abused us in every way possible. They can no longer hold firm to their campaign promises of putting Bahamians first, because at every turn they have only secured the interest of foreigners over Bahamians. We end by asking the same question that Mr Ferguson asked earlier: when will the Bahamas be for Bahamians? The answer is simple when the PLP is removed from office, and true, accountable governance is returned to this land. Until then, we as citizens and workers who love this country must protect it from those who would abuse us, and use us. We must not let the inheritors of the “all for me baby” regime to continue to push us into oblivion. We must stand and take back our country, to ensure its survival. We must stand, and be counted now, before it is too late. • Comments and responses to insight@tribunemedia.net
PAGE 8 MONDAY, September 26, 2016
Email: insight@tribunemedia.net
“The Royal Bahamas Police Force made me a man”
W
hen my memoir - A Policeman’s Story - was published in 2013, The Tribune’s publisher Eileen Dupuch Carron called it “an interesting account of life in the Bahamas from the early sixties through independence and the drug wars to the present”. “It was only by a fluke that (Thompson) eventually became a Bahamian police officer,” she wrote. “He was rejected several times, the first because he was an inch shorter than the required height. However, his prowess at sports eventually turned his fortunes.” At Cunupia Government School in Trinidad I excelled in sports - soccer, cricket, track and table tennis. I would have been accepted in a high school or college, but my family could not afford it, so I left school at 14 to raise hogs and chickens and deliver bread and cakes. One Sunday morning after a soccer match, I picked up the Trinidad Guardian and saw a story indicating that the Bahamas had sent a police officer named Augustus ‘Gussie’ Roberts to recruit personnel. When I presented myself for evaluation, I was an inch less than the approved height of 5ft 9in. A sergeant, who knew me from sports, advised me to go to the gym and do some stretching exercises. The following day I went back to the recruiting centre, and was able to make the extra inch. The final stage of the recruiting process was an interview with Gussie Roberts. He told me that 12 men were needed but there were 18 candidates, and I was not one of those selected. But the following week
Former Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Thompson continues his series on policing in the Bahamas with a look at the people who influenced his 30-year career
Former Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Thompson at work at his desk. Photo/Tim Clarke
“Eugene Dupuch was a superlative defence attorney. Even when offduty I would attend court to hear him address a jury.” a police friend asked if I was still interested and I immediately accepted. My departure for Nassau was scheduled for Easter Saturday morning in 1951 on Pan American World Airways. It was my first flight ever. We overnighted in Jamaica and arrived in Nassau on Easter Sunday at the Oakes Field airport.
Over the years, competitive sports and law enforcement have been the most important influences on my life, ever since those early days in Trinidad. Barbadian Ralph Legall was an outstanding sportsman who played cricket, soccer, table tennis and tennis for the Trinidad and Tobago national teams in
the 1950s. I trained with him at the Woodbrook Youth Centre in Port of Spain. Randolph Burroughs and I were both apprentices at Trinidad Government Railways in the late 1940s, when we played cricket and soccer together. Burroughs went on to become Trinidad’s Commissioner of Police in 1978. Roy Armbrister was my sports mentor in the Bahamas. He excelled in cricket, soccer, boxing, swimming and track and field, and was considered the greatest Bahamian sportsman of all time by many. My early police training was supervised by Carlton Price Wentworth, who was seconded from Trinidad to the Bahamas Police
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Paul Thompson is the quintessential policeman. His career spanned the modern development of the Bahamas - from colonial times to the challenges of nationhood. Born in a small farming village in Trinidad, he was recruited by the Royal Bahamas Police Force in 1951. He spent most of his time on the force in the Criminal Investigation Department, retiring in 1981 as an Assistant Commissioner. He then began a second career as head of security for the Paradise Island Resort & Casino, returning to the police force as a civilian training officer in 1998, and in 2002 was appointed general manager of Wemco Security. Five years later he set up his own security company, Paul Thompson & Associates. Now in his 80s, he remains active in security work. College. Other outstanding officers who helped train me included Stanley Moir, Albert Miller, Salathial Thompson and Wenzel Granger - all highly respected in their day. Over the years I also worked closely with senior FBI agent Robert Peloquin, who specialised in the investigation of organised crime. Peloquin became a legendary figure and his firm, Intertel, was responsible for security at Resorts International. He was instrumental in my appointment as head of security at the Paradise Island Resort & Casino following my retirement from the police force in 1981. Among Bahamian leaders, I had the greatest respect for Kendal Isaacs as a man of unflinching character, integrity and principle. He was not a good politician, but he was certainly a great judge and prosecutor. I also learned a lot from the writings of Sir Etienne Dupuch, who was publisher of The Tribune from 1919 to 1972. He was very courageous and his brother, Eugene, was a superlative defence attorney. Even when off-duty I would attend court to hear him address a jury. A F Adderley was president of the Bahamas Cricket Association for
many years and I was honoured to be able to speak to him from time to time. His son, Paul, was one of the best lawyers in the Bahamas and represented me gratis at an inquest into the death of a man I had arrested for multiple rapes. Orville Turnquest was also a big cricket fan and a good friend. During my early career I had the opportunity to interact with outstanding magistrates like Wilton Hercules, John Bailey, Kenneth MacAllister, Max Thompson and Emmanuel Osadbay. It was always enlightening to visit their courts and read their judgements in important cases. The Royal Bahamas Police Force was my university. It is where I received my professional education. It is also where I learned about teamwork, love for neighbour and colleagues, handling life’s ups and downs, self-discipline and setting high personal standards. I came to the Bahamas a boy, and it was the Royal Bahamas Police Force that made me a man. NEXT WEEK: undercover operations and the need to know • Comments and responses to insight@tribunemedia. net
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 PAGE 9
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
Chance for Caribbean ‘high risk’ banks to challenge CBR ruling T
HE October meetings this year of the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, DC, present a rare opportunity for Caribbean government representatives to be heard by crucial decisionmakers. Ironically, what provides this opportunity is a matter most Caribbean governments would wish did not exist. It is the withdrawal by US and European banks of correspondent banking relations (CBRs) from Caribbean financial institutions. The withdrawal of CBRs has already badly affected several Caribbean countries. Many Caribbean banks have lost their traditional CBRs with US banks such as Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Citibank, and also with British banks like Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland. The loss of these CBRs has come at a high price, including (i) newly imposed minimum activity thresholds below which the account is closed, (ii) higher costs (often associated with due diligence) passed on to the consumer when establishing a new CBR, and (iii) pressure on the respondent banks to limit their exposure to certain categories of customers in order to maintain a CBR. Some Caribbean banks have had to go further afield to find banks that would settle their transactions. Consequently, costs have risen, and ultimately they will be passed-on to every customer. The cost of doing business is set to rise. The problem will get greater. For instance, the IMF has stated that loss of CBRs “could disrupt financial services, including trade finance and remittances, and lead to financial exclusion for certain categories of customers, particularly Money or Value Transfer Services and Non-Profit Organisations, which serve vulnerable seg-
World View
By SIR RONALD SANDERS ments of the population”. requirements of organisaIn fact, money transfer op- tions such as the Financial erations in some Caribbean Action Task Force (FATF) countries have already been and the Organisation for forced to close down. This Economic Co-operation has had an effect on remit- and Development’s (OECD) tances from the Caribbean Global Forum on Transpardiaspora in the US, particu- ency and Exchange of Inforlarly to their dependents in mation for Tax Purposes (the the region. Global Forum), including the If the transfer of remittanc- “black list” of countries that es is severely affected, the so- they have produced in the cial welfare past. Beyond cushion that ‘If the transfer these two it provides to of remittances is powerful orthe vulnerganisations, able in the severely affected, other counCaribbean tries, such as the social welfare societies will cushion that it the US, and be eroded, regions like putting great provides to the the Europressure pean Union, vulnerable in on the re- the Caribbean have created sources of their own governments societies will be lists. The that are al- eroded, putting combinaready cashtion of these great pressure on strapped and measures, debt-ridden. the resources of supposedly This will be governments that are directed at very difficult anti-money for all gov- already cash-strapped laundering and debt-ridden.’ ernments, and terrorand impossiism financble for some. ing activities, weighs heavily Beyond remittances, if on the decision of banks in Caribbean countries - gov- the US and about whether to ernments and the private provide CBRs. sector - cannot do interThe fact that Caribbean national business through countries have been brandCBRs, the countries will be ed as “tax havens” and the cut off from the global trad- region has been dubbed ing system. This is not im- “high risk” for financial minent but it is by no means services effectively spoiled impossible unless action is their chances of keeping taken at the international CBRs that they enjoyed for level to remedy the very dif- years. The global banks in ficult problem that the loss the US and Europe simof CBRs presents. ply do not want to take The reason that the global the risk of having to pay banks in the US and Britain heavy financial and other are withdrawing CBRs from penalties for the slightest the Caribbean and other incident that allows money small countries in the Pacific laundering or tax evasion, and Africa, is manifold. But, however remote it may be. at its centre are the several And it does not seem to
REV TO SPONSOR SHAKESPEARE IN PARADISE THE eighth season of the Shakespeare in Paradise Theatre Festival - which starts this evening and runs to October 8 - will feature two productions on the main stage and three at the Black Box stage at The Dundas Centre for the Performing Arts. The festival has become a calendar event for fans of live theatre who enjoy William Shakespeare’s works and the best in Caribbean, African, American and world theatre. REV has announced that it will serve as a primary sponsor for the 2016 festival, continuing its tradition of supporting the event since its inception. Over the years, REV has played a key role in expanding public awareness of the event by managing all TV marketing for Shakespeare in Paradise at no cost. In addition, the company’s charitable arm, the Cable Bahamas Cares Foundation, has regularly partnered with festival organisers to give hundreds of young Bahamians complimentary tickets to student matinees. “The company has always been involved in ensuring that we showcase Bahamian culture,” Cable Bahamas Vice President of Marketing David Burrows said. “We use Bahamian talent in everything we do, which is evident in our marketing. We believe that the foundation of Bahamian culture is a very important thing to foster. If we do not promote our culture, we’re going to lose a sense of who we are as a people.” Through its partnership with Shakespeare in Paradise, the telecommunications company gave renowned Bahamian folkopera “The Legend of Sammie Swain” its television debut in 2014 via Our TV, then known as Cable 12. The broadcast featured the 70-member Shakespeare in Paradise 2013 revival cast
in its performance at The Dundas Centre and aired to nearly 15,000 viewers. This year, Shakespeare in Paradise honours the late Winston V Saunders, a Bahamian educator, lawyer, actor and playwright whose contributions to Bahamian culture have been celebrated around the world. His play “You Can Lead a Horse to Water”, about a young man accused of murdering his mother, has been performed in New Providence, Grand Bahama, Trinidad and Tobago, Edinburgh, California and Michigan. “You Can Lead a Horse to Water” is the 2016 festival’s signature Bahamian work and is set to open on October 3, which would have been Mr Saunders’ 75th birthday. Shakespeare in Paradise Artistic Director Phillip Burrows expects mass audiences to visit the Dundas for a chance to see the critically-acclaimed production. He added that this year’s
signature Shakespeare work also promises to be a crowd-pleaser. Ringplay Productions’ modern take on “Macbeth” will serve as the festival opener. Set in the Bahamas, this retelling of a Shakespeare classic finds Macbeth pursuing the post of Prime Minister during election season rather than eyeing the Scottish throne. “Gun Boys Rhapsody”, written by Bahamian educator, author and playwright Ian Strachan; “Zora”, a one-woman show based on the life of Zora Neale Hurston; and “The World is My Home”, a oneman show based on the life of Paul Robeson, round out the festival programme. Early ticket sales indicate that hundreds of students will attend the event again. Phillip Burrows noted that since the festival’s inception, almost 20,000 students have visited the Dundas Centre to enjoy at least one matinee.
THE CARIBBEAN banks are facing difficulties with the withdrawal tions with the US banks such as Wells Fargo. matter that the majority of with small financial sysCaribbean jurisdictions are tems. In fact, there is a risk compliant with FATF and that they become more marOECD rules or that they ginalised. All actors have a have signed agreements to part to play: countries need automatically provide tax to upgrade their regulatory information to the US and frameworks, regulators in more than 12 EU countries. key financial centres need So, why do the IMF and to clarify regulatory expecWB meetings in October pro- tations and ensure consistvide an opportunity? The first ent application over time; reason is that both the IMF and global banks need to and the WB are now engaged avoid knee jerk reactions on this issue. Both institutions and find sensible ways to rerecognise the immediate and duce their costs. There is a possible long term damage to lot at stake. For both the big Caribbean countries if reme- and the small. For all of us.” That is an important indial action is not taken swiftly. They have both established tervention, and one which small states machinery and are Caribbean representatives ready to work for, and with, can seize as they engage in Caribbean governments to a high-level dialogue with address the problem. Signifi- Ms Lagarde and with senior cantly, the Managing Director officials of the WB. The enof the IMF, Christine Lagarde, gagement is not a guarantee of change, but it is chance to has spoken on the issue. In July, at a meeting of begin the process of formuthe US Federal Reserve, lating solutions to a probshe said: “I am concerned lem whose gravity should that all is not well in this not be underestimated. It is not a problem that world of small countries
of correspondent banking relawill be contained in the Caribbean. If economic circumstances become dire, waves of migrants and refugees will wash-up on the shores of the US, Canada and Europe; so too will the narcotics whose trade will benefit from increased poverty and unemployment. Even money laundering would increase as, inevitably, the cross-border flow of money and other means go underground - far away from the reach of regulations, controls and law enforcement. Sir Ronald Sanders is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organisation of American States. He is also Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are his own. Responses and previous commentaries: www. sironaldsanders.com
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PAGE 10 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
SILBERT FERGUSON, chairman of the Junkanoo Committee of New Providence, speaking yesterday as the organisation promotes the inaugural Shack of Fame Awards event. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
Two Prime Ministers to be honoured for Junkanoo roles By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net TWO of the three men to hold the title of Prime Minister of The Bahamas are due to be enshrined in the Junkanoo “Shack of Fame”, a creation by the Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence (JCNP) to “immortalise” Bahamians whose contributions to the genre have been deemed outstanding. Prime Minister Perry Christie and his predecessor, Sir Lynden Pindling (posthumously), headline the list of seven to be inducted into the Shack of Fame for the first time on October 7, having satisfied the JCNP’s requirements of no less than 50 years of
exemplary involvement in Junkanoo and are also “outstanding Bahamians in their own right”. Other inductees include Percy “Vola” Francis, John “Chippie” Chipman and Arthur Gibson, the first chairman of the JCNP, as well as Maureen Duvalier and Winston Gus Cooper (posthumously). The inauguration of the JCNP Shack of Fame will take place at Government House on the Friday before National Heroes Day. At that time, the seven inductees will receive “gold jackets” and have busts of themselves unveiled, which will be created by noted Bahamian artist John Beadle. According to JCNP Chairman Silbert Fergu-
son, the JCNP Shack of Fame induction ceremony will take place annually. “There are just thousands of Bahamians who have made all of this so possible for us,” JCNP Chairman Silbert Ferguson said on Friday. “Junkanoo is our gift and when Christmas arrives we are so interested in opening our gifts, and once the gift of Junkanoo is opened we are able to look inside we see all the beauty. And that is ‘the shack’ we’re talking about. “And so for those persons who shoulders we stand on, who we start to immortalise, to remember, we just want our nation and persons who will be visiting our nation to basically start
to read into the deep and rich history of our most beloved Junkanoo.” According to Ivoine Ingraham, chairman of the Events Committee, the JCNP plans to add to the significance of the enshrinement of the seven inductees by including an inscription beneath the busts, which will outline that person’s history and involvement in Junkanoo. “This is going to be history that people gonna be able to look at and go back to, because I’m sure most of the names other than the names that politically associated you’d probably recognise,” he said. “But there are some names you probably have never seen, never heard, because the people are unsung. And so the un-
sung heroes we’re trying to celebrate. “Since time immemorial Junkanoo was considered for the people ‘over the hill’, the crazy people, the people who really didn’t have much, who wasn’t connected with anyone. And Junkanoo has emerged since then, and people who may not be recognised for anything else in their lives, who have put in countless hours to help produce these costumes, who you never know about, never hear about, never see, it’s time we speak to that. It’s time we say thank you to them or show them our appreciation.” Mr Ferguson said for now, the JCNP plans to keep the busts in the corporation’s Norfolk House office on Frederick Street until it
locates a suitable venue to display them to the public. Denzel Rolle, JCNP Treasurer, said the JCNP has already identified a good location. “The space we want is our spot that we had on Prince George Dock, where you have a lot of cruise passenger traffic, and we want our spot,” he said. “One thing I often say to people, ‘when someone gives you something, you’re not supposed to take it back’. “You know we have a thing for that in The Bahamas, hog style. We want our spot. And I think its a prime location. It’s good to get persons in and out in a nice way, and I’m putting it out there, we would like to have our spot on Prince George Dock.”
THIS WEEK IN THE TRIBUNE Today
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• Herend • Portmeirion • Wedgwood • Noritake •Lenox • Dansk • Fortessa • Corona • Vista Alegre • Raynaud Limoges • Certified International
Insight - the PLP and the Attorney-General have betrayed the roots of a political party formed from the labour movement and threaten the modern relevance of trade unions in the light of recent employment disputes and no prosecution directives. Malcom J Strachan calls for Allyslon Maynard-Gibson’s removal. Business - $720,000 in oil exploration licence fees paid to the Government are being targeted by a Cayman-based liquidator, who has written to two Cabinet ministers seeking their assistance in recovering the funds for investors in Ryan Bateman’s insolvent company. Neil Hartnell reports Sports - report and photographs from the 2016 Potcakeman Triathlon, which featured an Olympic distance event for the first time Plus the latest properties for sale and rent in the Home Buyers’ Guide
Tribune Tech - a weekly look at what’s new in the world of technology Plus Larry Smith’s forthright Tough Call column Thursday Obituaries and Religion, a weekly review Young Man’s View - trenchant opinion from Adrian Gibson on the hot topics in the country ‘On da Hook’, a weekly look at fishing in The Bahamas Friday Weekend - a 28-page section devoted to the best in arts, music, fashion, food, books, entertainment, gardening, animal matters, fitness, history and interviews News - the Democratic National Alliance holds its first national convention Sports - The Finish Line, a look at the local sports scene, by Brent Stubbs Plus A Comic’s View - Naughty’s unique take on the week in The Bahamas
Tuesday
Saturday
Woman and Health - weekly advice on taking care of your mind and body and women making waves in the Bahamas Plus comment from Nicole Burrows and sporting mischief and mayhem with Inigo “Naughty” Zenicazelaya
The Tribune’s Top 5 - a special video review of the week’s top stories by Khrisna Virgil on www.tribune242.com
Wednesday News - the long awaited report on the 2016 Carnival is finally due to be revealed
Every day in The Tribune, news, business, sports, weather and Classifieds Trader - the best guide to cars for sale, real estate, help wanted and more. Plus breaking news and updates on your mobile-friendly tribune242.com
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, September 26, 2016, PAGE 11
Govt ‘closing in’ on deals to bring jobs to Berry Islands By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Perry Christie led a delegation of government ministers and advisers to Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Islands on Friday, announcing that his administration is closing in on several major initiatives, including a hotel and condominium complex. Accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe, Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald, Health Minister Dr Perry Gomez, Transport and Aviation Minister Glenys Hanna Martin and Chief Policy Advisor in the Office of the Prime Minister Sir Baltron Bethel, Mr Christie toured several of the island chain’s mainland infrastructural offices, school, airport and port, at every stop re-assuring residents that their plight had not been overlooked or forgotten. Mr Christie touted the success of recent communications with Pedro Adrian, of the Miami based Adrian Homes Company, concerning an expansive 101-room hotel and condominium project. He announced that discussions had advanced to a point where the government saw it necessary to “bring the concepts to the people.” Mr Christie said his government has remained steadfast in ensuring that any development attempted in the Bahamas does not hurt its surrounding communities and hampers the quality of life experienced by those in those communities. “This is an innovation we are now introducing, because what happens after (meetings between the gov-
PRIME Minister Perry Christie and members of his government with youngsters during his visit to the Berry Islands. ernment and potential investors) is that you go to the community and you meet with the community to receive acknowledgement on the part of the community because the government doesn’t want to take an island community, particularly a small island community, beyond its capacity to accept and absorb the development,” Mr Christie said. “And that is principally one reason we do not want the people of Great Harbour Cay to be looking through the window of development, meaning that they have to be in the room of development. Whatever services are associated with this, the policy of the government will enable you to be able to derive direct benefits from the development.” Addressing the potential project directly, Mr Christie highlighted that the is-
land could see an employment boost. Projections offered by project and government officials estimate that roughly 50 construction jobs could be spurred by the project, in addition to the 100 plus permanent employees needed to run the six-acre property once completed. Further to that, Mr Christie explained that those 100 permanent jobs will, in time, lead to an extra 300 jobs throughout the island. He added that the entire exercise was to bring about a new model in development, taking into consideration the last 20 to 25 years of life on Great Harbour Cay. The economy of the Berry Island chain now operates solely from business brought by private cruise operations at Little Stirrup Cay and Chub Cay. Issues with those operations have been at the centre of several complaints lodged by resi-
PM SPEAKS ON GOOD GOVERNANCE By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Perry Christie emphasised on Friday that the responsibility for good governance and quality representation lies at the collective feet of the government and not any one member in isolation. Speaking directly to the topic of adequate representation in Family Island communities, Mr Christie told a crowd in the Berry Islands that it is critical that the country’s electorate move away from the belief that the quality of their lives hinges on the failures or successes of their respective member of Parliament. Mr Christie added that as the country progresses more in the coming years, voters must understand and respect the government’s national approach to societal matters. He added that this style of governance lends itself to achieving the greatest possible good for Bahamians. “There is always a question of representation,” he said on Friday. “There is always the question by persons who live in a community, ‘Am I being effectively represented?’ “Whether or not the
member of Parliament meets the standards of your expectations, your participation, leave here today knowing that you heard from representatives of the government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, you are hearing from the prime minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and I have need to say to you that I am your representative,” he said. “Because when I make a commitment regardless to the views of the member of Parliament, regardless to the extent to which the member of Parliament carries out his duties; the prime minister has made a commitment, his government has made a commitment, (and) you have evidence of the government being present today saying what would happen. We are now talking about a Bahamas where that must rise itself from out of this, that I live and die by the performance of my member of Parliament - you live or die by the performance of a government.” “But hear this, a government that is (attempting) and seen to have an integrated and coordinated approach to delivering services nationwide, is a government that you must respect, you must acknowl-
edge and quite frankly, you must support.” Several Progressive Liberal Party MPs have been criticised for the quality of representation they have offered to their constituents. In April, dozens of PLP supporters in Exuma used a town meeting to communicate their issues about area representative Anthony Moss. According to the official minutes of that meeting obtained by The Tribune earlier this year, 56 PLPs expressed the desire to have a new candidate, one person did not vote and another failed to indicate clearly whether they would still support Mr Moss, who has represented the area since 2002. In July, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Danny Johnson, citing personal reasons, announced he would not seek re-election for the Carmichael constituency and endorsed Senator Keith Bell to represent the area instead. Some observers have suggested that a disconnect with residents in the area has made his term in office difficult. However, Dr Johnson has already made his interest to seek a nomination in another constituency known.
dents in the Berry Islands. Mr Christie contended that his government has crafted a new policy scheme that will govern the way it deals with private cruise operators and the way those companies interact with the islands and the people of the Bahamas. Addressing the developer, Mr Adrian, Mr Christie said he has confidence in his ability to start, complete and run the facility. He did, however, in a tongue-incheek barb, implore the potential developer to firmly buy into the concept of “full island development” and not just an isolated property development. The prime minister said the shift in the country’s demand from isolated development to whole island development came as a conclusion that in order for any property to succeed, the surrounding communities have to boast an on
par infrastructure, similar to operations in Bimini where investors of the Resort’s World Bimini project collaborated with the government on several publicprivate partnership bids to remodel roads, parks, health centres, airport facilities, seaport facilities and even portion of the local school. Mr Christie said it was necessary for any responsible investor to take up the mantle of ensuring that the surrounding areas are capable of supporting their respective brands. This concept was the reason Mr Christie said he urged several of his Cabinet colleagues to accompany him on the trip. Mrs Hanna Martin spoke with both the investor and residents to establish baseline metrics for her office to work from. At the conclusion of Friday’s tour, the Englerston MP thought the
scope of several initiatives that would be spearheaded by her office in the coming months, would include the expansion and upgrading of the community’s main port, the creation of a local port office to oversee the maritime operation on the island and the construction of a new airport terminal in Great Harbour Cay capable of international flight services. Mr Wilchcombe presented plans on how best to establish new tourism concepts for the island, built around its general makeup. The West End and Bimini MP said he saw several markets that could, at a moment’s notice, feed directly into the island’s economy once the infrastructural developments were carried out and completed. Mr Fitzgerald discussed the improvements for the island’s education model. He expressed great interest in widening the island’s system to ensure that residents were able to receive the necessary skill training to prepare them for all potential jobs that may come on stream. Additionally, he proposed increasing scholarship opportunities for students on the island. Lastly, Mr Davis spoke about proposals on how the government intended to carry out all the needed developments on the island. He confirmed that government officials had advanced to the final stages on several of the proposed projects – the port, new government complex, administrative office and electrical upgrades to reduce power outages. The Berry Islands has an estimated 800 residents, of which 100 are said to be second homeowners who live in the island chain for portions of the year.
PAGE 12, Monday, September 26, 2016
THE TRIBUNE
DNA leader doubts government was blindsided over resort job cuts By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net DEMOCRATIC National Alliance Leader Branville McCartney has accused Prime Minister Perry Christie and his administration of engaging in a “conflict of interest” with Sandals Royal Bahamian executives, resulting in his silence over the firing of 600 resort employees and the attorney general’s directive to issue a nolle prosequi for criminal action against the resort and two of its officials. Mr McCartney said he strongly doubted the government had been blindsided by the mass termination of the employees or that senior government ministers, who sit around the Cabinet table, had no knowledge of the directive of no prosecution. Attorney
General Allyson MaynardGibson gave this order on August 15 to the Magistrate’s Court on the same day the employees were made redundant. The leader of the country’s third party questioned whether Mrs Maynard-Gibson would come to the aid of the Bahamians who face prosecution in the courts after demonstrating and ultimately tearing down a fence at Paradise Island in protest of the removal of their rights to access Cabbage Beach. This incident happened in March. “(There is) very much so a conflict of interest in two ways,” Mr McCartney said on Friday during a press conference at his law office on Village Road. “(The prime minister appears to be) very friendly with the owners and secondly with the possibility of there being contracts given
by the owners of Sandals to family or friends of Cabinet ministers. I am very curious to find out the answer to that by the prime minister.” Asked his thoughts on recent developments that senior Cabinet ministers were left in the dark regarding the attorney general’s plans to issue a nolle prosequi to the resort and two of its executives, Mr McCartney said he thought this was an “untruth”. “I don’t believe it. They sit around that Cabinet table at least once a week. This is a very serious issue in the Bahamas with the 600 plus people being terminated and you mean to tell me that the attorney general who probably sits very close to the prime minister around the Cabinet table didn’t say a word and the prime minister didn’t know? “Are we fools? Are we that stupid as a people to
believe that? You know the PLP take us for fools. That’s all I could say. And the international community is looking at us and laughing and saying ‘Look at those people, look at that government just dealing with them, they (are) stupid, man’.” A day after Labour Minister Shane Gibson crticised Mrs Maynard-Gibson for not informing him of her decision to stop the private prosecution against Sandals and two senior officials, two more Cabinet ministers spoke out against the handling of the matter. Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis and Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe said they were both unaware that a nolle prosequi had been issued. Echoing Mr Gibson’s concerns on Thursday, both ministers acknowledged that the matter could injure
the governing party’s public image, specifically its deeply rooted ties to the labour movement. However the attorney general on Thursday night swiped back at criticisms. “The attorney general in the execution of her constitutional duty is never swayed by the political objectives of her colleagues or anyone else,” Mrs Maynard-Gibson said in a statement. For his part Mr Wilchcombe said: “We’re dealing with a situation in our country right now we have to be sure of the messages we’re sending. At all times the Bahamian people must know as Sir Lynden said before, that there is justice as opposed to ‘just us’ and I think it’s imperative that we understand that there’s a process. “And the reality is that the minister responsible for
labour is at the table negotiating, and I understand his argument that if I’m at the table negotiating, I should not be caught by surprise because it sends the wrong message.” The attorney general’s order halts the action launched against the resort, its general manager, Gary Williams, and financial controller, Fitzroy Walker, by five officers of the BHMAWU who had alleged that Sandals Royal Bahamian was in breach of the Industrial Relations Act by failing/refusing to “treat or enter into negotiations” with the union. The union also claimed that the resort, Mr Williams and Mr Walker, had violated the Industrial Tribunal Relations Act by intimidating and terminating employees. The resort, and its executives, had denied all allegations.
AG: NO CONFLICT OVER SANDALS from page one
They had also claimed that the resort, Mr Williams and Mr Walker, had violated the Industrial Tribunal Relations Act by intimidating and terminating employees. The resort, and its executives, had denied all allegations. Much of the public outcry over the nolle has hinged on the fact that it was signed on August 15, the same day the hotel terminated more than 600 employees. However, in response to the pushback, the Office of the Attorney General released a statement Thursday night clarifying that the order did not come into effect until it was entered in the Magistrate’s Court on September 19. In her statement, Mrs Maynard-Gibson made it
clear that she would not be swayed “by the political objectives of her colleagues or anyone else” in the execution of her constitutional duty. She went on to explain that civil proceedings were underway in the Supreme Court between BHMAWU and the resort. “Civil proceedings are continuing in the Supreme Court between the Bahamas Hotel Maintenance and Allied Workers Union and Sandals in relation to the continued existence of the union and whether Sandals should be obliged, in the circumstances, to negotiate with the union,” the statement said. “Another action is before the Supreme Court on the matter of whether the Sandals employees were unfairly dismissed. The union, not the state, also commenced in the Magistrate’s Court, a
private prosecution against some of Sandals’ managers.” It continued: “Persons are being held accountable through the legal process in the Supreme Court, where appropriate sanctions are available. “One of the objectives being pursued by the government in meetings with Mr Obie Ferguson and other trade unionists was the attempt to encourage Sandals to negotiate an industrial agreement notwithstanding the Supreme Court action. “The entering of the said nolle prosequi does not prevent nor does it compromise further meetings and continued efforts of the minister of labour, or anyone else in the government, in relation to this goal and a successful outcome,” her statement added. Since the order was made public last week, the attorney
general has come under fire from the labour movement and the Official Opposition - both groups have called for her immediate resignation - as well as her Cabinet colleagues. Last week in an article published in The Nassau Guardian, Labour Minister Shane Gibson said he was disappointed that Mrs Maynard-Gibson did not notify him of the decision as he and other government officials were actively working to resolve issues between the resort and the union. His stance was supported by Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis, and Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe, with both senior ministers stating that the move sent the “wrong message”. Progressive Liberal Party Chairman Bradley Roberts has stated that the political organisation backs her decision.
BAR PRESIDENT COMES TO THE DEFENCE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL from page one
“The attorney general, that office doesn’t have to condescend to anybody when deciding to prosecute or nolle a matter. It is to be seen as independent. “For persons to be making accusations, especially when you don’t know her consideration, without all the facts, its very unfair.” “I don’t know that you go so far to say that because she decides to nolle a matter, that she should resign, especially when one can’t show there was any misconduct or that she was biased in any way. They nolle matters on a continuous basis, it’s just that you don’t hear about it.” He added: “Why is it that this one is bringing so much public attention?” “Highly political persons are expecting her to act a certain way. Perhaps her efforts in this matter indicate her level of independence.
“It may demonstrate or highlight the level of objectivity and independence that she brings to her office rather than the opposite… that she is not going to be swayed by proponents of labour union or senior members of her party,” Mr Johnson said. The nolle order halts the action launched against the resort, its general manager, Gary Williams, and financial controller, Fitzroy Walker, by five officers of the Bahamas Hotel Maintenance and Allied Workers Union (BHMAWU) who had alleged that Sandals Royal Bahamian was in breach of the Industrial Relations Act by failing/refusing to “treat or enter into negotiations” with the union. They had also claimed that the resort, Mr Williams and Mr Walker, had violated the Industrial Tribunal Relations Act by intimidating and terminating employees. The resort, and its executives, had denied
all allegations. Much of the public outcry over the nolle has hinged on the premise that it was signed on August 15, the same day the hotel terminated more than 600 employees. However, in response to the pushback, the Office of the Attorney General released a statement clarifying that the order did not come into effect until it was entered in the Magistrate’s Court on September 19. Mrs Maynard-Gibson explained that the private prosecution was initiated by the union, and not the state, while civil proceedings were underway in the Supreme Court between BHMAWU and the resort. She said the nolle order did not prevent or compromise efforts to negotiate an industrial agreement between Sandals and the union. While her party, the Progressive Liberal Party, has backed her decision, Mrs
Maynard-Gibson has come under fire from the labour movement and the Official Opposition - both groups have called for her immediate resignation. Some of her Cabinet colleagues have also criticised her. Last week in an article published in The Nassau Guardian, Labour Minister Shane Gibson said he was disappointed that Mrs Maynard-Gibson did not notify him of the decision as he and other government officials were actively working to resolve issues between the resort and the union. His position was supported by Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis, and Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe, with both senior ministers stating that the move sent the “wrong message”. Mrs Maynard-Gibson last week maintained that she would not be swayed in the execution of her constitutional duty “by the political objectives of her colleagues or anyone else”.
ATTORNEY General Allyson Maynard-Gibson.
ROBERTS ACCUSES FNM OF ABUSING NOLLE ORDERS PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Chairman Bradley Roberts has accused the Free National Movement of abusing the issuance of stop prosecution orders while in office, as he again defended Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson’s actions over ending prosecution against the Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort and two of its executives. In a statement released on Sunday, Mr Roberts said an attorney general in a previous FNM administration - Sir Orville Turnquest - issued a nolle prosequi to stop prosecution against John Mosko, who was charged with a fatal shooting. He also said former FNM Attorney General John Delaney issued a nolle prosequi ending the private prosecution of billionaire Louis Bacon by his Lyford Cay neighbour Peter Nygard. Mr Roberts asked: “Where was (FNM MP) Loretta Butler-Turner while this decision was made? Was she fast asleep at the Cabinet table since the FNM obviously believes that a nolle prosequi should firstly be discussed around the Cabinet table, contrary to the Constitution?” “ . . .The FNM lacks the moral authority to fix their mouth to talk about integrity in governance or point any finger in this regard.” Echoing comments he made last week, Mr Roberts said due to the fact that the Bahamas Hotel Maintenance and Allied Workers Union (BHMAWU) has an ongoing civil case against Sandals, a private prosecution was not needed. “ . . . For the PLP’s part, the substantive civil proceedings in the Supreme Court adequately address the pressing issues of the union - the issues of unfair dismissal at Sandals and the legal standing of the BHMAWU to negotiate an industrial agreement,” he said. “A private criminal prosecution was unnecessary and an abuse of the judicial process. Further, the nolle prosequi does not prevent further negotiations on a labour deal. “The attorney general and the labour minister stand ready and willing to facilitate an industrial agreement in the best interest of the
Sandals employees.” Mrs Maynard-Gibson has been under fire from the opposition as well as some members of her own party after it was revealed last week that she issued a nolle prosequi in the Sandals matter. Her order halts the action launched against the resort, its general manager, Gary Williams, and financial controller, Fitzroy Walker, by five officers of the BHMAWU who had alleged that Sandals Royal Bahamian was in breach of the Industrial Relations Act by failing/refusing to “treat or enter into negotiations” with the union. They had also claimed that the resort, Mr Williams and Mr Walker had violated the Industrial Tribunal Relations Act by intimidating and terminating employees. The resort, and its executives, had denied all allegations. FNM Chairman Sidney Collie has said his party’s plan for an independent director of public prosecution would have prevented the “whole sordid affair” over the attorney general’s nolle prosequi direction. He said that Mrs Maynard-Gibson’s decision shows that the PLP administration is looking out for foreign investors over the Bahamian people. Labour Minister Shane Gibson has said that he was disappointed that Mrs Maynard-Gibson did not notify him of the decision as he and other government officials were actively working to resolve issues between the resort and the union. Last week, Minister of Works Philip Davis and Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe also weighed in on the issue, saying they were both unaware that the order had been issued on the same day more than 600 workers were terminated by the resort. The FNM and several unionists have called for Mrs Maynard-Gibson to resign over the matter. In a statement released Thursday night, the attorney general said that she would not be “swayed by the political objectives of her colleagues or anyone else” in the execution of her constitutional duties.
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, September 26, 2016, PAGE 13
Data system review after leak of 1.3m corporate files By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
ATTORNEY General Allyson Maynard-Gibson confirmedon Friday that officials have undertaken a review of data systems at the Registrar General’s Department following the leak of 1.3 million files from the corporate registry. Mrs Maynard-Gibson emphasised that the unauthorised publication of the data by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) - dubbed ‘the Bahamas Papers’ - was a very serious matter. Detailing recent initiatives to upgrade and fulfil its legal mandate, she maintained that the government was committed to the trans-
parency of its corporate registry. “The Government of The Bahamas officially launched its e-Services Business Registration platform at the Registrar General’s Department in January, 2016, as a part of the Government’s ongoing strategy to improve ease of doing business,” said Mrs Maynard-Gibson in a press statement. “It is important to note that the data required by law to be maintained in the companies registry is available to the public. Further, since 2000, as a part of our compliance regime it has been a legal requirement that a register of directors and officers be filed at the companies registry. The Bahamas re-
mains committed to the transparency of its corporate registry.” The statement continued: “Having said this, we take this matter of an unauthorised publication by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) of data held by the online companies registry very seriously. “A review of our systems is currently underway. Based on the findings, all necessary action will be taken to ensure that we maintain the requisite data protection as we understand the importance of this to our users.” The documents were leaked to the same media agency that received the massive ‘Panama Papers’, an exposé that rocked the
ATTORNEY GENERAL CONFIDENT OVER RULE OF LAW AHEAD OF PRIVILIGE COMMITTEE By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net ATTORNEY General Allyson Maynard-Gibson yesterday expressed support for the House Committee on Privilege’s probe into Supreme Court Justice Indra Charles’ ruling on the Save the Bays email leak in Parliament, stating her confidence that the rule of law will be upheld. Mrs Maynard-Gibson said fears that the investigation will result in an affront to the separation of powers were misinformed. She pointed to House Speaker Dr Kendal Major’s appeal to members of the committee not to pursue “unchartered territory” by calling Justice Charles before the group. She said: “Firstly, the matter is under appeal, sub judice. Secondly, the speaker indicated that the judge would not be called before Parliament. Thirdly the rules of Parliament themselves preclude discussion of matters that are sub judice. All of those fears show that they don’t understand how the system works. “Our courts have been shown over and repeatedly to be exceptional, our system works. At the Court of Appeal, many judgments are upheld, some judgments are overruled. “Equally our Parliament works well and the rule of law is respected in the Bahamas, there is no question about that. Bahamians should look at our history and have every confidence.” She added: “We should be confident in their capacity to continue to uphold the rule of law in our country.” Justice Charles granted an injunction to Save the Bays (STB) that bars parliamentarians from accessing or making public the personal information of the non-profit organisation. She ruled that Marathon MP Jerome Fitzgerald infringed
SUPREME Court Justice Indra Charles, whose ruling on the Save the Bays email leak is in the spotlight of the House Committee on Privilige. on constitutional rights when he tabled the private e-mails of Save The Bays in Parliament, and therefore could not be protected by parliamentary privilege. Justice Charles also ordered Mr Fitzgerald to pay $150,000 in damages for the breach. Justice Charles’ decision set off a debate about separation of powers between the judiciary and the legislature, with Dr Major insisting that a judge cannot dictate the behaviour of legislators in the House of Assembly. In late April, Marathon MP Jerome Fitzgerald moved a resolution in the House of Assembly to determine whether Justice Charles, STB Legal Director Fred Smith and lawyer Ferron Bethel should be held in contempt of the House of Assembly. However, Dr Major later said that parliamentarians should not seek to call judges before Parliament to answer for their rulings. Two weeks ago, Mr Fitzgerald filed an appeal to have Justice Charles’ ruling overturned, raising specula-
tion of whether there would be a conflict now that the matter was now back under judicial consideration. The committee’s probe has evoked mixed reaction from the legal community, with some calling the move an affront to the separation of powers while others contend that the exercise reinforces the division of the three arms of government. Yesterday, Bahamas Bar Association President Elsworth Johnson said that the International Bar Association and regional bodies have expressed interest in the development. “What they have asked me to do is send them a synopsis of the circumstances surrounding the proposed Committee on Privilege and the calling of the judge and a copy of the case. They’re very interested in it and found it somewhat astounding that a judge can give a decision and then can be called to parliament to explain it. Mr Johnson said: “The main thrust of the International Bar Association has been the rule of law, human rights, and the role that an independent and impartial judiciary play in defending those concepts.” Mr Johnson had previously called the committee’s probe “nonsense”, pointing out that the responsible response to a dissatisfactory ruling is to seek appeal and not to undermine, or make a mockery of the legal system. Yesterday, he told The Tribune that he planned to suggest to the Bar Council that - based on the scope of the probe - officials apply for requisite permits to go to Parliament and protest the hearings. The committee’s probe was expected to start last week; however, Chairman Arnold Forbes said hearings had been postponed. Mr Forbes could not be reached for comment yesterday.
LECTURE ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP THE Nassau Institute and the College of the Bahamas will sponsor Professor Richard Ebeling speaking on “Entrepreneurship, the Market Economy and Human Betterment” on Thursday, October 20, at 6:30pm in the Harry C Moore Library lecture hall at the College. “We easily take for granted the continuous and wondrous material and cultural improvements in our everyday lives. But they are neither guaranteed nor certain. Instead, they are
due to the entrepreneurial mind and spirit that, in fact, is potentially in any one of us. But the innovations, creativity and alertness to market opportunities from which human betterment comes is dependent upon a political and economic environment of freedom and competitive openness, without which prosperity and rising standards of living would be impossible, ” is the theme of the lecture. Dr Ebeling is an American libertarian author, and was president of the Foun-
dation for Economic Education from 2003 to 2008. He is noted for having discovered lost papers of the Austrian economist and classical liberal, Ludwig von Mises in a formerly secret Soviet archive. Looted by the Nazis from his Vienna apartment in 1938, Mises’ papers were captured by the Soviet Army at the end of the Second World War. Following the documents discovery and translation, Dr Ebeling edited and published the three volume series Selected Writings of Ludwig von Mises.
industry in April, German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, and it covers from 1990 to early 2016. The ICIJ database circumvents the local register’s costly retrieval fee and incomplete online registry by providing a publicly searchable forum of the names of directors and some shareholders of more than 175,000 Bahamian companies. Released in tandem with detailed reporting on the offshore links to highprofile international politicians, including UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd, the latest installment to the massive Offshore Leaks Database created by the ICIJ has labelled the Bahamas as the “Switzerland of the West”.
The disclosure comes five months after the country’s financial services sector was dragged into the spotlight as a top tax haven in the infamous “Panama Papers”. The Bahamas was ranked as the third most popular ‘tax haven’ used by Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca for company incorporations in the data breach that has sent shockwaves through international finance in April. The Ministry of Financial Services knocked the ‘Panama Papers’ as a “gratuitous attempt” to produce a negative portrayal of the Bahamas as an international financial centre (IFC). At that time, the Ministry questioned the motives for the Mossack Fonseca leak
in light of the ICIJ’s own disclaimer that there was no suggestion of law breaking or impropriety. In the new Bahamas leaks, ICIJ again makes clear on its website that there is no suggestion of law breaking or impropriety; however, its reporting noted that “police, detectives and fraud investigators use registries as starting points on the trail of wrongdoing”. The ICIJ maintains that the new data does not specify whether directors named in connection with a Bahamian firm “truly control the company or act as nominees, employees-forhire who serve as the face of the company but have no involvement in its operations”.
TOURISM ‘NOT IMPACTED’ BY ZIKA VIRUS CASES, SAYS WILCHCOMBE By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
WHILE ZIKA fears persist throughout the region and the wider world, Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe said the country’s top industry has not been impacted by the presence of local transmission of the virus in the capital. The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a level two travel advisory for persons visiting the Bahamas in last month; however, Mr Wilchcombe said officials have not seen any cancellations or reductions. “In fact we’ve seen an increase in airlift and new inquiries about airlift to the Bahamas,” Mr Wilchcombe told reporters on Thursday.
“We’re continuing to monitor. Obviously there is deep concern all over the Caribbean, in particular at the Carribbean Tourism Organisation (conference) last week, it came up as an added discussion. Mr Wilchcombe said: “The state of Florida will tell you that they’ve seen some travel cancellations, they’re seeing some bookings going south as opposed to growing and that’s all because they believe its related to the Zika virus. “All the groups are working assiduously to find the resolution to the problem. It is a problem that all our countries are facing right now. As of September 11, there were 11 confirmed Zika cases in New Providence; however Health
Minister Dr Perry Gomez said that figure was likely to increase as officials were still awaiting test results from a regional lab regarding dozens of other suspected cases. The government has allocated some $2.5m per month to combat Zika. Zika, which has been linked to the birth defect microcephaly in newborn babies, can be transmitted through sex, however it is primarily spread through mosquito bites. Residents are urged to clear their properties of items that can collect standing water, which are breeding grounds for mosquitoes. In order to avoid mosquito bites, the public is also advised to wear bug repellant and long-sleeved clothing.
PAGE 14, Monday, September 26, 2016
SUPREME COURT TO HEAR COB THEFT TRIAL By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
A WOMAN awaiting trial on stealing and laundering charges concerning theft of over $500,000 at the College of the Bahamas (COB) said she would submit an alibi to the Office of the Attorney General within 21 days. Chimeka Gibbs, 39, returned before Magistrate Constance Delancy on Friday for the presentation of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI) that would fast track her case to the Supreme Court for trial. Magistrate Constance Delancy informed Gibbs of the contents of the VBI and her right to enter an alibi in court or in 21 days to the Office of the Attorney General. Gibbs chose the latter. Her lawyer, Roberto Reckley, told the magistrate that the way the charges and particulars were vaguely formulated makes it nigh on impossible for any accused person to provide an alibi given the periods in which the alleged offences occurred. The magistrate made a note of the complaint. Gibbs is facing 20 counts
of falsification of accounts, 16 counts of stealing by reason of employment, and four counts of laundering the proceeds of criminal conduct for her alleged actions between March, 2008, and October, 2015, as an employee at COB. It is alleged that Gibbs stole over $500,000 from COB by reason of her employment at the institution. It is also alleged that she falsified numerous COB direct deposit files, the result of which purported to show that she was entitled to over $200,000 in salary payments. It is also alleged that she laundered over $800,000 worth of funds to various local bank accounts - FirstCaribbean, Commonwealth Bank, RBC Finco and Scotiabank - between 2008 and 2015. According to court documents, Gibbs served as both a senior clerk and a human resources assistant at the college. The accused is scheduled to appear in the Supreme Court on October 7 before Senior Justice Bernard Turner to receive a date for trial. It is at her formal arraignment that she will be allowed to enter a plea to the charges.
THE TRIBUNE
THE CARIBANA Music Festival was held at the Botanical Gardens on Saturday night. Demarco is pictured during his performance. Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
ENJOYING THE SHOW AT
CARIBANA
McCARTNEY WELCOMES CHALLENGE TO LEADERSHIP from page one
He was responding to questions from The Tribune in relation to the party’s convention scheduled for September 29 to 30. Earlier this month Mr Moss claimed that discussions about third party alliances between him and DNA executives broke down because the parties could not agree on certain things. However, Mr McCartney has asserted the talks were not successful because Mr Moss expressed a desire to want to lead the DNA, but was informed that he would have to follow proper protocols in order for this to happen. “I certainly welcome it,” Mr McCartney said during a press conference at his office on Village Road. “Several weeks ago Mr Greg Moss brought to the public’s attention to a conversation that he had with me, the deputy and the chairman of the DNA where he indicated that he wanted to be leader of the DNA. He wanted to fold up his party and come to the DNA and be leader. “Well, we indicated that there is a process for that and the process is coming up on the 29th of this month at Breezes. The elections start at 8am. So I welcome Mr Moss who indicated he wanted to be leader. The option is there and any-
body else certainly (is welcomed).” He added: “I will campaign to keep my position, but I certainly welcome it. It’s not me who welcomes it. By our constitution and by the convention everybody who becomes a member and who is financial can run for leader of the party.” Asked if he expected Mr Moss to throw his name in the race, Mr McCartney said: “I would expect that. (It) would be the right thing to do. That is the right way of going about it. You don’t just jump in and leave one party and come to the next and say you want to be leader. The right thing to do is go through process and the process is right here. It’s upon you and I welcome it. I think Mr Moss is a good man.” Mr McCartney said the idea was put before the party’s congress, which also agreed that Mr Moss would need to follow the process. Earlier this month Mr McCartney, said the party’s two-day convention would “re-write” all political norms in this country. According to the former Bamboo Town MP, the DNA will roll out a convention and campaign model “unlike anything ever seen before”, insisting that Bahamians have grown tired of the “promise the world and deliver the bare minimum” style of governance offered by successive governments.
SWEET Mickey Martelly pictured performing at the Caribana Music Festival. RICARDO Drue in action at the Caribana Music Festival.
D-Mac at the Caribana Music Festival.
HOLLIE Wood performing on Saturday night.
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NINE HAITIANS RESCUED AFTER SLOOP RUNDS AGROUND ON REEF NINE crew aboard a Haitian sloop that had run aground on a reef off Inagua on Thursday have been saved after Bahamian security forces, local residents and fishermen and the US Coast Guard launched a rescue mission. The men appeared to be in good health according to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) but lost many valuables in the incident. A statement from the RBDF read: “During the early hours of this morning, officials stationed in Mathew Town, Inagua received a frightened call from a crew member of a Haitian sailing sloop reporting that their vessel, the Change Vie, had run aground. Efforts were made to locate their exact position and a rescue mission was launched. The rescue mission emphasised the close working relationship that has been forged by the local uniformed branches, Inaguan residents and the US Coast Guard assigned to that area. “In a joint effort, members from the Royal Ba-
hamas Defence Force, Immigration, Royal Bahamas Police Force, Customs, US Coast Guard, DEA, DEU and OPBAT personnel, along with local fisherman pooled their available resources, in a complementary manner and rescued the nine men onboard who were attempting to reach Inagua to undergo routine processing. “Though it proved difficult at times, as the sailing sloop was lodged very decisively onto a reef around Mollasses Point, they were brought safely to Mathew Town Basin. They all appeared to be in good health and shared that they had ran aground during the wee hours of the morning and did not realise how stuck they were until break of dawn. They were happy to be on land again after the ordeal, even though they lost many valuables during the incident. “The men, whose documents were all found to be in order, are now in the care of Immigration officials in Mathew Town, Inagua as they remain thankful for life.”