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Volume: 120 No.192, October 6, 2023

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BOY: IMMIGRATION TOOK MY MUMMY

12-year-old tells how siblings left to fend for themselves after raid

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrusssell@tribunemedia.net

A 12-YEAR-OLD boy and his two siblings are fending for themselves after immigration officers apprehended their mother while posting eviction notices in the Kool Acres shanty town on Monday. Clifton Charite last saw his mother Monday morning before school, unaware

should

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THE government is still not complying with the Public Procurement Act’s requirement to be transparent about contract awards, with Economic Affairs Minister Michael Halkitis saying this should change before the end of the year.

The law requires the

of the grown-up role he would soon be forced to play.

“They tell us my mummy get catch from the immigration,” he said yesterday, bowing his head. “Then we been to the police station. They said we needed her papers, but when we gone back for it, they said she owe too much papers and they can’t let her out.”

SEE PAGE THREE

government to disclose the name and address of winning bidders, the procuring entity, the procurement selection method and the award amount within 60 days of the contract award. However, since assuming office, the Davis administration has failed to do this. The Minnis administration was voted out of office

Christian Council shows up at ‘LGBT’ lecture it opposed

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

ALL was calm when a sociologist delivered a lecture at a University of The Bahamas LGBT-related forum yesterday until officials opened the floor for

questions and answers.

Then, the event became chaotic, with Christian Council members and supporters challenging the panellists who struggled to regain control.

The event –– a lecture by Dr Kreimild Saunders on ‘Black Bahamian Subject

Formation: From Non-Subject to Subject Part II” –– is among several being hosted this month in celebration of LGBT pride. Several Christian Council supporters attended the forum days after UB

‘no one doinG anythinG for west end’ as vote looms

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Staff Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

SEE PAGE SEVEN

‘hunGer should not be a barrier to learninG’

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net

HUNGER should not prevent any child from attending school, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said as the government’s new free breakfast programme was launched on Monday.

EDUCATION Minister Glenys Hanna Martin

“We recognise that a child who is suffering from hunger pangs will have

great difficulty learning and focusing and we appreciate that the high cost of living that we are experiencing now, families are struggling and we don’t want children not to attend school because their parents are unable to feed them or give them breakfast,” he said in an interview with

SEE PAGE FOUR next issue of the tribune on tuesday, after the holiday

SEE PAGE FIVE

NO more jobs. No gas station. No relief from giant potholes in the road.

As the first by-election in 11 years nears, some Eight Mile Rock and West End Grand Bahama residents

SEE PAGE FIVE

‘Govt

be compliant on procurement law by year’s end‘

SECRET SOUND WINNERS

THE winners of this year’s Secret Sound competition from 100JAMZ have been announced.

There were six Secret Sound winners this year: Dachenaelle Ermilus ($1,000); Birtchall Tucker ($3,300); Orey Godet ($200); Denise Lewis ($900); Agatha Gomes ($4,300); and Chavis Wallace ($300) for a total of $10,000.

A spokesperson for 100JAMZ said: “We congratulate our winners and thank our longtime sponsor, The Beauty Shack. Also, we thank our listeners whose enthusiastic participation and creative, out-of-the-box, answers made this year’s Secret Sound especially

PICTURED clockwise from top left are winners Dachenaelle Ermilus, Chavis Wallace, Drew Godet, Birtchall Tucker and Agatha Gomes.

Boy: Immigration took my mummy

from page one

The young boy bounced a white ball between rundown buildings when The Tribune visited the shanty town yesterday. Three women were cooking food under the hot sun nearby. Two other women were washing their clothes in buckets.

“We ain’t get no money,” Clifton said, explaining why he and his siblings had not attended school in three days. He said their mother would usually give them lunch and bus funds. Their father died years ago.

The siblings were among numerous school-aged children playing in the shanty town rather than attending classes, their smiles belying their precarious situation.

The neighbours who stepped up to help them have problems of their own to worry about: Authorities disseminated eviction notices in Kool Acres and All Saints Way on Monday, demanding they destroy their dwellings within 28 days as part of the government’s latest attempt to debase shanty towns throughout the country.

Jose Josue, a mother of two and a 17-year resident of the property, said she ran in the bush when she saw the immigration officers.

The Ministry of Works vowed on Tuesday to reach the “highest level of humanity and dignity” during the eviction process, but Ms Josue said officers used hammers to break into homes. She said residents claimed some people were

BTC CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY IN ABACO WITH GARDINER

beaten and slapped. She said the father of her children, a crucial financial supporter, was detained.

Juliane Olibrice, a mother of six whose house burned down in the shanty town in August, said she hopes the government reconsiders its demands.

“I don’t have any money to build my own home yet,” she said, holding her baby as her eyes welled. “Even I was hoping somebody was going to help me build it back. Now we can’t do nothing anymore because they said they are going to break it.”

“I don’t work. I have six children. You see, today they are home because they aren’t going to school. I don’t have money.”

“I just want to know if they could change their mind because plenty of people, we don’t have nowhere to go.”

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Works said it would work with partners in the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Department of Social Services and reach out to “each household within unregulated communities to determine household makeup and needs.”

“Given that some existing residents within these communities will need to resettle/relocate into regulated housing, the Unregulated Communities Action Task Force (UCATF) is seeking to identify potential rental units in New Providence and all islands where unregulated communities exist,” the ministry said.

A 12-year-old boy and his two siblings are fending for themselves after immigration officers apprehended their mother while posting eviction notices in the Kool Acres shanty town on Monday.

In May, Chief Justice Ian Winder ordered the demolition of two shanty town structures, far fewer than the 260-plus the administration wanted destroyed. This forced the Davis administration to rely on the minister of works to initiate a process under the Buildings Regulation Act. However, the administration has said little about holding the landlords who facilitate the spread of unregulated communities accountable.

Kool Acres residents said they give money to the property owner: $50, $20, or whatever they have when he comes around.

They said they didn’t know the owner’s name but described him as the man who likes money.

BTC held a customer appreciation day on Saturday in Abaco - with Abaco native and star Bahamian athlete Steven Gardiner on the island for the event.

Gardiner, who is also a BTC ambassador, paid a visit to four schools - Central Abaco Primary, Agape Christian School, Forest Heights Academy and Patrick J Bethel High School - where he joined BTC employees to give a pep talk to students, and where he donated more than 50 pairs of autographed tennis shoes to students.

Photos: Moise Amisial

STEVEN Gardiner presenting tennis shoes to students in Abaco on BTC customer appreciation day.

‘Govt should be compliant on procurement law by year’s end’

from page one

around the time the original procurement law came into force.

Financial Secretary Simon Wilson has said the government would publicise contract awards when the reporting capacity of its procurement system, the GoBonfire eProcurement Platform, improves.

In February, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said the Ministry of Finance was finalising a report listing contracts awarded by the government since the Progressive Liberal Party won the election. Nearly eight months later, the report has still not been released.

During a press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday, Mr Halkitis said much work was required to make the Public Procurement Act work.

“For example, the appointment of a chief procurement, the training of procurement committees not only in the Ministry of Finance but in every single ministry and government agency,” he said.

“We are talking about acquiring IT and getting people trained up on it and so that is what we have been doing for the last 18 months.”

“I would just like to say there is never any sort of desire or intention to circumvent, but it’s very, very easy to go into Parliament and pass a law and say we are doing this and we are doing that.

“You know, we see it with a number of pieces of legislation where we have to go back. I can point to one that we had, which is when we changed the Department of Statistics to the Bahamas National Statistical Institution.

“It had some very good provisions in there, but it also had a lot of provisions that required monetary outlay, training, and amendments to other pieces of legislation. So, you know, it’s good, people say, ‘okay you publish it and you get transparency’. Yes, we agree, but at the end of it, there are lot of requirements that we had to do.”

In July, Bahamas Contractors Association President Leonard Sands said notifying the public about contract awards is not as complicated as government officials suggest.

“Somebody,” he said, “had to sign a document. You know exactly who that person was who signed it, okay? All of the things they tell you are garbage responses to their intention to willfully hide information from the public.”

Halkitis: Prison

By LETRE SWEETING Tribune Staff Reporter lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

ECONOMIC Affairs

Minister Michael Halkitis said Cabinet has not yet approved the construction of new prison facilities, saying the structures may have to be built incrementally to spread costs.

Prison Commissioner Doan Cleare revealed last month that the cost of expanding the prison was cut by 40 per cent, down from $93m.

“Based on what I’m hearing, you know, emanating back from the government, we have done our job, and they are appreciative of what we have done,” Commissioner Cleare had told reporters earlier.

However, Mr Halkitis suggested to reporters

yesterday that a final determination has not been made.

“I know there was a proposal floated,” he said. “I was away, but as far as I know, nothing was approved as yet.”

“The idea might be to do it in incremental steps, where you make stepby-step improvements so you’re not making such a huge investment at the outset.”

Mr Halkitis said the government must balance various priorities.

“The government of The Bahamas has resources that it has to spread all over the place,” he said. “We have to make sure that we are allocating those to the maximum benefit and that the people can feel that as well because we have to report to the

Bahamian people.

“On the flip side of that, we have to make sure that when people are incarcerated, they are done so in humane conditions and as best as possible because we get rated by human rights people from all over the world, and they can be scathing sometimes.

“We have to balance, so I don’t want to put a price. We understand that there needs to be some work done, but we have to balance that as well because we also need a new hospital, and we need a new one in Grand Bahama that we’re building, and we need new airports. We have to balance what we do and make sure that comports with the priorities of what the Bahamian people feel.”

National security officials say upgrading the

ECONOMIC AFFAIRS MINISTER MICHAEL HALKITIS

construction not approved yet, may be built incrementally

prison is critical to securing accreditation from the American Correctional Association, which gave input on the design for the new facilities.

BAHAMAS Department of Correctional Services Fox Hill Prison

‘No one doing anything for West End’ as vote looms

from page one

are looking for a reason to get off the sidelines.

“I have enough of it,” said Deweese Burrows on Wednesday, explaining why he won’t vote to replace Obie Wilchcombe, who died unexpectedly last week Monday. “I live in West End for some 50 years, and no one is doing anything.”

Residents like Mr Burrows say they remember when West End was a more promising place to live.

The Jack Tar Village Resort, which included a marina and an airport, employed 700 people and was, to some, the backbone of the settlement before closing in 1990.

Since then, the community has stagnated like much of Grand Bahama, the island that experienced the highest decrease in total population between the last two censuses.

“For the past 25 years, we have been struggling in West End,” said Marvin McQueen, 58. “We need more jobs in the community, and the candidate must find a way to get more jobs here. That’s the main thing.”

The lack of a nearby gas station is crippling, West End residents said. The nearest station is at the end of Eight Mile Rock, a 25-minute drive away. Then there is the issue

of potholes. The gaps are so large and plentiful in parts of Eight Mile Rock that some residents ride far from the cars before them to avoid falling into one.

“The roads them are not in the best condition,” said Pedro Deleveaux, an undecided voter. “There are no stop signs. There’s poor lighting.”

The Progressive Liberal Party has won West End Grand Bahama and Bimini all but once this century with Mr Wilchcombe as its standard bearer.

Although numerous names are circulating about who may succeed Mr Wilchcombe on the PLP’s ticket –– such names as Kingsley Smith, Paco Deal and Randy Rolle are frequently mentioned –– insiders say there is no clear frontrunner.

The FNM, on the other hand, is rallying around Bishop Ricardo Grant, a pastor who has been working to build support in the constituency for months.

“I believe that the persons should be from West End or Bimini because they understand our community,” said Keith Cooper, a Bayshore Road resident. “The constituency has always been held by a West End person.”

Despite residents’ frustrations over their community’s stagnation, West End has long been the linchpin of the PLP’s

success in the constituency.

In 2017, when the FNM’s Pakesia Parker-Edgecombe narrowly won over Mr Wilchcombe, the PLP carried the West End polling divisions, losing steam in Holmes Rock and falling badly in Bimini.

Nonetheless, Free National Movement leaders, hoping to keep the margins small in West End, are grappling with the impact that Mr Wilchcombe’s untimely death will have on the political race.

After Mr Wilchcombe

‘Hunger should not be a barrier to learning’

died, motorcades passed through the West End community in tribute to him.

“During the hurricane, he made sure people’s

houses were fixed and that the people got what they needed, and he was going to finish the houses in West End,” said Sanford Stuart,

resident of Bayshore Road, West End. “I would hope they put somebody in place that will do something for us like Obie did.”

BMMC TO BREAK GROUND SOON IN FREEPORT, EXPECTS TO EMPLOY 30

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Staff Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

Projects property and process calcium carbonate from conch shells at the site.

launched in four schools on Monday.

from page one

his communications team shared with the press yesterday.

Mr Davis and Education Minister Glenys Hanna Martin served breakfast to Columbus Primary School students as the National School Breakfast Pilot Programme (NSBPP) was launched in four schools on Monday.

“From the outset, the administration placed a high priority on transforming the education system,” the Office of the Prime Minister said in a statement.

“In the aftermath of the pandemic, the nation confronted a significant education crisis, with nearly 7,000 students missing more than 50 per cent of the 20212022 school year. To address this crisis, initiatives like “Find Every Child” and “Renaissance Learning” were introduced, leading to a notable improvement in attendance rates, which now stand at an average of 94 per cent.

“The NSBPP is the latest of several measures being implemented to do better by our youth, aiming to ensure food security, enhance nutrition in students, maintain high attendance rates, and boost academic achievement.”

The breakfast programme has been launched at Columbus Primary, Ridgeland Primary, Sandilands Primary and Albury Primary. The programme will

reportedly be expanded to the Family Islands in the second phase, focusing on Cat Island, Abaco, Exuma and Grand Bahama.

“In the final phase, the programme will be expanded across all primary schools nationwide,” the OPM said.

“The benefits of this programme are overarching, impacting not only students but also parents and

Bahamian cooks. Local vendors were engaged for this programme and underwent comprehensive training to ensure the highest standards of quality assurance for the meals served to our students. Vendors are provided with the necessary ingredients to prepare a balanced breakfast for the students every Monday, Thursday and Friday morning.”

THE Bahamas Mineral Manufacturing Corporation Ltd expects to soon break ground in Freeport for a new mineral processing and manufacturing plant and expects to hire 30 people during the startup phase. The Bahamian-owned company will be located on Queen’s Highway. Mitchell Thurston, the president and CEO of BMMC, said the company plans to produce close to 20 million pounds of construction-grade PVC pipes annually for The Bahamas and export markets.

The company will operate from the Island

Mr Thurston –– who relocated three weeks ago to Grand Bahama from New Providence –– spoke at a recent FNM East Grand Bahama Constituency Association meeting.

“We chose PVC pipes as one of our first products at BMMC because it is essential in every type of construction,” he said.

The Bahamas reportedly imports around eight million pounds of PVC annually. BMMC will hire people to fill administrative, marketing, statistics and accounting positions. It will hire mostly skilled workers on the manufacturing side.

“When we applied our application was acknowledged almost immediately,” Mr Thurston said of the business application process.

He said the BMMC will sell in bulk to wholesalers and retailers at a competitive price.

He is confident the company can supply the Bahamian market.

“We have the capacity of producing 17m pounds annually,” he said. “So, it means nine million pounds would be available to the export market without diminishing our local supply.”

“We will be having our groundbreaking in a few weeks, and (startup) is looking to be another nine to ten months,” he said.

Death Notice for DAVID LASHAWN DUNCOMBE, 21

of Melvern Road, Yellow Elder, died at Doctors Hospital on Sunday 24th September, 2023.

He is survived by his, mother: Latoya Mackey; sister: Alicia Duncombe; brother: Isaiah Duncombe; grandfather: Prince Mackey; grandmother: Shirley Darville; aunts: Cindy Gay, Shawn Saunders, Natasha Rolle, Sharleen and Deandrea Duncombe; uncles: Ednal, Jeffery, Princeton, Kendrick, Rodney, Lester, Randy, Bradley, Torrieo, Travis and Evan Mackey, Niko, Orlander, Dario Brice, Huebell Duncombe and a host of other relatives and friends

Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date

PRIME Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis and Education Minister Glenys Hanna Martin served breakfast to Columbus Primary School students as the National School Breakfast Pilot Programme (NSBPP) was

Photo: OPM

ABOVE: Marvin McQueen (left) and Deweese Emannuel Burrows says West End is struggling and nothing has changed in 25 years. Below: Sanford Stuart hopes that they get a representative that cared as much as Obie Wilchcombe did.

Photos: Vandyke Hepburn

The Tribune Limited

Disturbing situations emerge in shanty town crackdown

IN the aftermath of the swoop by immigration on the Kool Acres shanty town on Monday, The Tribune went to speak to residents there.

Now, some will not care to hear what shanty town residents have to say – or will say that the occupants of the shanty towns should not be there in the first place so they don’t have the right to complain.

But what the residents had to say was disturbing to say the least, possibly outrageous depending on how many of the allegations are true.

Some of the residents said that people were beaten and slapped during the raid.

Another said that officers used hammers to break into homes, while there were even allegations of money being taken from homes.

Worst of all was the 12-year-old boy left with his two siblings to care for themselves because his mother was detained by immigration.

Now, the detail of this is alarming in itself – but consider the bigger picture in this situation.

Realistically, these are people who do not have a lot of money. The little boy said he and his siblings have no money to pay for a bus to get to school or to get lunch. They are looking after themselves as best they can, but they need adults to care for them, to provide for them.

Others in the community included one woman whose property burned down in August, and who said she has no money to build her own home –and even if she had, the government has served notices to say they are going to break these buildings down.

These are not people who have first month, last month and deposit to pay for a rented property elsewhere – so where are they going to go?

Chances are, it will be to another shanty location – either already established or newly springing up.

Meanwhile, the people on this land say that they have been paying rent –a man comes around and takes their $50 or $20 or whatever they have.

When asked his name, they did not know but just called him the man who likes money.

The man who likes money has long known these properties are there. It is impossible to imagine he does not know that the properties are irregular. Yet here he is, taking money from people to stay on land unlawfully in the government’s eyes.

When there is a clampdown on the residents of these properties, where is the clampdown on the landowners making money out of them to go with it?

The situation with shanty home construction has gone on for far too long – it is a public safety issue, it is a health issue, it is a situation that needs to be tackled.

But is swooping in, slapping a bunch of notices on walls and taking a number of detainees away really going to solve the bigger problem?

These people will live somewhere.

Perhaps some will drift into crime with no money and nowhere to live.

Children left unguarded may find themselves exploited – and even just being in a situation with no future, no school and such uncertainty is not going to see them protected in any way. These children have done no harm.

Recently, we saw the Christian Council rally in protest over LGBT issues – we hope the same energy is shown in stepping in to protect children in desperate need, to show the Christian drive to care for others, no matter who they are or where they come from.

Simply slapping a bunch of notices on properties will not solve our immigration issues or our housing issues.

What comes next? Where do these people go? And what will become of the children?

These are the questions that need to be considered when we look to find solutions. For those trying to fathom where they will be a month from now, there are few real solutions in sight.

Speech a re-run of Pindling era

Editor, The Tribune.

Speech from The Throne a day after. Slept on the images and speech … 2000 people assembled and you could hear a needle drop throughout the speech, the lack of applause was stunning, the politicos and PR folks must have shuddered in their shoes.

Gist of speech, sorry a re-run of Sir Lynden’s Government’s speech from the throne and subsequent ones over the past 50 years. Yes, bright spot on Work permits if

Treasury will be willing to loose needed revenue, work permits some $40m pa!

Little or nothing on the mending maturity of Sovereign Bonds only $718m next year where is that money coming from? So if the Minnis Government had won you really honestly don’t think there would have been a similar recovery? Empathizes on very low GDP in 2019 and 2020 to upswing in late 2021-2022 - no miracle you suddenly had tourism business, yes, high

‘T ings are good’ is fake news

EDITOR, The Tribune.

This is a letter to the editor of both The Guardian and The Tribune, our major Bahamian newspapers. Recently, we have heard the widespread accusations of Fake News against the major global news organisations, such as Fox News. Fox just lost a major court case, ordered to pay over $787,000,000 in damages for their sins.

With that said, I find it equally difficult to swallow the “news” presented in our own Bahamian newspapers. After all these years, it seems clear that much of what the interviewed experts and politicians say, are falsehoods. They continue to say things are good and getting better.

politicians and experts have been telling us all these years were true, how do we mesh what they have said with the realities we are faced with today? Year after year? Decade after decade?

The Bahamian people are suffering. Our country is failing. Who can stand up and say otherwise?

seem unable to tell the truth. They appear to lack the morals, and the backbone to do so. Every time I read a news article interviewing a politician or an “expert” I have to remind myself that the vast majority of what they say has no bearing on reality. Is this not the definition of Fake News?

percentage cruise, but business.

All will be forgotten as a result of the announced location for late Hon Wilchcombe’s State funeral … da people cussing! Can understand costs would have been extraordinary, but go tell the people in Grand Bahama - West End and Bimini … You better make up with ceremonies after the Nassau funeral big time.

JEROME FLOWERS Nassau, October 5, 2023.

Who cannot see the undeniable and utter failures our country is facing? Do we not acknowledge the collapse of our government utilities, such as BTC, BPL and Water & Sewerage? And, what of the dismal performance of all other Bahamian enterprises, such as NIB, Road Traffic, BOB, Immigration - and on and on? They are bankrupt and seem beyond redemption.

The Bahamian people are suffering. Our politicians have failed us. Utterly failed us. Yes, of course “we the people” have failed to insure that we elect honest, selfless, intelligent, public servants to represent us. How long do we admit we were lied to, yet continue to vote these people right back into office?

Are The Tribune and The Guardian really holding our politicians’ feet to the fire? If what these

The cost of living is surely rising, big time. Our government services, which we pay dearly for, are horrible. Poverty is increasing. Crime is rising. We are in dangerous debt. Government agencies seem less and less responsive to our needs. There is not a person I speak with that is not disgusted by the way we are treated by ALL government offices.

Yet, I suspect there might be some who are able, and willing, to slip a few dollars discretely into a hand to make sure they are “taken care of”. What about the rest of us? The ones paying the salaries of these people.

The Pay to Play situation we find ourselves in only further divides the haves and have nots.

We seem unable to rise to the occasion of providing even the basic human necessities to our population.

From our Prime Minister, right on down the sad political chain, where are our “leaders”? If I didn’t know better, I would think that these people went into politics to see what they could get for themselves.

Some of our politicians

I suspect that our politicians and “experts” in this country have an exit plan. Either enough money to flee, or property and bank accounts abroad. They may not see well enough to fix our Bahamian problems, but their sight seems well enough to see what is coming.

We are sending our own boys and girls down to the war zone in Haiti. What will be their demeanor when, if, they return home? Many studies have been done on the psychological impacts to these “peacekeepers”.

Anyone who thinks The Bahamas is not approaching a “failed state” status is living in a dream world and is consuming too much fake news.

There is a saying, “When the people have nothing, they have nothing to lose.”

Our police, our own brothers and sisters, will soon be required to turn against us. If they want to keep their jobs. They will be jailing protesters and other fed up Bahamians deemed “problems” to “keep the peace”. At some point every thinking Bahamian must admit, enough is enough. Who does not see this coming?

UNITED States’ Simone Biles competes on the floor during the women’s team final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, yesterday.

Photo: Geert vanden Wijngaert/AP

Christian Council shows up at ‘LGBT’ lecture it opposed

from page one

refused their demand to cancel the event.

More police officers than usual were present to provide security. During the Q&A, a Christian Council supporter complained about the Bahamian flag being next to the LGBT flag.

Another person quoted a Scripture verse about sexual impurity.

Pastor Mario Moxey mentioned the American Psychiatric Association’s 1952 assessment of homosexuality as a “sexual deviation”.

“One of the key tenants of academia is we can be wrong, but we can evolve,” panellist Joey Gaskins said in response. “It is not unusual for scientists, social scientists in particular, to move from one position to the next in history as we learn more about things.”

At one point, Erin Greene, a panellist and LGBT advocate, asked Bishop Delton Fernander to control those with him.

“They have been

disrespectful,” she said, prompting even greater commotion from the crowd. “You represent religious communities. Don’t be childish.”

After the event, Bishop Fernander told reporters: “What was clear to me was that the lecture was adjusted to lecture the church.”

Only a few UB students were on campus.

Some students who did not attend the event decried what they said was the Christian Council’s effort to meddle in the university’s affairs.

“I just feel like they overstep their boundaries with that, but I mean, if you want to do stuff for God, do it in the right way,” said R Hanna, a freshman. Duvall Davis said the council had no reason to protest a university event.

“This is a learning environment, and we are not restricted on what we’re able to learn,” he said. “We can learn about whatever the university offers, mind it being controversial or not.”

Starr Jones, a third-year student, disapproved of the forum being held on campus and of the Christian Council’s approach to

opposing it.

“I feel like it showed that it gave kind of the wrong example because as Christians, we shouldn’t

hate people and we shouldn’t show hate toward whatever, however people want to live their lifestyle,” she said.

“So I feel like coming on campus, all that was unnecessary and people are gonna live their life regardless.”

MAN ON BAIL FOR MURDER GRANTED BAIL AFTER FAILURE TO CHARGE ANKLE MONITOR TWO TEENS ACCUSED OF ARMED ROBBERY OF A FOOD STORE REMAIN ON BAIL

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN on bail for trying to murder a woman was once again granted bail after he allegedly failed to charge his monitoring device.

Magistrate Algernon Allen, Jr, charged Shacardo

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was fined $600 after admitting to having over six and a half ounces of marijuana in his house earlier this week.

Magistrate Samuel McKinney initially charged Andy Miller, 60, with possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply.

Levan Johnson represented the accused.

Culmer, 28, with five counts of bail violation.

Culmer was granted bail after he was accused of the attempted murder of Daija Ingraham, allegedly shooting at her in her vehicle on Griffin Street on September 10, 2022.

While on release for that charge, Culmer allegedly

Miller was arrested after police found more than six ounces of marijuana in his house on Buttonwood Street on October 3.

After Miller pleaded guilty, the charge was reduced to simple possession of dangerous drugs. He was then convicted and fined $600 or risk three months in prison.

Another man was also fined for drugs.

Magistrate Raquel Whyms charged Alex Homere, 25,

failed to charge his monitoring device five times between September 3 and 13.

After pleading not guilty, Culmer was informed that his bail was set at $5,000 with one or two sureties.

Culmer is to return to court for mention on October 16.

with possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply.

Police arrested Homere after finding one ounce of marijuana on the TV stand in his room on Kool Air Subdivisions on October 2. The drugs had an estimated street value of $100.

After pleading guilty to the offence, Homere was fined $500 or risk two months in prison. He was also placed on eight months probation; a breach would incur a twomonth prison term.

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

TWO teenagers are accused of robbing a food store last year of $700.

Justice Cheryl GrantThompson charged Tario McPhee, 19, and an 18-yearold male with armed robbery.

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

AN Exuma man was granted $10,000 bail yesterday after allegedly firing a gun in the direction of a man with whom he fought. Acting Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley charged Kevin Turnquest, 61, with possession of an unlicensed firearm, possession of ammunition and wantonly discharging a firearm.

The pair faced additional charges of receiving, possessing an unlicensed firearm and possessing ammunition.

The pair, armed with a handgun, allegedly robbed Weizhen Jiang of $700 belonging to Harding’s Food Store on July 13.

McPhee was later arrested

Turnquest reportedly got into an argument with Garth Rolle in Mount Thompson in Exuma around 7pm on September 30. As the altercation escalated, Turnquest allegedly fired a gun, endangering Mr Rolle.

Later that day, the defendant was arrested after being reportedly found with a black HiPoint Model C9 pistol and four unfired rounds of 9mm ammunition.

after allegedly being found with a silver and black coloured.22 Ruger pistol.

The two pleaded not guilty to all charges. They were then informed that their matter would be transferred to Justice Gregory Hilton. Their bail will continue as they await trial.

After Turnquest pleaded not guilty to all three charges, Prosecutor Sergeant Cadero Farrington objected to his bail. Despite this, Magistrate Reckley set Turnquest’s bail at $10,000 with two sureties. The defendant is to be fitted with a monitoring device and report to the George Town Police Station every Friday by 6pm. Turnquest’s trial begins on November 17.

MAN FINED $600 FOR POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA, ANOTHER MAN FINED $500

MAN GRANTED $10,000 BAIL AFTER BEING ACCUSED OF FIRING A GUN AT ANOTHER MAN

DR Kreimild Saunders speaks on ‘Black Bahamian Subject Formation: From Non-Subject to Subject Part II” at a forum at the Univerisity of The Bahamas yesterday, which is one among several being hosted this month in celebration of LGBT pride.

Photo: Moise Amisial

Taxied to beach, hit trees and sank

TAXIED to beach, hit trees, and sank: these seven words encapsulate a bad day for a dozen men.

To this day Edward Lockhart, a captain from an island which has produced legendary ship masters – Ragged Island – remembers what he saw and heard eight decades ago, from the World War II Battle of Ragged Island to that plane washed ashore with friendly men inside it. As he recovered from a hurricane which left his dwelling a series of askew walls teetering over his head, Lockhart explained that he and other Ragged Islanders distinctly heard machine gun fire from Holtorf’s U-boat U-598 and from military and merchant ships in the convoy about 35 miles away. Edward survived Hurricane Irma as a hermit on this remote depopulated island chain.

On Sunday, June 11, 1944, a US Navy Consolidated PBY-5 was damaged beyond repair during the taxiing phase of operation at Great Ragged Island. The problem began when, during advance base and over-night navigational training flight from the US, with NAS and NOB Great Exuma acting as a safety net in George Town, the plane lost the use of one of its two radial engines of 1,200 bhp each, with 3 propellers. The pilot landed on the water to the east-southeast of Great Ragged Island. It being the only inhabited island nearby, the pilot then made way for it using the engines on the sea surface, and heading west-northwest

By Eric Wiberg

probably somewhat clumsily and uncomfortably.

Mike Stowe, aviation accident report investigator, shared a critical file, showing that a week after D-Day, the 13 trainees managed to wrestle a badly disabled amphibian airplane out of the sky and onto the smooth surface of the sea. That accomplished, the pilot decided to head to the welcoming embrace of a wide arc of beach north of Duncan Town, the primary settlement of the remote Ragged Island, or Jumentos Cays chain, which are closer to Cuba, Haiti, and the Turks and Caicos than they are to Nassau. However, the over-confident amphibian aviators mere hours from their Florida base underestimated Bahamian reefs,

which made quick work of destroying the underbelly of the aircraft as it rounded a rocky point with just yards to spare. Despite drastic predictions by other military researchers, myself and a team were led to the site by expert fishing guide and hotelier Captain Phicol Wallace and indeed, in just a few feet of water and visible from the shore lay the Catalina PBY-4. Usually, the navy salvors won their reclamation assignments, however in this case several aircraft of experts from NOB and NAS Great Exuma and even salvors with barges failed to ever put this Humpty Dumpty back together again.

On that June morning US Navy Ensign Paul Charles Bernardy was at the controls, being monitored by overall Captain Leon Elton Robbins, and supported by Lieutenant Constantine James Economou. The aircraft was stationed in squadron VPB-2 OTU, at Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, in northeast Florida, some 600 nautical miles from Ragged Island.

The plane was a maritime patrol bomber built for search and rescue in Rhode Island. It became the most utilised seaplane of World War II. The United States

gave 93 PBY-5s to the RAF under Lendlease. They typically required ten crew, were 63’10” long, 104’ wide, 21’1” high, and weighed 28,000 pounds. Two radial engines of 1,200 bhp spun three propellers. In combat the aircraft carried 2,000 pounds of bombs, two torpedoes, or four 325-pound depth charges along with three.30 caliber and two .50-caliber machine guns. The top speed was 196mph and range 2,520 nautical miles.

The ten other crew were ensigns Henry William McNair, Reginald Everett Jenkins, mechanics Peter John Pappas, Lee Imey Outlaw, Jr., Eugene Gerald Cratty, Norman Alphonse Tremblay, gunners James Joseph Jowdy, Willis Daniel Birch, William Andrew Doelle, and Thomas Edward Stokel, all of them in the US Naval Reserve, or USNR. They took off from Florida on a routine, over-water navigational training flight, also known as advance base training. Bernardy the pilot has 195 hours of experience with this type of PBY aircraft and 409.3 hours overall flying experience.

The plane was practising navigation on the western edge of the critical artery north of Windward Passage known as Crooked Island Passage, west of Mira Por Vos Islands and the weather was settled; a light wind of 10 knots from the southeast along with just a slight swell from the same direction, undulating like the breathing of the belly of a supine person. Then after noon, trouble came in the form of an engine malfunction, and by 1.15 pm doom had struck. The official report marked confidential by the US Navy relates that “While the plane was circling an island in the Bahama Group at an altitude of approximately 800 feet, the starboard engine caught fire. Subsequent investigation determined that number three cylinder had blown out. The propeller was feathereed, and the fire ceased; the pilot attempted to maintain flight on one engine. When it was determined that the plane could not maintain its altitude, a landing was made at sea. No damage occurred to the plane structurally incident to the sea landing. The pilot [Bernardy] attempted to taxi to a sandy beach of Great Ragged Island, British West Indies at about one mile from the scene of the [water] landing. At approximately 20 yards from a point of land, the plane grounded on a reef. All attempts to remove

the plane from the reef failed. Numerous holes in the hull caused the plane to fill with water rapidly . When the salvage crew and equipment arrived [from Exuma], the hull was damaged beyond repair.”

All military units from Florida to Nassau, the Naval Air Station in Great Exuma and the Naval Operating Base in Guantanamo and beyond were alerted that day of the “Jacksonville PBY forced down off Great Ragged Island.” The report read that “At 11.25 am a PBY from NAS Jacksonville reported to its base that her starboard engine had caught fire and was forced to land off Great Ragged Island. The PBY further advised that she had caught on a reef, and was taking on water fast. Her hull was gradually being broken up, and the aircraft requested instructions from NAS Jacksonville. At 12.39pm (just over an hour after the mishap) the Gulf Sea Frontier commander advised the bases in Exuma and Cuba that the PBY was forced down, and that the plane was in a sinking condition, further stating that assistance was requested.”

“At 1pm, NAS Great Exuma [approximately 85 miles north of Ragged Island], advised NAS Jacksonville that they were sending a boat immediately, and would advise if possible to tow the plane after contact was made. RAF Nassau advised at 2.50 pm that the following message was received from the commissioner of Ragged Island at 2 pm: ‘PBY Navy with 13 men fell on northeast side of mainland [Great Inagua] at 11.30 am, now grounded among dangerous rocks. Every assistance for safety of plane and accomodation of men is being rendered.”

The original District Commissioner of Ragged Island’s reports from 1944 at the National Archives of The Bahamas are not readily available. Overall, several similar messages with the urgent nature and need for assistance were transmitted that day from various stations.

Investigating engineers remarked at how the “hull bottom was crushed and broken. Stringers of remainder of hull loosened. No 3 cyl. of stbd. Engine

was blown off. Engine case broken around base of No 3 cyl. Corrosion of both engines, equipment and accessories of plane.” Attribution of blame was “80% Pilot Error; 70% judgement; 10% technique, 10% pp, or engine structure, 10% misc.; airport, terrain, etc.” – ie: reef. The worst, from the third-incommand’s perspective, was the Commanding Officer’s indorsement: “In the Board’s opinion Lt Economou, the second pilot disclaimed the proper responsibility. This officer has had varied experience aboard Navy ships. It is the further opinion of the Board that this officer should have advised Ensign Bernardy against taxiing toward shore, and that he, Economou, should not have continued taxiing toward the shore.”

Mrs Ilka Lockhart and Dear Mrs Yvette Lockhart helped earlier. Brita Cadoret helped much as well, making introductions.Konstantinos Economou in Greece has helped as well connect the Constantine Economou’s side of the family. Captain and entrepreneur Phicol Wallace led us to the partly exposed amphib in just moments.

Edward Lockhart knew the names of two of the PBY crew; Kurt and Droddy. In fact, crewmen had almost identical names; mechanic Eugene Gerald Cratty and gunner Willis Daniel Birch. They were repatriated by Americans to Georgetown, Exuma, via boat or amphibious aircraft. Less than half a year later two other large amphibious planes, these capable of carrier take-offs and known as OS2U Kingfishers ran out of gas in the vicinity of Ragged Island on December 6, 1944. A large VIP carrier known as an Army JRF as well as a pair of US Army rescue boats were sent from NAS Georgetown, Exuma to refuel them. First, they had to be located, as one was drifting off Ragged Island, and the other further out to sea. Then, a year later, on July 1, 1945, a Grumman Goose GB amphibious plane landed at Great Ragged Island. It avoided grounding.

EDWARD LOCKHART

US Navy Consolidated PBY-5

There’s a hero inside us all

IF you are not busy, stop a minute, please. Find a mirror. Forget how your hair looks. Don’t worry about your collar. Pay no attention to the spot on your shirt where the tea spilled or the shoe where the little mischievous one decided your tennis shoe was as good a canvas as any and scribbled with crayon while you were cooking. Go, go ahead, go to the mirror. Look straight at the image looking back at you, take a deep breath and see the person inside. What are you made of? What did you do today without even thinking about it that made someone else’s day a little better? That meal you cooked while little Joey was drawing on your tennis helped sustain the family. That homework you helped with, that story you read, the papers you got ready for the boss at work or the loan you approved for the first-time homeowner who walked out of the door singing – that is the person in the mirror. A hero.

As Heroes Day dawns on Monday, we struggle to name the larger-than-life figures who are heroes to us all, those whose profiles will go down in history or at least be worthy of a Wikipedia entry. We turn admiration into reverence, watching the incredible superhuman performance of Simone Biles this week doing what seems humanly impossible, becoming a floating, airborne pretzel with pizazz. We mourn the loss of Obie Wilchcombe, a visionary in tourism who never lost his humility or the ability to put the success of others before his own, a man who never wanted to steal the show, but wanted the light to shine on the next up and coming contributor to the greater good. We admire and our admiration turns to search for perfection and while we do that, we overlook the person next door who scrambled to wash and iron her children’s uniforms the night before, make them tuna and grits before

By Diane Phillips

A shady sidewalk

Ah, for the shade of a tree over a sidewalk – that is, if you are very short indeed. A note of thanks to those who built the sidewalk on East Shirley Street. Thank you, thank you. Just one little thing. We are still walking in the road looking at that sidewalk because of the overhanging branches making it hard to walk without ducking and darting. We know you’ll trim it soon. We have faith even if our backs are bent. We do not want to sound ungrateful, but could we please consider bike paths for Nassau soon?

TURQUOISE SEAS, A TALE OF THE OLD BAHAMAS

school while getting herself ready to go to work at the resort where she will wait tables and hope for polite customers on this day and silently pray that the oldest boy who she knew was being bullied for not joining a gang will be safe at school. She is our hero. The moms and dads and grandparents, the law enforcement officers who care and wear the uniforms with dignity, lending a hand, not using a hand, the volunteer who gives her time unstintingly never expecting a thing, the poor woman

who struggles to make ends meet but reaches into her pocket to give someone even less fortunate a dollar. Bless those who feed those in need. They are our heroes. Bless and thank those who teach. They are our heroes. Nod and recognize the nurses and medical staff and caregivers who treat those with bed sore or dementia and Alzheimer’s who throw books and shoes and whatever they can get their hands on at them. They are our heroes. Look in the mirror. There may just be a hero looking back at you.

Romance, heartache, peril and history are all rolled into one, a beautifully-written book that tells the tale of the struggle that pre-dated The Bahamas we know today and yet helped to shape our history. The nearly 400page (in 12pt font) that starts in the early 1700s in the Emerald Isle where Irish Catholics defended their faith against the Church of England at the greatest of costs was written by Exumian Rosemary Minns. Fascinating enough to be the subject of a novel herself, Minns

spent her career in financial services in Nassau and lived abroad enjoying the arts and the sophisticated life. For the past several years, she has enjoyed her own Chapter 3, life at a cottage she built on Minns family property at the highest peak of elevation with a panoramic, sweeping view of mainland Exuma. Inside that

cottage, there is a little corner alcove, not much larger than a medium size closet, where she writes, an oil painting of a sloop at anchor above the keyboard. And there she has just finished her second novel. You can order Turquoise Seas, published in 2020 by Media Enterprises, on Amazon. It’s a great and fast read.

A NEW sidewalk has been built on east Shirley Sreet.

THE TALE of the struggle that pre-dated The Bahamas we know today.

BAHAMIAN AMERICAN ASSOCIATION INC

The Bahamian American Association Inc (BAA) of New York City recently commemorated its 111th anniversary with the second annual Legends and Leaders Awards Luncheon. Bahamians making meaningful contributions in The Bahamas as well as throughout America were honored during the special event, which also celebrated 50 years of Bahamian Independence.

Bahamas Consul Geberal to New York, Leroy F Major, commended the BAA for hosting another successful event, year after year for over a century, noting that “it is undoubtedly on the strength of the diaspora that, in part, new opportunities for our people are realised”. According to BAA president Mary Sweeting, going forward, the association would focus on revitalising its organisational structure, forming collaborative relationships, and restoring its beloved headquarters, Bahama House.

To date, the Bahamian American Association is the only organisation founded by foreign migrants to own a building in New York City. Affectionately known as “Bahama House”, the Association’s headquarters is located in a brownstone at 211 West 137th St near the famed and historic Striver’s Row in Harlem. The second annual Legends and Leaders Awards Luncheon was held on Saturday, September 23, at Sofrito Restaurant, 670 Riverside DriveNew York, New York.

Remarks came from Mark Levine, Manhattan Borough President; Al Taylor, New York State Assemblyman, Bahamas Consul General Leroy F Major; and Gregory Ford, president of Teamsters 237, IBT.

The awardees celebrated include: Wendell Joseph Bain; Bethany Baptist Church; Dr Jessie Fields; Dr Anthony Hamilton’ Leroy F Major; Mark McPhee; Wendell Newton; and Rev Robert Royal.

The Bahamian American Association, Inc was officially organised on September 17, 1912, under the name: The Nassau Bahamas Association. It was instrumental in uniting Bahamians in New York and surrounding areas, especially during the period of time when Bahamians migrated to America for work, known as “The Contract”. Since then, Bahamians have gone on to make meaningful contributions to American governance and society, and have remained connected to their roots in the islands.

BAHAMAS DOWN SYNDROME ASSOCIATION

The Bahamas Down Syndrome Association is to hold a buddy walk-fest on Saturday, October 21, from 8am to noon.

Registration costs $20 and begins at 7am. The walk starts at 8am, travelling from Goodman’s Bay and going west to Commonwealth Bank and back to Goodman’s Bay.

Advanced participants may continue to Super Value West before returning to Goodman’s Bay.

For more details, contact 445-7108 or 427-1492, or email bahamasdownsyndromeassociation@ gmail.com, or visit Down Syndrome Association Bahamas on Facebook.

KIWANIS CLUB OF OVER-THE-HILL

On Friday, September 28, the Kiwanis Club of

Over-The-Hill made an official presentation of four bunk beds donated this year to the Bahamas Children’s Emergency Hostel. This is the second such donation, the first being last year when the previous four bunk beds were donated to the boy’s dormitory.

This year, the bunk beds are designated for both the boys’ and girls’ dormitory. We would like to thank our generous benefactor, The Bahamas Giving Foundation and Gary Larson for their continued generosity in assisting the Bahamas Children’s Emergency Hostel.

The Kiwanis motto is “Serving the Children of the World” and the Kiwanis Club of Over-The-Hill continues its service to the “Children of the Bahamas” with charitable donations, and our Kiwanis Sponsored Leadership Programmes (SLP) in the schools including K-Kids, Builders and Key Clubs.

ROTARY CLUB OF NASSAU

The Rotary Club of Nassau is proud to be in

FROM left, Kiwanis Club of Over-The-Hill, chairman designate Tino Cash, president Juan Gibson, Children’s Emergency Hostel administrator A Charlene Gibson, Kiwanis Club of Over-The-Hill president designate Dominique Gaitor and past president Berry Sweeting.

partnership with the Hornets and Hornetts Flag Football Teams delivering clothing packages to the Cancer Society of The Bahamas.

SAC ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

The SAC Alumni Association (SACAA) is hosting its third Annual Lighthouse Awards and Gala Ball on October 21, at Baha Mar Resort.

The event will take place with the theme “The Red Diamond Soiree... Diamonds are Forever” and will be hosted under the patronage of Prime Minister Philip E Davis.

Thirty-nine individuals, including former students and teachers of St. Augustine’s College will be honoured - the most honorees ever to receive awards at one time.

According to SACAA president Cherelle Catrwright, this large group will account for the years that this highly anticipated event was not held due to the pandemic. The distinguished list of honorees for 2023 include the Alumnus of the Year: Hubert “Chippie” Chipman, former Parliamentarian; and Alumna of the Year, Antoinette Russell, finance executive.

A champagne cocktail reception is scheduled for 6.30pm and dinner starts at 8pm. This event will be bittersweet for Ms Cartwright, as it will mark her last official event as SACAA president. She will not seek re-election for a third time.

Tickets for the Lighthouse Awards and Gala Ball are $300 and are available at the alumni office, in the Toyota Automall showroom (the corner of Buen Retiro road and Shirley Street) or via our alumni association website: www.thesacalumniassociation.org.

Part proceeds are in aid of SACAA’s Tuition Grant Programme. President Cartwright encourages attendees to come prepared to support a raffle, where one lucky winner will walk away with up to an eight-night cruise for two, donated by Royal Caribbean Cruise line, or a weekend stay at Comfort Suites. There will be lots of other prizes and giveaways during the soiree.

The full list of honorees receiving Lighthouse Awards in addition to the alumnus and alumna of the year are as follows:

Rising Star Award - Leslia Brice; Legacy Award - the Mitchell Family, the Butler

JOIN THE CLUB

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

To feature on our Clubs and Societies page, submit your report to clubs@tribunemedia.net, with “Clubs

Page” written in the subject line. For more information about the page, contact Stephen Hunt on 826-2242.

Family; and the Robinson Family; Distinguished Alumni Award - Martin Lundy; Sydney Outten; and LeRoy Mitchell (Posthumous); Humanitarian Award - Raymond Culmer, Toni Callendar-Lewis; Uncle Lou Award - Shane Albury, Basil Sands, and Commodore Davy Rolle; Spotlight Award - Phyllis Garraway, Spence Finlayson, Anita Tynes and Prince Rahming; SAC Spirit Award - Chrispin Ferguson (Posthumous); Alumni Achievement Award in Business - Raquel Beneby-Hart and Tiffany Thompson; Alumni Achievement Award in Engineering - Darius Williams, Nick Dean and Charlene Collie; Alumni Achievement Award in Education - Dr Maria Oriakhi and Sandra Russell-Flowers; Alumni Achievement Award in Finance - Craig Gomez and Kino McCartney; Alumni Achievement Award in Executive Management - Lars Minns and Glenn Bannister; Alumni Achievement Award in Medicine - Dr Tyneil Cargill and Dr Beverton Moxey; Alumni Achievement Award in Pharmacy - Laura Pratt-Charlton; Alumni Achievement Award in Medical Technology - Bonaventia Culmer; Alumni Achievement Award in Law - Olivia Nixon; Alumni Achievement Award in Law Enforcement - Wil Hart; Alumni Achievement Award in Religion Dr Deanza Cunningham; Alumni Achievement Award in Dentistry - Dr Tanya Mortemore; and SAC Spirit Award - Matthew William.

TOASTMASTERS

October is Toastmasters’ Month and members from various Toastmasters’ clubs from Divisions F and I attended a Church Service at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Stapledon Gardens, Nassau, on Sunday, October 1, at 9am.

The day ended with a divisional luncheon at the Garden of Eden Restaurant in Eastwood Gardens. Upcoming events for Toastmasters’ month:

• 10/21/2023 Speechon-the-Beach at Adelaide Beach

• 10/21/2023 Combined Social Event at Adelaide Beach

• 10/22/2023 Membership Drive at Bahamas Harvest Church

• 10/29/2023 Combined Membership Orientation (Venue to be announced).

PRESIDENT of the Bahamian American Association Mary J Sweeting, centre, with members and awardees during the association’s 111th anniversary celebrations.

ATTENDEES at the Toastmasters church service.

MEMBERS of the Rotary Club of Nassau has delivered clothing packages in partnership with the Hornets and Hornetts Flag Football Teams.

HUBERT CHIPMAN, SAC Alumnus of the Year.

THE BODIES of victims in Prigozhin’s Plane crash, Putin claims

MOSCOW Associated Press

RUSSIAN President

Vladimir Putin said Thursday that hand grenade fragments were found in the bodies of people who died in the Aug. 23 crash of mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plane.

Experts investigating the crash found no indication the private jet had suffered an “external impact,” he said.

Prigozhin and two of his top lieutenants of the Wagner private military contractor were among the 10 people killed when the jet came down as it flew from Moscow to St. Petersburgh. There was no way to independently verify Putin’s statement.

FRAGMENTS WERE FOUND

A preliminary US intelligence assessment concluded that an intentional explosion caused the crash, and Western officials have pointed to a long list of Putin foes who have been assassinated. The Kremlin called allegations he was behind the crash as an “absolute lie.”

A Russian investigation was launched but no findings have been released. Moscow rejected an offer from Brazil, where the Embraer business jet was built, to join the inquiry.

While Putin noted the probe was still ongoing and stopped short of saying what caused the crash, his statement appeared to hint the plane was brought down by a grenade explosion.

Prigozhin’s aborted

rebellion in June marked the most serious challenge to Putin, who has been in power for more than two decades. The crash came two months to the day after the rebellion’s start. Putin also noted that while investigators haven’t tested the remains for alcohol and drugs, 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of cocaine was found during searches at Prigozhin’s office in St. Petersburg following the mutiny — an apparent attempt to denigrate the mercenary chief. After his death, Putin described Prigozhin, 62, as “a man of difficult fate” who had “made serious mistakes in life.”

Prigozhin owed his fortune to his ties with the

Russian leader dating to the early 1990s and was dubbed “Putin’s chef” for the lucrative Kremlin catering contracts.

The Wagner Group military contractor that he created has been active in Ukraine, Syria and several African countries and counted tens of thousands of troops at its peak.

It played a key role in the fighting in Ukraine, where it spearheaded capture of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in May after months of bloody combat. In the June 23-24 rebellion, Prigozhin said it was intended to oust the Defense Ministry’s leadership that he blamed for mistakes in pressing the fighting in Ukraine. His mercenaries took over

RUSSIAN investigators comb the scene of a jet crash near the village of Kuzhenkino in Russia’s Tver region, on Thursday, August 24, 2023, that killed mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and his top lieutenants a day earlier.

Russia’s southern military headquarters in Rostov-onDon and then rolled toward Moscow before abruptly halting the mutiny under a deal that offered them amnesty

from prosecution. The mercenaries were given a choice to retire from the service, move to Belarus or sign new contracts with the Defense Ministry.

Photo: Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP

Jonquel returns to WNBA Finals

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

Grand Bahama native Jonquel Jones will make her return to the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Finals with the New York Liberty this Sunday versus the league’s defending champions - the Las Vegas Aces.

The second overall regular season team punched their ticket to the club’s first finals since 2002 after knocking off Jones’ former team, the Connecticut Sun, 3-1 in the semifinals.

The Aces, on the other hand, advanced to the finals for the third time in four years after steamrolling the Chicago Sky and Dallas Wings in consecutive sweeps for this year’s appearance.

The stakes are high for both teams following brilliant showings in their respective conferences.

The leading Eastern Conference team came into the 2023 WNBA season with high expectations following their acquisitions of Grand Bahamian Jones from the Sun and this season’s MVP Breanna Stewart in the offseason. New York’s top two performers led the dominant team to a franchise best 32-8 win/loss record and a second overall finish to end the season. The sheer dominance of the dynamic duo only continued in the playoffs.

Addressing Sudden Death in Youth Sports: A Call for Vigilance and Preparedness

IN the wake of recent tragic events, including the devastating loss of a local student during basketball practice in the Bahamas and other similar incidents across the United States, it is imperative to shine a light on the sobering issue of sudden death in youth sports. This article is dedicated to understanding the various causes of such unfortunate occurrences, the significance of pre-participation evaluations, and the urgent need for vigilance within the sporting community.

Understanding the Tragedy: Causes of Sudden Death in Youth Sports

Sudden death in youth sports is a deeply distressing and often unanticipated event that has left communities in mourning. Several factors can contribute to such tragedies, including:

Cardiac Conditions:

Undiagnosed or preexisting heart conditions,

Flag Football,

NPBA REGULAR SEASON STARTS NOV. 11

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE New Providence Basketball Association (NPBA) regular season is scheduled to begin on Saturday, November 11.

The league’s opening night will be hosted at the Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium which is expected to be one of the facilities utilised for a few of the games this season.

Jones has been phenomenal in the postseason, raising her regular season totals in points, rebounds, assists and blocks.

In the six games played by the Liberty, the forward has collected six consecutive double-doubles which is a new WNBA postseason record. She is averaging 16.5 points per game (ppg), 12.8 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, and is shooting 53.1 per cent from the field.

Her postseason prowess has picked up for the shaky playoff performance by the two-time MVP Stewart.

The Associated Press Player of the Year is averaging 19.8 ppg, along with nine boards.

However, she is shooting an inefficient 35.6 per cent from the field and 20.7 per cent from behind the arc which is well below her regular season numbers.

Nonetheless, since the start of the regular season the two powerhouse women’s teams were projected to meet in the finals and now the Liberty are hoping to raise their first WNBA championship banner at the Barclays Center.

The team will no doubt have their hands full against the league’s defending champions.

The Aces ended the regular season with a league’s best record of 34-6 and have run through the postseason relatively unchallenged. The 2022 MVP A’ja Wilson is

SEE PAGE 14

Ricardo Smith, newlyelected NPBA president, is optimistic about the start of the regular season, especially the league’s opening night.

He said the planning committee is putting together something special for the season opener.

“I want people to get a feel of what it is like at the Superbowl or an All-Star showdown to show them the kind of emphasis and efforts that are put into those kinds of events,” Smith said.

The preparations for the NPBA officials involve finding different venues for games to be played.

According to Smith, some games throughout the season will get underway at Kendal GL Isaacs along with the DW Davis Gymnasium.

However, the main home for the NPBA games remains the AF Adderley Gymnasium but there are some setbacks.

“We do have one challenge with AF Adderley, that is after the government league championships it has been shut down for roof and floor renovations,” the president said.

The facility’s repairs were inevitable as the Bahamas Government Departmental Basketball Association (BGDBA) playoff games were interrupted at different intervals due to water leaking through the roof.

The officials are presently awaiting more information

SEE PAGE 14

ALL BLACKS FINISH RUGBY WORLD CUP POOL PLAY WITH 73-0 WIN OVER URUGUAY

LYON, France (AP) —

such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias), or congenital anomalies, can suddenly manifest during strenuous exercise.

Heat-Related Issues:

Prolonged exposure to high temperatures and inadequate hydration can lead to heatstroke, a lifethreatening condition that can occur during intense training or competition.

Exertional Rhabdomyolysis: This condition, characterised by muscle tissue breakdown, can occur when athletes engage in strenuous exercise without proper conditioning or preparation.

Trauma: Accidents and injuries during sports activities, such as head injuries or sudden impact events, can lead to catastrophic outcomes if not promptly addressed.

The Importance of PreParticipation Evaluations

In a previous article, I discussed how Pre-participation evaluations (PPE) are a critical component of youth sports safety. These comprehensive medical assessments aim to

identify underlying health issues that may put athletes at risk. PPEs typically include:

Medical History: A thorough review of an athlete’s medical history helps identify pre-existing conditions, previous injuries, or family history of cardiac issues.

Physical Examination: A physical examination assesses overall health, including cardiovascular fitness, musculoskeletal function, and signs of underlying medical concerns.

Cardiac Screening: An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) can detect abnormal heart rhythms or structural abnormalities that might increase the risk of sudden cardiac events.

Discussion: Athletes and their parents or guardians should engage in discussions with healthcare professionals about

New Zealand overcame a sluggish start to beat Uruguay 73-0 in its final pool match at the Rugby World Cup yesterday. But the All Blacks’ performance was less than the polished quarterfinal rehearsal they were hoping for.

New Zealand took 20 minutes to score the first try of the match and for much of the first quarter was put under pressure by Uruguay, which rose to the occasion of the first official test match between the teams.

“It was quite a tough test match, especially in the first half. We were made to really work for it,” All Blacks captain Sam Cane said. “In that first 20 minutes we showed some good composure and patience to not allow (errors) to creep in and we started getting some rewards.”

The All Blacks recovered to score four tries in the second quarter and

lead 26-0 by halftime. But they will look back on their shaky start with concern as they were often turned over at breakdowns by Uruguay and at times looked stretched in defence.

Still, the All Blacks finished with 11 tries including a second-half hat trick to winger Leicester Fainga’anuku. After their first up loss to France, they beat Namibia 71-0, Italy 96-17 and added another 73 points on Thursday.

Both teams had early tries disallowed: The All Blacks twice, to Cam Roigard and Damian McKenzie, and Uruguay to a crowdpleasing effort which was finished by Manuel Ardao, who was just taken into touch in a covering tackle by Will Jordan.

New Zealand’s solid scrum gave it a foothold in the match and scrumhalf Roigard again played a

JONQUEL Jones celebrates during Game 4 of a semifinal playoff series against the Sun - her former team - on October 1. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

UB CROSS COUNTRY INVITATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

The University of The Bahamas (UB) Athletics Department hosted the second edition of the Cross-Country Invitational at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre on Saturday. The successful hosting saw more than 800 athletes compete across 12 divisions in the under nine to open category.

‘Jazz’ and Young Marlins flop against Phillies in NL Wild Card Series sweep

By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA

(AP) — Josh Bell warned his young Miami Marlins teammates of the dangers that lurked in Philadelphia.

Yes, the Phillies’ big bats of Bryce Harper and Bryson Stott and aces Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola certainly played a factor in why the Marlins should have been wary.

And they all did.

But it was the noise that Bell feared might rattle the Marlins.

That Red October cacophony of rapturous cheering, constant clapping, ear-pounding roars that have turned Citizens Bank Park into one of the biggest menaces for visiting teams in all of sports.

“I was trying to prepare the guys for it just on the flight over,” Bell said before a 7-1 loss Wednesday night completed

Philadelphia’s two-game

Wild Card Series sweep.

Bell was in the lineup a year ago for San Diego when Harper hit a decisive two-run homer that ushered the Phillies into the World Series. About a year later, Bell was back in the postseason, this time a helpless bystander at first base for the Marlins as Stott hit a grand slam that turned the ballpark into a madhouse.

At that point, there was little the Marlins could do, and their first postseason appearance since 2003 in

JONQUEL

FROM PAGE 12

averaging a double-double in the playoffs. She has consistently put up 25.8 ppg, 11.2 boards, and is converting field goals on an efficient 59.5 per cent shooting. The two superteams have collided four times in the regular season and split the games 2-2 on their respective home turfs.

However, in the fifth meetup, the Liberty took down the Aces 82-63 to capture the Commissioner’s Cup title from last year’s winners.

Despite the in-season tournament loss, the Aces are attempting to make WNBA history by becoming the first team since the Los Angeles Sparks (20012002) to win back-to-back titles. With history on the line for both clubs, the competition level is expected to skyrocket not only on the court but also on the sidelines.

Aces head coach Becky Hammon and Liberty coach Sandy Brondello both played as WNBA guards and have earned title wins in the women’s league.

The sideline showdown is the first time two former WNBA players are coaching against each other in the WNBA finals.

Both teams and WNBA fans are ready to watch the league’s two top teams go head-to-head.

Meanwhile, Jones is on the hunt for her first WNBA championship.

The Aces will have the home court advantage on Sunday as the Liberty travel to Las Vegas, Nevada for game one. The best-of-five series is set for 3pm at the Michelob ULTRA Arena.

a non-pandemic year was doomed.

“We lost to a really good team, and I don’t think there’s much to hang your head about,” rookie manager Skip Schumaker said.

Marlins shortstop Jon Berti ran them out of a rally against Nola in the third. Braxton Garrett could only muster three innings in a start that could have saved the season.

Yes, two games is a small sample size, but with a playoff series at stake, the bats fizzled. Big league batting champion Luis Arraez, playing on a sprained left ankle, was 1 for 8 with no RBIs, as was Jorge Soler.

Jazz Chisholm Jr went 0 for 8 with four strikeouts. The Marlins hit .194 and scored just two runs.

It’s easy for a lineup to slump in a hurry when it faces aces such as Wheeler and Nola on consecutive nights. Schumaker — who played for World Serieswinning clubs in St. Louis in 2006 and 2011 — came to Miami from the Cardinals, with whom he spent last season as the bench coach.

He got a close-up look at Nola and Wheeler last October when the Phillies swept the Cardinals in the Wild Card Series. Wheeler took a no-decision in Game 1 and Nola won the Game 2 clincher.

“Wheeler and Nola. Those guys are going to haunt my dreams,” Schumaker said. “Last year, they kicked us out in St.

Louis, and this year they kicked us out here in Miami.”

Still, getting swept shouldn’t be viewed as a total downer in Miami. The surprising Marlins earned only the fourth playoff berth in the history of a franchise that started play in 1993, albeit one with a pair of World Series titles.

Heartened by Schumaker’s relentless optimism and shrewd moves by general manager Kim Ng, the largely anonymous Marlins — who finished with 93 or more losses in each of the previous four non-pandemic-shortened seasons — went 84-78. And they did it on the cheap.

Miami’s payroll at the end of the season was just $104 million, less than half

of the $241 million spent by the Phillies.

The Marlins earned the NL’s second wild card despite a minus-57 run difference, the worst of any postseason team in major league history.

Yet, behind Arraez’s .354 batting average and Soler’s 36 homers, the Marlins finished a remarkable 33-14 in one-run games.

Now they’re headed home, leaving the Philly frenzy behind them.

“As a manager, I was sitting back and kind of observing it a little bit more, and it was loud,” Schumaker said.

“You could see the towels. I think you saw some of our players kind of look around like, OK, this is what the postseason is all

LIVERPOOL, WEST HAM REMAIN PERFECT IN EUROPA LEAGUE

By KAREL JANICEK Associated Press

RYAN Gravenberch scored his first goal for his new club as Liverpool brushed aside Union SaintGilloise in the Europa League yesterday.

The Dutch midfielder, who joined from Bayern Munich in the off-season, netted from a rebound shortly before halftime to put Liverpool 1-0 up.

about. If you haven’t been there before, you don’t know. Talking with some of our younger guys that haven’t been there, talking with them this morning, they’re like, OK, I get it.”

The Marlins couldn’t solve Wheeler or Nola. Their pitching couldn’t shut down Philly’s big boppers.

And the Marlins sure couldn’t quiet a Phillies crowd that came primed for another postseason party.

But perhaps Philadelphia also showed the Marlins what it takes to win a postseason series.

“I think those guys are now understanding what winning looks like and should look like,” Schumaker said. “It was a really fun year.”

GYMNASTICS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: SIMONE BILES LEADS

AMERICAN WOMEN TO RECORD 7TH STRAIGHT TEAM TITLE

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN AP Sports Writer

ANTWERP, Belgium

(AP) — Simone Biles and her teammates were far from perfect, and yet nothing could stand in the way of a victory that set a record for both the U.S. women’s team and the greatest gymnast in history.

The U.S. women earned a record seventh consecutive team title at the gymnastics world championships on Wednesday night. For Biles, it was also her 33rd major championship medal — across the worlds and Olympics — to make her the most decorated female gymnast ever.

And it’s fitting that it came in Antwerp, the Belgian port city where Biles came to international prominence 10 years ago by winning her first world title in 2013.

“It wasn’t Team USA’s best day,” Biles said. “It’s crazy, we still pulled it out. So I’m really, really proud of the team.”

The American team of Biles, Shilese Jones, Skye Blakely, Joscelyn Roberson and Leanne Wong combined for a total of 167.729 points to edge second-place Brazil and France.

The U.S. team won by a margin of 2.199 points as the final proved to be a closer contest than anticipated after the Americans put up a dominant performance in qualifying

to finish more than five points ahead of the field.

“We had some mistakes here and there, but just keep going, keep relying on our training,” Biles said.

“But I think this team that we have brought this year has the most great courage and fight. ... We had so many emotions going throughout the day.”

The U.S. women have won gold in the team event at every world championship that included a team competition since 2011. Their victory in Antwerp broke a tie with the Chinese men for the longest

streak of consecutive team titles.

Biles now has 26 world championship medals, 20 of them gold, to go with her seven Olympic medals, including the 2016 Olympic title. Her 33 combined medals at the sport’s two biggest events are one more than what Larisa Latynina of the Soviet Union achieved. Russia was banned from the event because of sanctions imposed by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) as a result of the war against Ukraine. In the absence of their Russian rivals — the defending

Diogo Jota then sealed Liverpool’s second straight win in the second-tier European competition with a low shot in second-half stoppage time.

Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister started on the bench before coming on as a substitute after halftime to join older brother Kevin, a defender for Belgian club Union, on the field.

The Reds are two points clear atop Group E ahead of Toulouse, who beat Austria’s LASK 1-0.

Liverpool has missed out on qualification to the Champions League for the first time since 2016.

Goals from Lucas Paquetá and Nayef Aguerd helped West Ham make it two wins from two games in the Europa League with a 2-1 victory at Freiburg.

Unmarked in the area, Aguerd headed the winner from a James Ward-Prowse corner in the 66th minute, the ball bouncing in off the underside of the crossbar.

Olympic champions — the Americans were the overwhelming favorites.

But the U.S team overcame an early scare as Roberson was forced out of the event even before it started after she seemed to hurt an ankle while warming up at the vault. She was helped off the mat and subbed by Wong.

“My ankle just ... popped,” Roberson said.

Jones then kicked off the competition smoothly for the Americans with a Double Twist Yurchenko, with only a small hop. Wong responded to the last-minute call with a clean effort before Biles opted for the slightly safer “Cheng” vault rather than the Yurchenko Double Pike she performed during qualifying on Sunday.

The Americans amassed 42.966 points and were second behind China after the first rotation following the Chinese gymnasts’ excellent display on uneven bars.

Biles and her teammates then bested their Chinese opponents’ performance on bars as they took the overall lead with a margin of 1.467 points. They increased it a bit further after the beam — despite a sixth-place finish on that apparatus — as Biles made up for the modest 11.700 Wong received by scoring 14.300 with a solid routine. Biles capped off a successful night for the U.S team with a spectacular floor routine rewarded by a 15.166.

Addressing Sudden Death in Youth Sports: A Call for Vigilance and Preparedness

FROM PAGE 12

the importance of reporting symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, or unexplained fainting.

The Collective Responsibility

Sudden death in youth sports is a stark reminder of the vulnerability of young athletes. While no preventive measure can guarantee absolute safety, a collective responsibility exists within the sports community:

Education: Coaches, athletes, parents, and

medical staff must be educated about recognising warning signs and responding swiftly to emergencies.

Emergency Preparedness: Having an emergency action plan in place at all sporting events is crucial, ensuring that timely and appropriate care can be administered.

Access to Medical Professionals: Establishing accessible and rapid access to medical professionals during practices and games is essential.

Emphasizing Hydration: Promoting proper hydration and heat management practices, particularly in hot climates like the Bahamas, is critical.

In conclusion, sudden death in youth sports is a heartbreaking reality that underscores the importance of proactive measures to ensure the safety of young athletes. While we cannot eliminate all risks, we can minimise them through comprehensive pre-participation

evaluations, education, and a commitment to swift action when emergencies arise.

Let these tragic events serve as a poignant reminder of our duty to protect and support our youth in their sporting endeavors.

Our hearts go out to the families and communities affected by these recent losses, and we share in the collective determination to prevent such tragedies

Bazard is a Bahamian sports medicine physician, sports performance coach, sports nutrition specialist and founder of Empire Sports Medicine. Our mission is to empower athletes to reach new heights while safeguarding their health and well-being. We understand the unique demands of sports activities, and we are dedicated to helping athletes prevent injuries, overcome challenges, optimise nutrition and performance.

West Ham, winners of the Europa Conference League last season, had taken the lead in the eighth minute with Paquetá rising high to head in a cross from Jarrod Bowen.

Roland Sallai then equalised for Freiburg after pouncing on a rebound four minutes into the second half.

West Ham tops Group A on six points. Freiburg remains on three with Serbia’s TSC Backa Topola and Olympiacos both on one after drawing 2-2. West Ham fans were banned from the game as punishment by UEFA for incidents at the Europa Conference League final in Prague.

In Group B, João Pedro converted a penalty two minutes from time to earn the first point in European competition for Brighton as it held Marseille to a 2-2 draw in France.

The Seagulls trailed 2-0 at half time after goals from defender Chancel Mbemba and midfielder Jordan Veretout before Pascal Gross pulled one back. New Marseille coach Gennaro Gattuso remains winless after two games.

NPBA FROM PAGE 12

on whether repairs will interfere with the start of the NPBA regular season.

Despite the setback, Smith promises the NPBA fans that the season is going to be great.

“I think that this is going to be a spectacular season. We are going to have a very exciting season. You are going to see basketball played at a very high level and we are going to make sure that we bring along the things that help to enhance the sport and get people to support it,” he said.

The NPBA president also addressed working along with the new executives since this summer’s elections.

“When you have a new team it is a matter of trying to get everybody to blend, second thing is you had a previous administration that did things a particular way and you now have to bring people along,” he said.

The process is ongoing for the NPBA officials as they find ways to successfully execute their plans for this upcoming basketball season.

JASRADO “Jazz” Chisholm Jr watches warm-ups before Game 1 in an NL wild-card baseball playoff series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday, October 3, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

UNITED States’ Simone Biles competes on the beam during the women’s team final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Geert vanden Wijngaert)

Youth Flag Football clinic on Harbour Island was a success

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Youth Flag Football League

(BYFFL) partnered with the newly formed Barracudas Flag Football Club in Harbour Island to host a successful training clinic last weekend.

The one-day event saw more than 30 kids come out to learn running drills, along with other fundamentals essential to the game of flag football.

Darren Johnson, head coach of the Barracudas Flag Football Club, formed the island’s first youth flag football team five weeks ago as he and coach Tomaz Mackey wanted the kids on the island to be involved in more extracurricular sporting activities.

“The Barracudas is a newly organised flag football team that I am honoured and excited to be a part of.

“Myself, coach Tommy, and coach Brad were talking about doing this for several years now and I was able to make the right connections a couple months ago to put this all together,” Johnson said.

The newest club was assisted in its early stages this past weekend by BYFFL coaches Reginald Munroe, Ulan Dawkins and Inne Marshall.

The trio offered training to the kids between the ages of 4-15 years old at the one-day flag football clinic on the Family Island.

Although coach Mackey and Johnson are no strangers to the game of football, operating a club of this magnitude for the first time was new to them therefore, they decided to reach out to the BYFFL’s programme director Jayson Clarke for help.

The goals of the two parties aligned perfectly as it is the BYFFL’s mission to grow the sport, not

CHIEFS ARE STRUGGLING TO GET SOME PRODUCTION FROM WIDE RECEIVERS

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo.

(AP) — Patrick Mahomes stood in the pocket for what seemed an eternity and, after finally giving up on finding anybody downfield, the Chiefs quarterback tucked the ball and ran for a crucial first down against the New York Jets. That play last Sunday night wasn’t the first time Mahomes has failed to find much help this season.

Through the first four games, the entire Chiefs wide receiver corps has combined to catch 45 passes for 588 yards and just two touchdowns. To put that into perspective, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson — whom they will see on Sunday — has already caught 33 passes for 543 yards and three scores all by himself.

The meagre production from Kansas City wide receivers has had a trickledown effect on the rest of the offence, which outside of a big performance against lowly Chicago has struggled to put up the big points for which it has become known.

“The beauty of our offence,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said yesterday, “is that we’ve got a lot of different guys that are learning how to play wide receiver within this offence, and we’re learning who they are. So it’s a little bit of both, and it just continually grows, and hopefully to the point that when we get to the end of the season that we’re rolling.”

In other words, some of the blame for the poor production can be traced back to youth. Wide receiver Skyy Moore is only in his second season. Kadarius Toney in his second with the Chiefs. Rashee Rice and Justyn Ross had never stepped on the field for a regularseason NFL game before Week 1 against Detroit.

So they’re all learning on the fly.

They’re learning how to get away from man coverage, which is far more difficult at the professional level than college. They are learning how to uncover soft spots in zones, which also means building a rapport with Mahomes so that the quarterback knows when and where the wide receiver might be setting down and waiting for the ball.

only in New Providence but throughout the Family Islands as well.

Johnson is excited for the future possibilities that flag football can bring to the youth of Harbour Island.

“Our main goal is just to teach the kids discipline, team building, conflict resolution, better ways to follow instructions, and

also having a great attitude which are life skills they need to make them go far in life,” he said.

The coach added that they plan to use the fun and excitement of the sport to continue to grow the programme and coach the young men and women.

The Barracudas coach also welcomed other

settlements to join his team in their beginning stages of expanding the sport on the island.

“We are ready and are getting set up so we want to play with other young individuals and teams. We are starting a torch and want to continue to pass the torch onto other persons who want to pick it up and carry

on this programme with us and help us to do something exciting and good for the kids in this area,” he said.

The BYFFL and Barracudas Flag Football Club were both pleased with last weekend’s clinic and are looking forward to continued partnership, growth and success.

ALL BLACKS FINISH RUGBY WORLD CUP POOL PLAY WITH 73-0 WIN OVER URUGUAY

FROM PAGE 12

leading role, staking a claim for a bench role in the quarterfinals squad.

McKenzie also shone from fullback and his sublime piece of skill to create a try for Jordan was the All Blacks’ highlight of the first half. He kicked ahead and when the ball bounced, he balanced precariously close to the touchline and swept the ball one-handed to Jordan.

By halftime, the All Blacks had control of possession and tries came more regularly. They were able to lift the tempo of the match as they had tried but mostly failed to do in the first half as referee Wayne Barnes often found fault with their breakdown technique.

With momentum, the All Blacks scored first-half tries through McKenzie, Richie Mo’unga, Jordan and Roigard and started the second half with tries to prop Fletcher Newell — his first in tests — a second to McKenzie and Fainga’anuku’s first.

But when they ran on their bench from 50 minutes or so their cohesion again began to fray and the match became scrappy. More than 10 minutes elapsed between their seventh try and their eighth, a second to Jordan again from strong scrummaging.

Fainga’anuku completed his hat trick with tries in the 68th and 78th minutes and prop Tamaiti Williams also celebrated his first test try while New Zealand cycled through three

goalkickers — Mo’unga, McKenzie and Beauden Barrett — who all kicked conversions.

“We expected that sort of game,” New Zealand coach Ian Foster said. “We talked about how this was going to turn into a bit of a bun fight at the breakdown.

“We flagged earlier we were really impressed with their work in the pool and it took us a while to break them down. They put a lot of energy into that period and reaped some rewards but it is how you sustain that for 80 minutes.”

At the end of their pool matches and ahead of a potential quarterfinal against Ireland, the All Blacks will reflect carefully on concerning aspects of Thursday’s match. They can’t afford a slow start, a

lack of organisation at the breakdown or the poor skill execution that plagued them early.

The date with Ireland still depends on the outcome of today’s final Pool A match between France and Italy and anticipates a French win.

There still were high points on Thursday. All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock became only the second male international after Wales’ Alun Wyn Jones to play 150 tests. All of New Zealand’s front-liners came through unscathed and there still is strong competition for some places in the quarterfinal lineup.

Roigard, McKenzie, Jordan, Fainga’anuku and Anton Lienert-Brown had good matches among the backs and the improvement

in the All Blacks scrum continued.

Uruguay’s World Cup is over but they have won admirers for their dogged performances.

“Uruguay have been outstanding in this World Cup,” Cane said. “I have enjoyed watching their passion and ability to throw the ball around.”

Uruguay captain Andres Vilaseca called their World Cup experience amazing.

“Today, we were against the best team in the world and sometimes you just have to keep pushing and try your best,” he said. “We can be very proud of ourselves.

“It’s about learning and trying to give our best and trying to grow the sport in Uruguay. It has been amazing.”

It also means figuring out how defences might be trying to confuse everything else they do.

“A lot of NFL defences, they’re very good at trying to disguise what they’re actually going to run,” Rice explained, “so it just kind of forces our offence to use a lot of motions and stuff so we can diagnose the defence.”

It remains a work in progress. And in the meantime, the offence has been suffering.

There were 11 wide receivers in the league entering this week with more touchdown receptions than the entire Kansas City crew.

Rice tops the team with just 13 catches for a scant 140 yards, while Justin Watson leads that group with 163 yards receiving. Neither them nor anyone else has been able to produce the splash plays that are a hallmark of the Chiefs, either.

TEAM EFFORT: The Bahamas Youth Flag Football League (BYFFL) partnered with the Barracudas Flag Football Club in Harbour Island to host a youth flag football clinic this past weekend.

Wisconsin hearing considers $614M plan to fund Milwaukee Brewers stadium repairs

By TODD RICHMOND

Associated Press

THE chief architect of a plan to hand the Milwaukee Brewers more than $614 million to cover stadium improvements defended his proposal Thursday in front of a legislative committee, promising the deal will keep the team in Milwaukee for another generation without new taxes.

Republican state Rep. Rob Brooks has developed a pair of bills that call for handing public dollars from the state, the city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County to the team. He argued for the bills at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis during a hearing organized by the state Assembly.

The team’s fans are reeling after the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Brewers 5-2 on Wednesday night, eliminating them from the playoffs. Brooks began his presentation by joking that he doesn’t blame the committee for the loss.

He spent the next hour and a half promoting the proposal. He stressed that

the package creates no new taxes, instead using income taxes on players’ salaries as a funding stream. He warned that if the Brewers were to leave Wisconsin the state, the city and the county would lose tens of millions of dollars in income and sales taxes. That could translate to dips in state aid to municipalities across the state.

Public funding for professional sports facilities is hotly debated across the country. The team’s principal owner, Mark Attanasio, has an estimated net worth of $700 million, according to Yahoo Finance. The team itself is valued at around $1.6 billion, according to Forbes. Still, the Brewers have been working for months to secure public funding for stadium repairs and upgrades.

The team so far has not threatened to leave Milwaukee if it doesn’t get public help, but relocation is always a possibility if a city willing to pay the team’s bills steps forward.

Democrats on the committee gave Brooks’ proposal a cool reception.

Rep. Tod Ohnstad, a Kenosha Democrat, questioned whether it’s worth investing in baseball at all.

He said the sport is losing popularity, adding that he “tortured” himself watching the Diamondbacks sweep the Brewers out of the playoffs. He said the proposal needs substantial changes to earn his vote.

Other Democrats complained the proposal asks for too much money from the cash-strapped city and county. The city increased its sales tax by 2% and the county doubled its sales tax earlier this year as part of a plan to avoid bankruptcy and deep cuts to services.

Brooks countered that the proposal calls for winterizing the stadium so the Brewers can rent it out year-round for events such as concerts, generating more sales tax for the state and local governments.

He added that he’s working on an amendment that calls for attaching a fee on tickets for non-baseball events that would be split between the state, the city and the county. He’s also working on another

amendment that would create a group that would study developing the stadium’s parking lots into a restaurant district that would provide more tax revenue.

He argued that losing the Brewers would put the city and county in an even worse financial position. Keeping the Brewers in Milwaukee provides businesses with the certainty they need to invest in the area around the stadium, he said.

Rick Schlesinger, the Brewers’ vice president of business operations, told the committee he wished he had to leave for another playoff game, but “baseball sometimes breaks your heart.”

He stressed that the team wants to stay in Milwaukee but needs certainty and emphasized that the Brewers would chip in $100 million for renovations. He said the team makes Milwaukee attractive and generates tax revenue from fans who visit the stadium from across the state and the Midwest.

Schlesinger rejected suggestions to develop

restaurants and bars in the stadium’s parking lots in an attempt to generate more tax revenue, saying that would exacerbate parking shortages and hurt tailgating traditions.

Hunter Hamberlin, state policy manager for the Washington, D.C.-based Taxpayer Protection Alliance, blasted the proposal as “corporate welfare” and urged legislators to focus on the state’s real needs rather than a baseball stadium.

Milwaukee community advocate Beverly Hamilton-Williams accused the committee of disrespecting residents by making them wait hours to speak while giving lawmakers and Brewers officials the first slots of the day. She said it was an “insult and degrading” to expect the city’s Black population to pay $200 million to fund a stadium most of them never visit.

Reports commissioned by the Brewers and another by a state consultant found the stadium’s glass outfield doors, seats and concourses should be replaced. Its luxury suites

and technology such as its sound system and video scoreboard need upgrades, and its signature retractable roof needs repairs. Fire suppression systems, parking lots, elevators and escalators need work, too.

Under Brooks’ proposal, the state would give the team $60.8 million next fiscal year and up to $20 million each year after that into 2046. The city of Milwaukee would contribute a total of $202 million and Milwaukee County would kick in $135 million by 2050.

The team would contribute about $100 million and extend its lease at American Family Field through 2050, keeping Major League Baseball in its smallest market for another 27 years.

According to a Legislative Fiscal Bureau memo attached to the legislation, baseball operations at the stadium currently generate about $19.8 million annually in state and local taxes. That figure is expected to grow to $50.7 million annually by 2050, according to the memo.

FTX CO-FOUNDER TESTIFIES AGAINST

SAM BANKMAN-FRIED, SAYING THEY

COMMITTED CRIMES AND LIED TO PUBLIC

By LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press

PROSECUTORS went to the heart of their case against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried on Thursday as the company's co-founder began his testimony, telling a New York jury that he and BankmanFried committed financial crimes and lied to the public before the cryptocurrency trading platform collapsed last year.

Gary Wang, 30, said he committed wire, securities and commodities fraud as the chief technical officer at FTX after also sharing ownership in Alameda Research, a cryptocurrency hedge fund that he and Bankman-Fried started in 2017 and eventually used to withdraw $8 billion in FTX funds illegally. He said Bankman-Fried directed the illegal moves. His assertions came on the second day of testimony at a trial expected to last up to six weeks as prosecutors try to prove that BankmanFried stole billions of dollars from investors and customers to buy luxury beachfront real estate, enrich himself and make over $100 million in political contributions aimed at influencing cryptocurrency regulation.

Bankman-Fried, 31, who has been jailed since August, was brought to the United States from the Bahamas last December after he was charged in Manhattan federal court. He has pleaded not guilty.

Before the trial began Tuesday, prosecutors promised to use testimony from Bankman-Fried's "trusted inner circle" to prove he intentionally stole from customers and investors and then lied about it. Defense lawyers say Bankman-Fried had no criminal intent as he took actions to try to save his businesses after the cryptocurrency market collapsed.

In just over a half hour of testimony, Wang said he and Bankman-Fried allowed Alameda Research to withdraw unlimited funds from FTX "and we lied to the public."

Wang said not only was Alameda Research permitted to maintain negative balances and unlimited open positions, but the computer code that controlled its operations was written

to provide a line of credit of $65 billion, a number so large that Judge Lewis A. Kaplan questioned Wang briefly to ensure he was talking about billions rather than millions.

Wang testified that the special computer code features were directed by Bankman-Fried, a man he met over a decade ago at a high school summer camp after moving to the United States from China and growing up in Minnesota.

Wang said he was paid $200,000 in salary, along with owning 10% of Alameda and 17% of FTX, enough shares to be a billionaire before the businesses collapsed.

He said money flowed so freely at Alameda that he was able to borrow a million dollars for a home and between $200 million and $300 million to make investments.

Wang is the first of a trio of former top executives slated to testify against Bankman-Fried after pleading guilty to fraud charges in cooperation deals that could win them substantial leniency at sentencing.

The others are Carolyn Ellison, Alameda Research's former chief executive and a former girlfriend of Bankman-Fried, and Nishad Singh, the former engineering director at FTX.

Earlier in the day, jurors heard testimony from Adam Yedidia, who said he developed software for FTX before quitting the company when he learned last November that Alameda had used money from investors to pay creditors.

He said he lived with Bankman-Fried and other top executives in June or July of 2022 when he told Bankman-Fried one day that he was concerned that Alameda owed FTX a large debt. He said he wanted to know if things were OK.

"Sam said something like, 'We weren't bulletproof last year. We're not bulletproof this year,'" he recalled. When he asked how long it might take to become bulletproof again, he said a seemingly nervous and worried Bankman-Fried responded that it could take three months to three years.

Stem cell overhaul ‘no game changer’

FROM PAGE A24

therapies has not borne great clinical outcome fruit.

It has not had the great outcomes that people had hoped. It continues to be a work in progress.”

The Davis administration is planning to “repeal and replace the current Stem Cell Act to tighten its regulatory framework”, as announced in Wednesday’s Speech from the Throne.

Dr Sands said the original legislation, passed under the Christie administration in 2014, ignited an initial “flurry of activity.. with a few projects getting off the ground, none of which have been sustained.

“I don’t think that was an issue with the legislative framework,” he added.

“I think it has more to do with the application of technology and therapy, and the enthusiasm has since waned. I see no reason why we shouldn’t continue to look for opportunities, but I don’t see this as being a game changer. It’s an interesting side bar, but nothing so great.”

One of the “projects” referred to by Dr Sands was the Freeport-based Okyanos Centre for Regenerative Medicine, which ultimately was placed into Supreme Court-supervised liquidation after Hurricane Dorian and wound-up.

Less than 3 percent of $16.5m in creditor claims had been accepted as at end-May 2022.

Cheryl Simms, liquidator for the company, revealed in her first report to the Supreme Court that just $448,883 worth of claims were valid at that date with a decision yet to be made on a further $14.336m.

The Kikivarakis & Company accountant, disclosing that she has rejected another $1.684m in creditor demands, said the $14.336m represents claims

by just two creditors - one of whom, LS Enterprises, petitioned for Okyanos’ liquidation under Supreme Court supervision. As the stem cell therapy provider’s main financier, it is seeking to recover some $12.438m that was advanced as loans to cover multi-million dollar losses prior to the company’s closure.

The liquidator’s report, obtained by Tribune Business, detailed several battles that Ms Simms faced in seeking to progress the liquidation. Besides a “challenging” relationship with Okyanos’ landlord, the previously BISX-listed fund, Premier Real Estate Investment Corporation, which featured legal “threats” and payment demands, she also had to negotiate a settlement of the stem cell therapy provider’s Hurricane Dorian coverage claim with Insurance Management.

Ms Simms also detailed the struggle to sell-off Okyanos’ specialist medical equipment, and other assets, to a narrow range of buyers amid the lockdowns and various other restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first sales process, just 45 percent of promised payments from winning bidders were received, which forced the liquidator to stage a second bid that saw Doctors Hospital acquire the remaining equipment for $425,000.

Okyanos was suffering from a $7.553m solvency deficiency, with $5.667m in total assets dwarfed by $13.22m in liabilities, when it was placed into courtsupervised liquidation on February 6, 2020. This meant that creditors only recovered a portion of the total sum owed to them, known as “cents on the dollar”, once the windingup completed.

Regulator: ArawakX portal provider owed $28k debts

FROM PAGE A24

of services to the respondent for the ArawakX crowd-funding platform,” the Securities Commission chief continued. “The e-mail revealed that the respondent has this outstanding claim, being indebted to CrowdEngine in the amount of $27.916.”

The CrowdEngine revelation came as Ms Rolle argued that, “well before the Commission’s investigation” into ArawakX began, the crowd-funding platform “became insolvent through its own actions, particularly due to excessive operational spending and a lack of revenue to support their operational spending.

“The trigger for the investigation of the respondent’s insolvency was the Commission’s review and analysis of the management accounts prepared by the respondent and received by the Commission at the time of the on-site examination,” Ms Rolle alleged. “Based on the information provided, the Commission calculated a negative working capital of $213,626.”

Those accounts, signed by Mr Rahming, showed ArawakX as having a net worth or solvency of just $14,272 at end-July 2022 with a $2.323m accumulated deficit (total losses since inception) having almost wiped out $2.337m

in total capital. And the draft financial statements provided by LDL & Associates, ArawakX’s external auditors, disclosed accounts payables and accrued expenses totalling $1.2m.

Other liabilities included the $1.9m due to investors who had subscribed for equity shares in ArawakX, but had not been approved by the Securities Commission; some $349,605 in bank loans; $293,957 due to a related party; $181,329 owed to clients; and $50,000 worth of redeemable preference shares. “Therefore, the respondent’s own classification of their debt total is approximately $4m,” Ms Rolle added.

Correspondence between ArawakX and CrowdEngine reveals that Laura Summerhays, an accountant for the latter, warned the crowd-funding platform on May 9, 2022, that it would have to cut-off its portal and associated support due to non-payment.

“Unfortunately, we will not be able to extend the courtesy longer than we have already done so,” she wrote. “Although we’ve had a long-standing business relationship, during the course of our partnership payment has been consistently past due over 30 days, and longer in some instances for most of the time you’ve been a client and now we’re

approaching 90 days in this current iteration.”

Acknowledging the difficulties faced by start-ups such as ArawakX, Ms Summerhays added: “Although we believe in you as a company and are rooting for you, we cannot keep providing services without being compensated. “We incur operating costs as you do and, although we would love to keep working with you, we cannot let your invoices go beyond this point.”

CrowdEngine reached its decision to cut-off ArawakX’s crowd-fund portal despite a last-ditch plea from Mr Rahming on May 6, 2022. He said the platform was on the verge of “exclusively” developing a Bahamas Government Savings Bond product that “will entitle is to 0.5 percent of a $2bn-$3bn market”.

CrowdEngine’s decision provoked a withering response from Mr Rahming on June 7 last year. “We explained to you that we were undergoing another round of funding and our cash was not consistent at this time,” he charged. “You responded by cutting off our administration rights and essentially crippling our business.

“While we may not have been consistent in payment, we have paid even during the lockdowns of 2020 with the pandemic when we were unable to launch our company nor earn any operating revenue. We did not use the system until August 2021.

“During this period we paid about $60,000 without generating any revenues. Then we paid an additional $24,000 while in operations. Admittedly these payments were inconsistent as we are

a start-up.” Mr Rahming closed by promising that ArawakX would pay its bills.

CrowdEngine, though, said it had sent multiple e-mails and warnings requesting payment, and argued: “We have gone above and beyond to accommodate and work with you.” This involved supplying the software and associated services, plus customisation and build-out of the crowd-fund platform.

The matter was then turned over to the GGR Inc collections agency, which both sought to negotiate a settlement with ArawakX and obtain the monies due. After several months’ backand-forth, the e-mail chain shows it threatened to “file a formal complaint with the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce” on October 11, 2022.

“Due to no response, I have copied the Ministry of

Finance’s Compliance Commission in order to open an inquiry complaint against your business due to nonpayment,” GGR’s Aracelli Carrillo wrote on November 29, 2022.

ArawakX blamed its lack of response on having dismissed its former chief financial officer, Michael Turnquest. D’Arcy Rahming junior, the platform’s chief technology officer, wrote on March 17, 2023, that CrowdEngine was wrongly branding the matter “a theft of services” because it had cut-off ArawakX and then continued to bill for services that were not rendered. Despite further promises of settlement, no payment was allegedly ever received, leading GGR to complain to the Securities Commission and share the e-mail thread on September 26, 2023.

FROM PAGE A24

a 25 cent increase in gasoline margins on an annual basis once fluctuations in fuel prices were taken into consideration. Revealing that the Association and its members were even prepared to impose a “a cap” if pump prices reached similar heights to last year’s $7 per gallon, so that the percentage would remain as if it were $6, he added that “the time for talking is over”.

“The position is quite clear. It’s simple,” Mr Jones told Tribune Business. “The Government has to understand that certain things the public has to pay for. Every other business person other than people with these fixed margins is able to increase prices to offset greater costs, and even the supermarkets said that if those things with fixed prices go up and price control doesn’t respond, they won’t sell them.

“Our entire business is based on a fixed margin for fuel. The margin has been decimated by a 75 percent increase in electricity rates, credit card fees, bank fees, a minimum wage increase and many other ordinary operating cost increases.

“All we’re saying is let us exist in a free market. Because we have price controls, make an amendment to let us stay in business. It’s not like we’re saying give us $1 and we’ll figure out the rest. We’re saying give us a 7 percent margin increase, 4 percent more than the cost, which is about 28 cents to 30 cents per gallon,” Mr Jones continued.

“It will cost the average person on the road $5 more per week depending on their driving habits. It will not kill anyone, and will allow us to survive. All we’re saying is, Mr Prime Minister, the public will pay this. You have to make a decision. Costs will go up, and come down over time, but you need to adjust this so these business people can survive. That’s all we’re asking.”

The argument from the Association and its members is that the 54 cent per gallon gasoline margin, which was last increased in 2011, is no longer sufficient to cover multiple, significant cost hikes and enable them to stay in business by generating a profit.

Mr Jones yesterday said retailers “can live with” the switch to a percentage-based margin that he added the Government was considering earlier this year. “They gave us a proposal back in April and said here’s what we propose to do for you,” the Association president recalled. “We looked at it, told the membership it’s not what we want but it’s a start, so let’s move on.

“We went back and then, I don’t know. Maybe they got cold feet. They proposed to adjust the margin on a percentage. Our estimation was

that, with fluctuations over a year, it would probably work out to a 25 cent per gallon increase. We’re probably one of the lowest in the Caribbean in fuel margins.”

Warning that several gas station operators are on the verge of shutting their businesses, Mr Jones said: “That’s all we’re asking: Let us survive. Not to make us rich, but to survive. Retailers are now scrambling to continue to purchase fuel and cover the cost of electricity. Now they’re having to go to BPL with postdated cheques because it’s so out-of-whack.

“There are a number of retailers saying that, in a month, they will close the door and give the keys back to the wholesalers. The time for talking is over. We need the Government to take decisive action to give us some relief. We’re not advocating they give us their taxes. We need something to survive. That’s the message we have to get across to them. We understand their plight in not wanting to increase gas prices, but this is necessary for survival.”

Mr Halkitis yesterday again ruled out a margin increase that would raise gas prices for consumers. He also ruled out reducing the Government’s petroleum industry taxes, as to do so would create a revenue shortfall that it would have to cover elsewhere in its Budget.

“It’s been a difficult situation because if it was easy we still wouldn’t be talking about it now, and I’m not making light of it,” the minister said. “It’s a difficult situation and we understand the plight of the retailers and the conditions that they have to operate in, including the rents and franchise fees and all sorts of things. It makes it difficult.”

Mr Halkitis said the wholesalers - Esso, Rubis and Shell (FOCOL) - also want a margin increase, but did not indicate that a formal proposal is being considered. He added that the Government is examining the entire value chain in the petroleum sector, from when the wholesalers purchase their supplies down to when it gets to the pump, in an attempt to understand how best the Government can help lower the price of gasoline for consumers.

The government currently gets $1.70 out of every gallon of gas, while petroleum retailers get 54 cents and 33 cents on diesel. “Government does not want to be the cause of gasoline prices going up,” Mr Halkitis reiterated.

Many petroleum retailers close to giving keys back’

and their ownership until Mr Ray intervened at the last minute to claim FTX Trading is the true owner.

The latter yesterday asserted that the US Justice Department will file its own objection to Mr Aranha’s action with the Delaware Bankruptcy Court on October 11 next week. The Bahamian aviation entrepreneur, arguing that he is having to “shoulder all of the risk and expense” in maintaining the planes, costing him $5.93m over the past two years, wants the court to give him security that he will be reimbursed by whoever is determined to own them.

His first, and likely preferred outcome, is for Judge John Dorsey to find that the two planes are owned by the Trans-Island Airways chief - not Mr Ray and FTX Trading’s estate - and order that the Chapter 11 asset freeze does not apply to them.

This would enable Mr Aranha to either sell or operate the planes, while also resolving any sums still owed to Mr Ray and FTX’s creditors/investors. Alternatively, should Judge Dorsey not issue such an Order, the Bahamian aviation entrepreneur is asking the Delaware Bankruptcy Court to still lift the Chapter 11 freeze so he can “use,

action on $28m FTX aircraft ‘nonsensical’

operate, preserve and maintain” both planes or sell them should he so choose.

And, in a third and final option should Judge Dorsey not go for either at the upcoming October 19 hearing, Mr Aranha and his attorneys are seeking an Order that would enable him to impose liens on both planes such that Mr Ray would be forced to compensate him for both past and future maintenance costs incurred with their upkeep.

Mr Aranha could not be reached for comment prior to press time last night, but Mr Ray yesterday hit back by alleging that his action “is premature, unfounded and seeks relief to which the movants [the Trans-Island chief and his company] are not entitled”.

The FTX US chief also asserted that Mr Aranha’s claim to have incurred almost $6m in maintenance costs, which ultimately will inure to the benefit of the crypto exchange’s creditors and investors, is “based solely on unsupported and facially implausible statements” and should be rejected by the Delaware Bankruptcy Court.

“At its heart, this motion asks this court to issue an order finding that, although the FTX group and its employees selected the

planes, paid every penny of the approximately $27.4m to acquire the planes, and paid Aranha millions more to make extensive renovations to the planes to fit their specific needs, the planes are actually owned entirely by the movants because Aranha purports to have reached an oral ‘handshake deal’ with Bankman-Fried to treat these tens of millions of dollars in transfers as an undocumented, unsecured, zero-interest loan to Aranha,” Mr Ray and his team alleged.

“The only ‘support’ that the movants provide is a declaration from Aranha attaching a handful of documents that are silent as to the core issues..... The debtors expect to establish at the appropriate time that the movants’ claims regarding the planes are nonsensical, internally inconsistent and thoroughly contradicted by the evidence.”

Mr Aranha described handshake and oral agreements as “not unusual” in his earlier filings, as other aircraft financing deals have been secured on such terms. The two planes involved are a Bombardier Global jet, acquired for for $15.9m, on March 2, 2022, followed by an Embraer Legacy on August 4, 2022, which cost a further $12.545m. The

combined purchase price for both planes, just months before FTX’s collapse, was $28.445m.

Mr Ray yesterday alleged that FTX financed the aircraft acquisitions via Trans-Island Airways, while using its funds and those of Alameda Research, Mr Bankman-Fried’s private trading arm, “to obscure” the owner’s actual identity.

“In addition to selecting the planes and paying their entire purchase price, the FTX group also instructed Aranha to make extensive renovations to the planes to satisfy the whims of senior FTX group executives,” Mr Ray alleged.

“Between July and October 2022, Aranha invoiced the debtors more than $4m for purported upgrades to the planes and other related expenses including, among other things, nearly $1.3m for Wi-fi upgrades, approximately $900,000 for interior renovations and ‘aircraft bed systems, and $975 for ‘board game purchases for SBF for airplane’.”

The Embraer Legacy remains under Mr Aranha’s control in a hangar in Nassau, and Mr Ray yesterday alleged the Trans-Island owner is using this as “leverage” to ensure his demands

are met. “The debtors’

first communications with the movants regarding the planes were in May 2023, months after the debtors had begun discussing the planes with the [US] government,” the FTX US chief claimed.

“The debtors have repeatedly urged the movants to agree to the most logical and cost-effective path forward, which is to co-operate with the [US] government to arrange for interlocutory sales of both planes, as doing so would allow the parties to address at the appropriate time any disputes as to their respective entitlement to the sale proceeds without the movants incurring further maintenance and storage costs.

“As to the Global currently in the [US] government’s possession, the movants have professed a willingness to agree to a sale, yet have for months sought to impose on the government and the debtors a shifting series of conditions with respect to the sale process and treatment of proceeds for any sale,” Mr Ray continued.

“As to the Legacy, the movants have flatly refused to commit to conducting a sale, instead using

their current possession of the Legacy as leverage to try to force the debtors to grant the movants an unjustified windfall or to fund the Movants’ business operations.”

It is understood that Mr Aranha and his attorneys reject this interpretation of events, while holding the position that it is Mr Ray - rather than themselveswho has been intransigent and non-cooperative in resolving the planes’ fate. Mr Ray, meanwhile, alleged that the Trans-Island Airways owner had failed to provide documentation to back his assertion that he is still owed $2.6m for aviation services provided to FTX. And he claimed that Mr Aranha had also failed to respond to requests to provide evidence supporting the near-$6m maintenance costs, although it is understood the Bahamian aviation entrepreneur’s position is that he has never been asked to provide it. And, finally, Mr Ray also denied that he asked the Bahamian provisional liquidators for FTX Digital Markets to speak with Mr Aranha on his behalf regarding the aircraft.

‘Irresistible inference’ ArawakX misused client funds to pay bills

D’Arcy Rahming senior, ArawakX’s chairman and chief executive, was last night understood to be off-island and could not be reached for comment before press time last night.

However, Ms Rolle reiterated her position that the crowd-funding platform’s solvency and other woes are “insurmountable and, as such, the respondent must be wound-up.

“The appointment of a provisional liquidator is immediately necessary in order for further investigation to be done of the books and records of the respondent,” she added. “Based on all of the outstanding issues identified in this and the principal affidavit to-date, the continued operation of the respondent would be detrimental to the interest of the investing public.

“In meeting the Commission’s mandate to protect investors, the Commission is obliged to pursue the winding-up.... The

winding-up of the respondent is necessary for the protection of the investing public and to maintain the integrity of the capital markets in The Bahamas.”

The Securities Commission is seeking the appointment of Ecovis Bahamas accountant, James Gomez, as ArawakX’s provisional liquidator. The Supreme Court will determine if this happens at an October 13 hearing, where both sides will present their respective arguments for and against why the crowdfunding platform should be wound-up.

Mr Rahming earlier this week accused the Securities Commission of being too focused on accounting matters when examining ArawakX’s solvency. He argued that it was neglecting a $70m-strong crowd-funding “pipeline” of companies who wanted to raise equity capital from investors via its platform - which, with issuer fees of 10 percent, would

translate into up to $7m of fee income if all business came through.

Such a “pipeline forecast” was included among documents attached to Ms Rolle’s affidavit. “You will find the active pipeline of companies that represent a capital demand of over $60m,” ArawakX informed the Securities Commission.

“These companies are at different stages of onboarding with an objective to be listed on the platform by the end of the year.

“There are other companies that we are in discussions with but are still being evaluated or working with their respective business development managers to fine-tune their products to meet our requirements. The companies represent a wide range of industries, and include companies from outside of The Bahamas seeking to raise capital and establish a presence locally, as well as local companies seeking to grow and expand their

operations outside of The Bahamas.”

This, though, made little impression on Ms Rolle and the Securities Commission. She reiterated the regulator’s position that it cannot include unearned revenues or income in its calculation of ArawakX’s solvency.

“Tied to the respondent’s solvency claim is the assertion that there is pipeline business that should be considered by the Commission,” she acknowledged.

“In its assessment of the solvency and financial fitness of its registrants, the Commission is not able to entertain hypothetical projections about future earnings. The respondent should be aware of this and the Commission is gravely concerned that they would make such assertions nonetheless.”

Ms Rolle, though, said that “notwithstanding the Commission’s inability to consider the pipeline business as a solution for insolvency”, the regulator

had reviewed the forecast provided by ArawakX on May 8, 2023, which projected that it could earn fee income of between $2.4m to $4.7m from the crowd-fund offerings it had potentially lined up.

However, the Securities Commission chief alleged that, based on its analysis and ArawakX’s past fee earnings, the projections were likely overblown.

“There were 24 potential companies listed, of which six offerings were already concluded,” Ms Rolle said.

“Of the six concluded offerings, four were successful raises and two failed.

“From the six concluded offerings, the respondent projected maximum fees of $1.16m whereas the actual success fees totalled approximately $254,000. Of the remaining 18 companies, seven companies are indicated as having a listing agreement with the respondent, three companies are indicated as having a

non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) or agreement, and seven companies have no agreement.”

While the latter category all possessed a letter from Winston Rolle, ArawakX’s chief of equities, requesting confirmation of their continued interest in listing, Ms Rolle alleged: “Based on the historical success rates of the six concluded listings (with a 67 percent success rate and 32.56 percent actual versus projected fees on successful raises, the Commission estimates that the respondent could reasonably project income of approximately $806,411 on their pipeline of 18 companies.

“Given that only seven of the 18 are indicated as having a listing agreement, that projection should be reduced to approximately $176,703.” As a result, the Securities Commission chief implied this will do little to address ArawakX’s solvency concerns in the regulator’s eyes.

Bahamas eyes IT usage for poaching crackdown

FROM PAGE A23

Fishermen were calling for poaching to be treated as “a major economic crime” after discovering that many of their lobster traps had been emptied before the start of the season. Several of them complained that second home owners and visiting American boaters were exceeding their catch limits and fishing out-of season.

Mr Campbell said poaching is a regional issue, and Caribbean leaders will

FUNERAL HOMES: REGULATION REQUIRING ‘PROPER STRUCTURE’

FROM PAGE A23

terms of the rules or guidelines that we put in place to allow those coming into the industry to have a framework as to how things should be done.”

collaborate on how to “stem the tide” of illegal poaching during the upcoming Caribbean Agriculture Week events.

He added: “We will also be hosting a special session of the Caribbean regional fisheries mechanism’s ministerial council where we will flesh out all of these issues because The Bahamas doesn’t face the nightmare of poaching alone. And so what we want to do is get a collaborative approach as to how we as a region can stem the tide of illegal poaching in our waters.”

Cynthia Pratt, the Governor-General, in unveiling the Government’s legislative agenda for the upcoming session of Parliament, said: “Dignity and respect should also come at the end of life, and so my government will also introduce a Funeral Industry Services Bill to bring about a regulatory framework for the funeral home industry.”

Mr Ferguson added that New Providence is “running out of space” when it comes to cemeteries and burial plots, which is causing families great distress when saying final goodbyes to

their loved ones. “The cemetery has been a concern for the general public in terms of the upkeep, and also we are running out of space in New Providence in particular,” he said.

“I know the Government, years ago, had on the

drawing board a proposed cemetery in the making, but since the new administration came in we haven’t heard anything since. So we don’t know if that’s something that’s revisited, or something that’s going to be pushed aside for another decade or so.”

Lack of availability is resulting in persons losing burial plots on which they have made significant down payments but still owe an

outstanding balance. “That is part and parcel of the dilemma the public is faced with because persons, in their own wisdom, want to do something for a prearrangement by securing a space in a public cemetery,” Mr Ferguson said. “But, based on the record keeping, it’s posing a problem for any family coming years later to reclaim those spots that they would have paid for.” prevention is always better than cure.”

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

SECURITIES COMMISSION OF THE BAHAMAS

The Securities Commission of The Bahamas, a statutory agency responsible for the oversight, supervision and regulation of the securities and capital markets, investment funds, fnancial and corporate service provides and digital assets and exchanges, invites applications from qualifed individuals for the following position:

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGER

We seek to hire a full-time Human Resource (HR) Manager to provide executive level leadership and guidance to the organization’s HR operations. The HR manager is responsible for setting, enforcing and evaluating legally compliant human resource policies, procedures and best practices, and identifying and implementing long-range strategic talent management goals. Compensation packages are competitive with the fnancial services industry and other regulatory bodies.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Development of recruitment, retention and talent management strategies

• Development and evaluation of performance review criteria

• Recommendation on compensation packages for approval by the Board of the Commission

• Overseeing the daily workfow of the HR Department

• Administration of disciplinary process and termination of employees, when necessary

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with executive leadership to defne the organization’s long-term mission and goals, and identify ways to support this mission through talent management

• Review and draft policies, procedures, and practices, and amend/update where necessary

• Oversee all aspects of the organization’s recruitment and hiring process

• Lead in the development and implementation of the annual training plan

• Ensure payments and benefts to staff are processed in a correct and timely manner

• Create and review programs and initiatives aimed at improving employees’ quality of work-life and morale

• Oversee employee development initiatives and coaching to assist employees in growing in their current roles or advancing to new ones within the organization

• Oversee the performance management and bonus system

• Plan and conduct employee engagement surveys at least annually and ensure actions are taken to improve results

• Oversee employee relations and address issues such as harassment, discrimination, intimidation, exploitation, and workplace health and safety

• Oversee the development and implementation of staff wellness (i.e. CPR, health monitors etc.), including mentoring and counselling

• Lead in the development and implementation of the organization’s succession plan

• Develop programs to foster a culture of teamwork, employee empowerment and commitment to organizational goals

Ensure grievance and disciplinary procedures are handled fairly and consistently

• Participate in professional development and networking conferences and events

• Keep current with trends, best practice, regulatory changes and technologies in HR with the aim of adoption where they would lend to improvements and effciencies in HR services

Knowledge/Skills:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills

• Well organized with the ability to work in a fast paced environment

• Knowledge of laws, regulations, and best practices in employment law, HR and talent management

• Experience with the development of HR policies, processes and procedures

• Mediation training

• Profciency in Microsoft Offce Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)

Qualifcations/Experience:

• Master’s degree in HR management, psychology or related area with a minimum of 10 years’ experience as an HR Manager

• Bachelor’s degree in HR management, psychology or related area with a minimum of 15 years’ experience as an HR Manager

• Senior level SHRM and/or HRCI certifcations

Contact Information:

Senior Manager, Human Resource Department Securities Commission of The Bahamas Tel: (242) 397-4100

E-mail: hrm@scb.gov.bs

Deadline for applications: Friday 20 October 2023

MINISTER: ‘NO DESIRE’ TO AVOID PROCUREMENT ACT MANDATES

A CABINET minister yesterday asserted there was “never any sort of desire or intention to circumvent” the Public Procurement Act’s requirements as he blamed any non-compliance on the need to put in place supporting infrastructure.

Michael Halkitis, minister of economic affairs, said that Davis administration has had to ensure public

officials are fully trained and equipped to implement the Act’s legally-mandated requirements. It has also had to appoint a chief procurement officer, and implement the necessary software. The Government has previously come under fire for failing to meet stipulations, set out both in the initial Act and the one that replaced it, requiring that the identities of winning bidders, the nature of the contract, and its value all be published within 60 days of the award. This has not happened in two years,

MICHAEL HALKITIS

despite promises that these details would be published. However, some information has been made available via the Go Bonfire procurement portal.

Chamber chair: Gov’t must go further with legislative agenda

By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

THE BAHAMAS Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation’s (BCCEC) chairman yesterday voiced concern over what she branded a “lack of substantial support” for the private sector in the Speech from the Throne.

Krystle Rutherford-Ferguson, responding to the address that sets out the broad parameters of the Government’s legislative agenda for Parliament’s new session, said its contents did not go far enough in enhancing the ease of doing business and addressing other concerns harboured by Bahamian companies.

Having previously called for the Government to focus on “business friendly” legislation, she noted that the speech did not address issues such as tax reform; a framework to govern public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements; financial compensation for businesses that suffer losses due to roadworks and other public infrastructure upgrades; and a business climate resilience support scheme.

Mrs Rutherford-Ferguson said: “The BCCEC appreciates the Government of The Bahamas’ effort in presenting its new legislative agenda during the opening of Parliament on October 4, 2023, through the reading of the Speech from The Throne. However, we express concern

over the lack of substantial support for the business community.

“Collectively, the private sector employs the majority of the Bahamian workforce and, as a result, is an important constituent in the economic health of our country. We trust that the Speech from The Throne did not communicate an exhaustive list of the Government’s legislative agenda and priorities.” Issues such as energy reform, and making electricity supply more affordable and reliable, were included as part of the Davis administration’s overall themes of enhancing personal and economic security. And the Speech from the Throne also outlined several initiatives to improve the ease of doing

“In order to really effect it, there was a large infrastructure that had to be put in place at the back end of it,” Mr Halkitis said of the Act. “For example, the appointment of a chief procurement officer, the training of procurement committees in not only the Ministry of Finance, but in every single ministry and government agency. We’re talking about IT, acquiring the IT and getting people trained up on it, and so that is what we have been doing for the last, you know, 18 months.

“We are at a position right now where we have just about completed the training. And there are some of the contracts that have to be uploaded. We think we are almost at a position where those are completed. So, you know, we will begin to do that. We can look for that in the coming weeks.”

Mr Halkitis added: “But I would just like to say this now. [There] never was any sort of desire or intention to circumvent but, you know, it’s very, very easy to go into Parliament and pass a law and say we’re doing this

intellectual property legislation to protect the creative industries,” she said.

and doing that. You know, we see a number of pieces of legislation where we have to go back now.

“At the back end of it, there are a lot of requirements that we had to do. So the public will see that very shortly. We’re committed to doing it, those few agencies that have not fully uploaded. We have people working on that now to get that done as soon as possible. So you’ll see that shortly…definitely before the end of the year.”

business, although several of these are already underway.

Mrs Rutherford-Ferguson, though, said that although these plans include a Bill to reorganise the Registrar General’s Department and implement an online companies registration portal, as well as intellectual property upgrades, they do not go far enough.

“We acknowledge mention of impending reforms to the Registrar General’s Department to improve the ease of doing business, and the indication of reforms to

“Regrettably, the Government did not address other matters such as improving digitisation across government agencies; plans to reform our business tax system; a national framework for public-private partnerships and the establishment of a public-private partnership unit; business-related incentives to establish and/ or grow industries; a legislative framework to provide financial support to businesses negatively impacted by government-imposed challenges like prolonged and extensive roadworks; a plan which will address and remediate public infrastructure strain such as flooding after heavy rains, as this impedes access to businesses; and a climate resiliency business support scheme.”

Mrs Rutherford-Ferguson said the private sector

is “keen” to see the plans the new Ministry of Energy has to reduce the high cost of electricity that is “crippling” many businesses, and to continue liaising with the Government to create a “business friendly environment’” that supports and promotes private sector growth.

She said: “The cost of energy and unreliability thereof is crippling to many businesses. Therefore, we are keen to see what plans will emerge from the Ministry of Energy to alleviate this burden.

“A commitment in this regard will signal a pledge to strengthen the business community by creating a positive, business-friendly environment enabling private sector growth. Collaboration between the public and private sectors is vital for overcoming challenges and building a prosperous future for all.”

Caribbean agriculture event to feature marijuana discussions

By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

A CABINET minis-

ter yesterday said talks on marijuana cultivation and the accompanying regulatory regime will be held with regional leaders at the upcoming Caribbean Week of Agriculture.

Jomo Campbell, newlyappointed minister of agriculture and marine resources, said more than

300 attendees from 21 countries are expected to attend when the conference is held in The Bahamas next week.

Speaking at the Prime Minister’s Office’s media briefing, he said the event will feature a special session on marijuana farming with regional experts, with Bahamians interested in growing cannabis able to join in the discussion.

He said: “I’m pleased to announce that we will be hosting a special session on cannabis farming, where

high level stakeholders in the region will speak to their experience about medical cannabis. We expect that countries such as Belize, Jamaica and St Lucia will speak about their road map to cannabis farming and provide an insightful conversation on the topic.

“And we’re encouraging anyone who has an interest in growing medicinal cannabis to join us, either in person or virtually, for this event. We note that all of the sessions of Caribbean

Week of Agriculture will be well-timed to assist us in growing this vital sector of our economy”

Mr Campbell added that discussions around the awarding of marijuana licences are still ongoing with the Attorney General’s Office and other stakeholders. He said: “That discussion is still ongoing, and it’s a matter right now of high priority for the Attorney General’s Office and all the other relevant stakeholders, and we should

have a firm conclusion on that in short order. As I said, the activity and discussion is still at a fever pitch. It’s still very high.”

Mr Campbell added that “confidence is high” that the necessary legislation to legalise and regulate medical marijuana will be tabled during Parliament’s upcoming session. “I can say that the confidence is high. As you know with these things, they ebb and flow,” he said.

“As a result of the conference that we’ll be having next week, there may be new initiatives. There may be new amendments that we may have that we may deem important and necessary to be implemented, and what it is we want to achieve.”

Mr Campbell explained that the conference will provide a valuable opportunity to consult with regional leaders and ensure the legislation is “as right as possible”. He added: “We see far too often that we go pass laws and then we have to come back and amend and re-amend, so that is why the Caribbean Week of Agriculture is important on this session, in particular, because we wanted to get it as right as possible.

“We know perfection, sometimes a far-fetched idea and hope springs eternal, but we want to get it as right as possible before we bring it to the Bahamian people.”

LEGAL NOTICE

In the ESTATE OF MELISSA ANNE HALSTED (aka MELISSA MALKERSON), deceased, late of the City of Annandale in the State of New Jersey one of the States in the United States of America.

Notice is hereby given that all persons having any claim or demand against the above Estate is required to send the same duly certifed in writing to the undersigned on or before the 4th day of November, A.D., 2023 after which date the Executor of the Estate will proceed to distribute the assets therein having regard only to those claims of which he shall then have had notice.

AND TAKE NOTICE that all persons indebted to the Estate are required to make full settlement on or before the dated hereinbefore mentioned.

Hullco.

(L. C. Hull & Co.) Chambers

Attorneys for the Executor 1100 East Bay Street Marsh Harbour, Abaco Bahamas

JOMO CAMPBELL

NAVIGATING CHALLENGES IN FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESSES

Global research confirms that only 30 percent of all family-owned businesses survive into the second generation, while just 12 percent survive into a third. The Bahamian context is perhaps not too far from these statistics and, while we chalk most of this reality down to a lack of succession, there are any number of variables that contribute to this outcome. This week’s column helps family-owned businesses navigate through much of the organic hurdles that comes with managing relatives.

1. Do not be afraid to evolve Family businesses often like to honour traditions but, in some cases, this may hold them back. Tradition is certainly not a bad thing, and can lend credibility, comfort and recognition to your brand, but you cannot be afraid to evolve with changing markets, trends and technologies. You are still running a business and competing. It will be hard to do so if your competitors are able to meet customer needs more efficiently than you can.

FERGUSON IAN

2. Keep work and personal life separate

It is sometimes tough to keep work and personal life separate when you work in a family business. When your colleagues are part of your family, it is easy for conversations at work to turn to family life. Business goals should come first during work hours. Bringing family ‘baggage’ to the office can also come off as unprofessional if others are around. Save the personal discussions for off hours. It is also easy to bring work home. Even people who are not in family businesses are having a harder

and harder time with that these days, due to the prevalence of smart phones and related technologies. Still, you must try to keep things separate so neither work relationships nor personal relationships suffer.

3. Ensure positions are earned

When you have a family business, it is natural to want to help your family members, and this may mean giving them jobs or even appointing them to important positions. That is all well and good as long as positions and promotions are actually being earned, and the family member can perform well in that position. Otherwise, work will not be done as efficiently as it should be, and you may face resentment from other members of the company as well.

4. Communicate Communication is key for any business. Treat each other as colleagues who share common goals, and keep clear lines of communication with one another. Verbalise items that need to be taken care of, and ask questions. Make sure everyone is on the same page. Some family members

might be inclined to make assumptions about others based on their personal knowledge about that person’s history or personality. The fact that you are related to one another should not impact your communication level.

5. Always maintain transparency

It pays to be transparent, whether or not you are operating a family business, but when multiple family members are making their living from one business it is critical that each person is fully aware of all relevant information. In other words, do not keep secrets from one another. This applies to pay, expectations and policies, etc. If there are non-family members on staff, maintain a similar amount of transparency as appropriate to prevent resentment or feelings that family members are receiving special treatment undeservedly.

6. Remember, family members are employees, too Good employers are concerned about staff morale and want to ensure that team members can work together smoothly, be as

productive as possible, and stay with the company over the long-term. When a family member voices concern, seems unhappy in their role or starts performing poorly, take it as seriously as you would if they were any other employee.

7. Know when to look outside the family

Some successful family businesses are composed entirely of family members, but this is not always a great idea. It pays to know when you need to bring in outside help. Your company may have job openings that nobody in the family is actually qualified for. There is nothing wrong with bringing someone else in, even if they do not share your blood relationship. That does not take away from being a family business.

8. Have a succession plan

Chances are, if you run a family business, you already have some semblance of a succession plan in mind, even if it is as simple as passing the shop on to Junior. While that is a fine start, you need to get a bit more detailed than that. Think of a succession plan as a “will” for your

business. Just as an individual should have a will to protect their family, it is smart to have your plan in place in case it needs to be activated in an emergency.

A good plan will take into account business goals and objectives, as well as the personnel most qualified to achieve them. Determine which family members will have a say in the future of the company, and make sure all voices are heard and ideas are considered. The more detail you can put into the plan, the better. This may include not only appointing the business owner, but filling other roles as well. Have legal documents drawn up well in advance of any planned transition date. You can always modify documents as circumstances change.-

Boost social services with 1% high-end property levy

By DIANE PHILLIPS

THE Bahamas should raise extra revenue to finance social services by levying a 1 percent tax on all real estate purchases by wealthy investors, a wellknown realtor is urging.

Mario Carey, founder of Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate MCR Group, said that while such a suggestion may cause surprise - given that it comes from a realtor - the need to better finance efforts to acombat poverty, hunger and medical needs cannot be ignored.

“I don’t care how many eyebrows it raises; my concern is how do we raise funds – funds we desperately need for those who go to bed hungry, or go to school on an empty stomach while someone comes into The Bahamas, writes a cheque for $1m$2m for a condo he will use a few times a year, or turns around and sells it at a profit and contributes

MARIO CAREY

nothing to community causes,” said Mr Carey. “What I am suggesting is a win-win for everyone. We create a foundation managed by a not-for-profit organisation and levy a 1 percent tax on every purchase above a certain amount, with the funds going into the foundation to support the most deserving social services causes. The foundation would be a 501C3, entitling the donor to tax benefits back in the US and the equivalent in Canada.”

Mr Carey, who has enjoyed a successful 40-year career with more than $3bn in real estate transactions, has turned his attention to civic initiatives in the past few years while keeping his toes in a high-end property market that he says can easily afford - and will not resist - a 1 percent levy for the right causes.

During COVID-19, Mr Carey closed the Better Homes & Gardens office weekly, taking his staff to help distribute more than 8,200 hot meals every Friday. It was a partnership with Graycliff, who put their staff to work preparing the food while Mr Carey and his team packaged and distributed outside, a street away from one of the most economically-challenged neighbourhoods in New Providence.

Now a director of the Bahamas Feeding Network, Mr Carey’s attention is on fund-raising to help support the more than 120 churches and feeding organisations that the network assists

with more than 60,000 meals a month. In September, he hosted the second annual Tee-off for Hunger golf tournament at Ocean Club Golf Course. With Fidelity Bank as title sponsor, and dozens of lesser sponsors and prize donors, the tournament raised $61,000 for the Bahamas Feeding Network.

“That sounds like a lot, but it will not even buy a full month’s worth of food for the hundreds who depend on Bahamas Feeding Network,” said Mr Carey. “We have great ongoing sponsors like Royal Caribbean and a host of others, but we need to find a way to bring more equity to the entire issue of adequate food, health care, education, special needs, homelessness.

“We have very wealthy individuals and established companies coming to this country, enjoying it or even making money from The Bahamas, buying preconstruction or early in a project, turning around and selling it, some enjoying

short-term vacation rental revenue. And we have others who beg for a dollar and will go home hungry tonight.”

Those are the people, Mr Carey added, who can readily afford 1 percent more on the cost of closing.

“Tourism will start levying a 1 percent tax, so if they can do it in the tourism industry – the number one driver of the Bahamian economy, and one in which the volume is high and profits are low – I see no reason why we cannot do something similar in real estate transactions, going beyond what tourism is doing by creating a foundation that provides a means of donation with tax benefits,” he said.

Mr Carey said funds would be paid by investors’ attorneys at the time of closing, placed in a foundation that has a carefully-selected board of private sector directors without political or governmental participation or interference, and disbursed

Funeral homes: Regulation requiring ‘proper

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN funeral homes yesterday said the Government’s plans to introduce a regulatory framework for the industry must create “a proper structure” that only permits persons with the required qualifications to practice.

Kirsch Ferguson, the Bahamas Funeral Directors Association’s president, responding to the Speech from The Throne announcement, told

Tribune Business: “Well, in the first instance, we are hoping that the proper structure is put in place to enable the industry to be regulated to the point where only certified persons are allowed to practice.

“Second to that, put in place safeguards to protect the public’s best interest in terms of persons who operate in rogue manners and, thirdly, to ensure that we have a system put in place where the practice of funeral service throughout the country is consistent in

SEE PAGE A21

BAHAMAS EYES IT USAGE FOR POACHING CRACKDOWN

By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Editor jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

A CABINET minister yesterday said the Government will be looking to information technology (IT) to aid The Bahamas’ battle against poachers and illegal fishing vessels.

Speaking at the Office of the Prime Minister’s weekly press briefing, Jomo Campbell, newly-appointed minister of agriculture and marine resources, affirmed that cracking down on poaching by foreigners is “one of the main priorities”.

He added that the Government is exploring using geographical information systems (GIS) and other software to detect and monitor illegal vessels.

He said: “I personally have not had the chance to meet with the fishing community at large, but what I can say is, privately, conversations are underway to address that issue. One of the main priorities for us is prevention and detection. And so, conversations are being had with certain persons as it relates to GIS and tracking and detection systems, IT systems that we can use.

“Because if we can detect fishing boats that are coming into our waters that shouldn’t be here, and we have a collaborative effort with the Royal Bahamas Defence Force who patrol our seas, you know

SEE PAGE A21

with the assistance and in accordance with needs established by the Department of Social Services.

Non-Bahamian real estate purchases over $750,000, which is the current threshold for permanent residency consideration, would be eligible for the 1 percent levy. Mr Carey said more opposition to his proposal may come from the real estate community than from buyers.

“Down deep in their hearts, people want to do the right thing. They want to do good for others,” he added. “We have needs. Government cannot do it alone, and buyers coming in from abroad have money and a desire to live or buy in The Bahamas. A onetime fee of 1 percent is not too much to ask. And, if managed properly, it will go a very long way.”

The next step, Mr Carey said, is a formal presentation to officials with projected numbers and an outline of the plan.

structure’

‘Irresistible inference’ ArawakX misused client funds to pay bills

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

ARAWAKX’S use of a loan from its largest investor to pay sums due to crowd-funding issuers and subscribers creates “the irresistible inference” it was using client funds to cover operating expenses, regulators charged yesterday.

Christina Rolle, the Securities Commission’s executive director, alleged in an October 5, 2023, affidavit that The Bahamas’ first-ever crowdfunding platform “should not have needed to seek a loan” from James Campbell, the former Colina Insurance Company president, as it should have been holding the required funds “in a fiduciary capacity”.

The capital markets regulator’s top executive, in legal filings designed to rebut ArawakX’s assertion that it remains solvent and has committed no regulatory or governance breaches to justify its winding-up, said loan agreements with

P J Enterprises, Mr Campbell’s company, showed the proceeds were partially earmarked to pay sums due to companies that had raised equity capital via the platform or investors that had subscribed to such issues.

Ms Rolle said $95,500 would be used to finance a “payout” to Red Lobster, the restaurant brand which was ArawakX’s first successful crowd-fund raise. Another $9,257 was to be allocated to cover Securities Commission “issuer fees”, while another later loan was to finance a

$68,486 “refund” to an investor who had subscribed for shares in the unsuccessful Mifi offering.

Referring to “the use of client funds to fund the operations” of ArawakX, the Securities Commission chief alleged: “The Commission notes that in the case of each of these stated purposes, the respondent [ArawakX] should not have needed to seek a loan for these purposes as they should have been holding the required client funds in a fiduciary capacity.

Bahamian’s action on $28m FTX aircraft ‘nonsensical’

CHRISTINA ROLLE

“Based on this documentation, there is in the Commission’s judgment the irresistible inference that the respondent used client or fiduciary funds to defray shortfalls in the respondent’s financial obligations to other parties.” ArawakX has previously countered that the investor involved with the Mifi “refund” had agreed to convert those funds into an equity stake in the crowdfunding platform itself.

SEE PAGE A21

Many petroleum retailers close to giving keys back’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

MULTIPLE Bahamian

petroleum retailers were yesterday said to be on the verge of “closing the doors and giving the keys back” within a month unless the Government finally delivers on a margin increase.

Raymond Jones, the Bahamas Petroleum Retailers Association’s (BPRA) president, yesterday told Tribune Business “all we’re asking for is to survive” given that the industry’s price-controlled fixed margins have been “decimated” by numerous cost hikes amid the post-COVID cost of living crisis.

Speaking after Michael Halkitis, minister of economic

affairs, yesterday again reiterated that the Davis administration will not agree to any solution that increases gas pump prices for Bahamian motorists, such as a margin increase, the Association chief said the two sides had appeared on the verge of a deal back in April but then nothing happened Suggesting that the Government “maybe got cold feet”,

Mr Jones told this newspaper that he and his members had agreed to accept its proposal to switch to a percentagebased margin rather than the present fixed system. This would have enabled gas station operators to earn more when gas prices rise, but slightly less when they fall.

According to Mr Jones, this worked out to roughly

SEE PAGE A19

Regulator: ArawakX portal provider owed $28k debts

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

ARAWAKX’S assertion that it faces no creditor demands is contradicted by complaints it has failed for months to settle a $28,000 bill due to the firm that serviced its crowd-funding portal, regulators alleged yesterday.

Christina Rolle, the Securities Commission’s executive director, in an October 5, 2023, affidavit said the capital markets regulator had on September 26 received notification from a debt collection agency that The Bahamas’ first-ever crowd-funding platform had failed to settle the claim despite negotiations

that had been ongoing since at least early June 2022.

Noting that D’Arcy Rahming senior, ArawakX’s chairman and chief executive, had last week asserted the company “is not the subject of any financial claims or demands as at the date hereof”, Ms Rolle argued that it “was, and still remains, indebted to persons including the provider of its ArawakX crowdfunding platform.

“On September 26, 2023, the Commission received an e-mail complaint with attached invoices running from March 2022 to July 2022 from GGR Inc, a collections agency acting for CrowdEngine, a provider

SEE PAGE A19

Stem cell overhaul ‘no game changer’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE FREE National Movement’s (FNM) chairman yesterday said the Government’s plans to overhaul the Stem Cell Therapy and Research Act are unlikely to be “a game changer” for healthcare or the economy.

Dr Duane Sands, who sat on the committee headed by the late Dr Arthur Porter that devised the present Act, told Tribune Business: “I don’t know how much of an impact that’s going to make. It seems as if the general enthusiasm for stem

cell therapy has gone into a bit of a lull recently.

“The fervour and excitement it may have held three to five years ago is certainly not there, in large part because the practical application of the stem cell

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

FTX’s US chief yesterday branded a Bahamian entrepreneur’s bid to protect his rights over aircraft worth $28m as “nonsensical” and sought to dismiss his “oral ‘handshake deal’” with Sam Bankman-Fried.

John Ray, who controls the 134 FTX entities presently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware, asserted in legal filings that efforts by Paul Aranha, founder of TransIsland Airways, to ensure he is compensated for maintaining two planes acquired with funding from the imploded crypto exchange are “premature” and “unfounded”.

Revealing that almost $1,000 was spent on “board game purchases for SBF”, so that FTX’s founder could occupy himself while flying, Mr Ray also sought to turn the tables on Mr Aranha by alleging it is the Bahamian charter company owner who has been unreasonable over negotiations for the “most cost-effective path” to maximising the planes’ value for the benefit of the exchange’s investors and creditors.

However, the legal filings did not assert FTX Trading’s ownership of the two aircraft, with Mr Ray merely saying that estate will “seek to enforce their rights... at the appropriate time”. This came just hours after the US Justice Department, in its own submissions to the southern New York court where Mr BankmanFried is being tried, filed a “bill of particulars” for the forfeiture of the two planes as a means to help compensate FTX victims.

The Justice Department’s move likely means little in practice, given that Mr Aranha’s previously-filed court documents revealed he was in negotiations with the federal authorities to amicably resolve the fate of two planes

DR DUANE SANDS

$6.10