Murder cases sent to Supreme Court

The Nassau Guardian

Murder cases sent to Supreme Court

The prosecution yesterday forwarded two murder cases to the Supreme Court.

Vernon Hart, 22, and the 16-year-old boy accused of the murder of Ned Joseph were presented the documents on which the prosecution seeks to rely on at trial.

Both defendants said they would notify the Crown of their alibis within 21 days.

The murder case of Stanley Francois Telford was also brought to an end in the Magistrates’ Court when he was served with a Voluntary Bill of Indictment.

Telford is accused of the August 19 shooting death of bus driver Gregory Adderley and the armed robbery of two passengers.

Telford will give his alibi within 21 days.

All of the accused will make their next court appearance at an arraignment before Senior Justice Jon Isaacs on February 21, 2014.

They will learn their trial dates at that time.

 

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Contract signed for construction of Franklyn R. Wilson Graduate Centre

The Nassau Guardian

Contract signed for construction of Franklyn R. Wilson Graduate Centre

“If you love The Bahamas, support The University of The Bahamas,” said businessman Franklyn R. Wilson at a pivotal gathering to undergird university learning in The Bahamas.

It was a profound statement indicative of the public-private sector collaboration at the nucleus of a construction project which once completed will stand as a landmark for higher education in the country.

On Friday, December 20th, Wilson, chairman of Sunshine Holdings Ltd.; executives of RBC Royal Bank of Canada; Minister of Education, Science and Technology Jerome Fitzgerald; College Council Chairman Alfred Sears and College of The Bahamas senior administrators participated in the contract signing for the Franklyn R. Wilson Graduate Centre.

The center will be one of the key developments of the impending University of The Bahamas.  Dwight Tinker Construction Ltd. was awarded the contract for the construction of the multimillion dollar facility, which is anticipated to be completed by December 2014 and will be adjacent to the Harry C. Moore Library and Information Centre at the college’s Oakes Field campus.

Wilson and his wife, Senate President Sharon Wilson – legacy donors to the college – have donated $1 million towards its construction and Arawak Homes is also gifting architectural services.  RBC Royal Bank, a longstanding supporter of the college and a celebrated proponent of education, has also donated $1 million toward the project.  The Government of The Bahamas is a primary donor as well and has contributed $1 million.

“We are humbled and honored to be a part of this.  We want to encourage all Bahamians, all persons who love The Bahamas – I don’t care where you are from – if you love The Bahamas believe in the University of The Bahamas and show that belief by more than talk.  I don’t care which part of this country you are from, I don’t care what wealth you have, there is something you can do to help this university,” said Wilson.

President of Caribbean Banking, RBC Royal Bank Kirk Dudtschak acknowledged that the project, within the framework of the impending university, is fundamental to the economy and the future of The Bahamas.

“When I was reflecting on my visit here so far and the economic realities of the world today, at the core of it is that education is probably the most important ingredient and solution to where we are and where we need to go.  At the most basic level education it is about creating a sense of pride, a sense of confidence and allowing individuals to participate in the economy and in society,” he said.

“At its most advanced level, education is about creating capacity and competence.  It is about creating the ability to take ideas and turn them into action and that is not only good for individuals and their ability to contribute to society, but it is also good for the economy and that is good for The Bahamas.  In my view it is critical for the future of The Bahamas,” Dudtschak added, flanked by Nathaniel Beneby, president of RBC Royal Bank (Bahamas) Ltd.

One of the tangible characteristics of a university is graduate programs.  The Franklyn R. Wilson Graduate Centre will provide the critical resources and space that will be necessary for persons pursuing masters degree programs designed to give The Bahamas a competitive edge in the global marketplace – programs like the MBA which has concentrations in areas that address specific national needs.  RBC FINCO Managing Director Tanya McCartney was among the first cohort of MBA graduates from the college last December.

Minister of Education, Science and Technology Jerome Fitzgerald was pleased to see the progress being made, particularly since he is a former deputy chairman of the College Council.  He served along with Franklyn Wilson, then Council chairman.  Both men were appointed by then Minister of Education Alfred Sears.  Fitzgerald saluted Wilson for his unwavering commitment to education and the development of The Bahamas.

“Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have become known as philanthropists throughout this country.  I encourage more persons to get involved with the development of our country.  The Government of The Bahamas is doing its part but we continue to encourage private sector involvement and partnership in order to develop our country further,” he said.

“…One of the things that all three of us had committed to, based on the level of time and commitment and hours upon hours we spent, was preparing the college for university status, against some of those who did not think we needed it or did not think it was possible. I can say we are well on the way and before this term is over – 2015 is the projected date – we will have The University of The Bahamas.”

According to College Council Chairman Alfred Sears the graduate center will serve as a catalyst for innovative graduate programs aimed at meeting national development imperatives.

“These programs will complement the post graduate degrees presently being offered by The College of The Bahamas.  It is envisioned that the transition to university status, and over the next ten years, beyond the transition itself, will involve the ongoing implementation of a master plan which has taken into consideration a capital development campaign encompassing the construction of an arts complex, a new science center, a student union building, residence halls and other needed facilities,” he said.

“This new exciting master plan will be rolled out in the next three weeks.  The plan anticipates the construction of the Franklyn R. Wilson Graduate Centre as part of the first stage of capital development projects to be implemented in keeping with the master plan,” Sears added.

Once completed, the more than 14,000-square-foot facility will comprise classroom spaces, a student lounge, faculty lounge, computer lab, conference room, administrative spaces and a lecture theater.

The building was designed by Arawak Homes Limited (AHL) and the construction will be jointly managed and administrated by the College of The Bahamas and Arawak Homes Limited.

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Police ‘not at fault’ on security lapse

The Nassau Guardian

Police ‘not at fault’ on security lapse

Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade said yesterday police are not at fault for the lack of a stationed security      detail when then Acting  Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis was robbed at his home last week.

Last Monday, three armed men drove onto Davis’ West Ridge compound, accosted his unarmed chauffer and robbed Davis and his wife at gunpoint in their home, police said.

The masked men entered Davis’ home after 7 a.m. after they assaulted the chauffer outside.

Greenslade said the police provide every government official who is entitled to a certain level of protection with that protection and “no fault can be found in this instance with the police department”.

He said he wanted to be careful not to breach national security by revealing too many details regarding security issues.

When pressed on the matter, Greenslade alluded to Minister of National Security Dr. Bernard Nottage as the appropriate person to answer that question.

“Where the commissioner is required to provide aides — you call them bodyguards — those people were in place for the respective people,” he said at a press conference at Police Headquarters on East Street.

“That has never been an issue and it is not an issue in this instance.

“When you speak to the issue of 24/7 coverage that we refer to as static guard duties, at a residence, those are issues in a very secure arena that are handled at a much higher level.

“I suspect that at some future point that discussion might be had, but I don’t believe the commissioner will be the person to speak to it.”

The lack of armed aides at Davis’ residence drew criticism from the Official Opposition, which called the incident a “terrible breach of security”.

FNM Deputy Leader Loretta Butler-Turner questioned whether the incident may have been prevented if Davis was afforded the same security detail as Prime Minister Perry Christie.

At the time of the robbery, Christie was leading a ministerial delegation to South Africa to attend the state memorial service for former South African President Nelson Mandela.

“I would like to know, had the deputy prime minister been afforded the prime minister’s security detail whether this would have averted this very sad news this morning,” Butler-Turner said.

The incident has also drawn attention in other areas.

On Friday, the United States Embassy in Nassau warned Americans living in and traveling to The Bahamas to be on the alert, as armed robbery remains a major threat facing U.S. visitors and residents.

The embassy highlighted the incident involving Davis.

Yesterday, Greenslade said the police cannot be held accountable for something that is not within their purview.

“A basic bit of research in terms of how these matters are handled and who would have responsibility for things of that nature would clearly illuminate the answer that one is looking for,” he said.

“As a commissioner of police, I understand the police is the anvil upon which...society beats out of frustration.

“Someone has to be blamed and if the commissioner is an easy target, then you take a shot at the commissioner.

“The commissioner is not going to be defensive, but again I repeat, Bahamians are intelligent people.”

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Pastors educated on value-added tax

The Nassau Guardian

Pastors educated on value-added tax

VAT Coordinator in the Ministry of Finance Ishmael Lightbourne yesterday urged religious leaders to help the government depoliticize the current discourse on value-added tax (VAT).

The Ministry of Finance’s VAT implementation team met with several religious leaders in the country, including officials of the Bahamas Christian Council and Anglican Bishop Laish Boyd at the ministry.

“An important part that you have to play in this is you have to help depoliticize this process,” Lightbourne told the group.

“This tax reform agenda goes beyond this administration. This administration is not going to solve our fiscal problems. So whoever the next administration is will need to be on board in what is happening now.

“There is no need for us to engage in the kind of negative and angry conversation that you hear so often from the political perspective. So we need a national conversation.”

Lightbourne stressed that the government has to address the exploding debt in the country, and noted that VAT alone would not solve the country’s problems.

“We need to be informed because without it, we hear so much hilarious nonsense... not grounded in the reality that we have to deal with,” he said.

Several of the religious leaders declined to speak with the media.

John Rolle, financial secretary, said the meeting was necessary.

“The church needs to understand how a reform such as this would impact those on the lower end of the income spectrum and how the government would respond,” he said.

The VAT rate will be set at 15 percent, consistent with rates in other countries, according to the government’s white paper on tax reform.

Prime Minister Perry Christie has said the government may consider delaying the July 2014 implementation of VAT if it is not satisfied that the public is properly educated about the new regime.

Christie has said the government intends to bring New Zealand experts on VAT to The Bahamas as early as January, and will ramp up its public education campaign next year.

 

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COB preparing university status master plan

The Nassau Guardian

COB preparing university status master plan

The College of The Bahamas (COB) is preparing a “master plan”, a crucial element as it continues on its path to attain university status.

According to a statement released by COB, the plan “would determine the physical space needs and character of the Oakes Field and Northern Bahamas campuses”.

“The college has engaged the services of the Diamond Consultant Group and international architectural firm HKS, to prepare a comprehensive master plan for the future development of its campuses over the next 10 years,” the statement read.

“The process has involved wide consultation and a detailed analysis of COB’s space needs and the layout and character of the campus.”

COB is expected to transition to university status by July 2015.

The statement noted that the University Transition Secretariat (UTS) submitted a report to the College Council in October, which would act as a road map for the transition.

“The College Council met with the UTS, COB’s senior team and the rapporteurs (tasked with aiding the council) and has decided to convene a series of retreats in order to finalize the road map for the transition to university status,” the statement read.

“These retreats, which are scheduled for early January 2014, will allow the council to deliberate on the recommendations of the UTS’ and rapporteurs’ reports and arrive at a way forward by April 2014.

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Baby admitted to hospital with injuries

The Nassau Guardian

Baby admitted to hospital with injuries

Police said a one-year-old boy was admitted to a clinic on Abaco with serious injuries and had to be airlifted to New Providence for medical attention.

According to police, the boy was taken to the Marsh Harbour Clinic at 8:45 p.m. on Monday.

Police said the boy was left home with his mother’s boyfriend while she was at work.

The physician who examined the boy determined that his injuries were serious and that he should be airlifted to New Providence, Superintendent Noel Curry said.

Curry, the officer in charge of Northern Bahamas, said the boy had injuries about the body, to his hips and arms.

“One party said he may have [fallen],” said Curry, adding that the mother alleges something different.

“So we are waiting to see what the doctor has to say before we make a determination.”

The boy was listed in stable condition, Curry said.

Police also identified a caucasian man who was found lying in the street on Fire Road and Doctor Stratton Drive, Abaco, last week as Matthew Halstead, 46, of Jasmine Circle Naples, Florida.

Police said he had injuries to the face and there was a motorcycle nearby that was still running.

According to police, the man was in stable condition in a Florida hospital.

Anyone with information regarding that incident is asked to contact police at 919 or 328-TIPS.

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Munroe says bid made for Cubans to testify

The Nassau Guardian

Munroe says bid made for Cubans to testify

After weeks of calling for the Cubans who have alleged abuse to return to The Bahamas to bring evidence, attorney Wayne Munroe yesterday claimed the defense force has made a request to the Cuban government for two men in Cuba to return to The Bahamas.

Munroe credited the organization for the move and said based on his understanding the response from the Cuban government will determine how and when the hearing will proceed.

However, Munroe said in the event that the men — Yordan Cantero and Alexander Vazcuez — are not granted permission to travel, the parties involved in the hearings into the alleged abuse at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre should travel to Cuba.

“The Cuban government may decide that the men having run from the country once before and attempting to escape a detention center guarded by soldiers that ‘we’re not going to let you just go up to give evidence because it could be used as an opportunity to not return’,” he said.

“If that turns out to be the position of the Cuban government, my view is that we should be going to Cuba to have these two gentlemen give evidence and be subject to cross-examination.”

Asked whether testimony via video link would be a more viable option, Munroe said live testimony would allow the parties to validate important details.

“Actually seeing things in context is important and you do not really get that over a video link,” he said.

It is alleged that several Cuban detainees were severely beaten at the detention center after they attempted to escape.

Munroe said so far, 23 people testified in the matter.

He said an immigration officer on duty at the time of the attempted escape described a conflict between a petty officer and one of the Cubans who have yet to testify as a “David and Goliath contest”.

Munroe represents five marines accused of abusing the detainees.

He said his clients deny the allegation.

Munroe said the marines could face stoppages of pay, a reduction in rank or other disciplinary actions that would be placed on their record.

The allegations set off a firestorm of controversy and protests from a group of Miami-based Cuban advocates who labeled the incident an abuse of power.

A defense force officer, who is also a lawyer, is prosecuting the matter.

Carlos Pupo, a former detainee who alleged that he was abused, testified two weeks ago, according to Munroe.

Munroe said Pupo testified that he was beaten from 3 a.m. to sunrise.

According to Munroe, Pupo is being held at Her Majesty’s Prisons.

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FNM MP presses issue of tossed gun case

The Nassau Guardian

FNM MP presses issue of tossed gun case

House Speaker Dr. Kendal Major yesterday dismissed a renewed call from Montagu MP Richard Lightbourn for a parliamentary select committee to be appointed to look into the actions of the Office of the Attorney General regarding the issuance of a nolle prosequi.

For months, Lightbourn has called for a committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding a nolle prosequi signed by then acting

Attorney General Jerome Fitzgerald.

The order involved George and Janice Hayles who each faced a charge of possession of a firearm and ammunition, after police said they were found with a .380 pistol and 19 live rounds for the weapon.

Allyson Maynard-Gibson represented them during their arraignment in 2010, before she became attorney general. The couple pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The discontinuation of the charges took place last year on December 28.

Fitzgerald signed the nolle because Maynard-Gibson was out of the country at the time.

At the time, Fitzgerald issued a statement saying he was satisfied that grounds existed for his decision and said he did so because it had national security implications.

As he raised the issue again yesterday, Lightbourn was silenced by Major who told him it was not the appropriate time to address the matter.

“Mr. Speaker, it seems to me that members opposite may think that this issue is going to go away by making some statement that I don’t think [was] substantiated at all,” Lightbourn said.

“On the last hearing here, Mr. Speaker, I sought to move the appointment of a select committee to investigate the circumstances and facts surrounding the entering of a nolle prosequi.”

However, Major interrupted Lightbourn and said Central and South Eleuthera MP Damian Gomez, who is the minister of state for legal affairs, had addressed the issue last week.

“The chair has determined that [it] would receive advice from the attorney general’s office, which would be the legal authority governing the speaker’s research on the matter,” Major said.

“Based on the response from the member for Central and South Eleuthera, if that can be placed in writing and tabled in this House, then the chair is obliged to remove that from the order of business. “So essentially, you have every right in debate to speak to any issue you desire as long as it’s within the rules, but at this point on the agenda it is out of order to expect your wishes to go forward.

“It has been preempted, that’s my answer, so essentially we are going to move on.”

However, Lightbourn argued that the House of Assembly was a democratic place, which had the authority to question the Office of the Attorney General’s actions regarding a nolle prosequi.

“The member for South Eleuthera made a statement without substantiating it in any way,” he said. “...I have not been given an opportunity to respond.

“There is clear authority here and if perhaps the member for South Eleuthera is not aware of it I’ll be happy to share it with him, but there is quite clear authority for this House to investigate any matter concerning a nolle issued by the attorney general.

“And therefore, I would have thought that at the minimum, Mr. Speaker, you would give me an opportunity to put forward my case without simply relying on the statement from the attorney general’s office.”

The speaker agreed that the House had the authority to investigate the matter but said the authority comes from the majority of members by vote.

“If there is a particular issue that you believe that you need redress [on], then you have an opportunity to meet with the chair to discuss the matter or receive leave from the member of the governing side,” Major said.

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Christie decries double-dipping

The Nassau Guardian

Christie decries double-dipping

Prime Minister Perry Christie said yesterday the government will "outlaw" double-dipping but did not confirm when it would happen.

"Yes, it must be outlawed as quickly as possible," he told reporters yesterday. "That's the first point, but it's a process, and we want to conform with best practices in the process. But there's no doubt whatsoever about the results that we are trying to achieve or intend to achieve."

On Tuesday, Executive Chairman of the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) Leslie Miller said the government has decided that employees from all government corporations and departments will no longer be able to collect their full salaries and National Insurance sick pay benefits, effective March 1, 2014.

Christie’s confirmation comes as the government says it is moving to improve its finances generally.

"The government obviously is aware of the fact that double-dipping is against the law," he said. "Let's put it this way, making more money when you're sick than when you're healthy is a contradiction.

"So the government has been taking steps to deal with this issue. I don't know what Leslie Miller said, but when you hear it from the minister of finance you'll know it's gospel."

When asked specifically when the practice will be brought to an end, Christie repeated, "When you hear it from the minister of finance, you'll know it's gospel."

The issue of double-dipping first caught national attention after Miller said in a previous statement that he would put an end to the practice at BEC in November.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis, who has ministerial responsibility for BEC, later announced that the status quo

would remain until the government and BEC unions address the issue.

Miller told The Nassau Guardian ending double-dipping would save the government in excess of $10 million annually.

“BEC is one of the leaders,” he said. “Last year, it [paid] $1.56 million (in sick pay). So over 10 years you’re looking at over $15 million in excess money that is paid for nothing.”

He said one BEC employee who had a base salary of $38,000 took home an extra $14,000 in sick pay.

Miller added that there was a total of 900 people who were double-dipping and about 300 who did it on a continual basis.

“You get sick, you come here (BEC), and you get your money. You go to the National Insurance Board (NIB), and you get your money. Nobody ever checked. That’s why the system is so inept. That’s why this corporation is losing so much money. There is so much wastage that nobody pays any attention to.”

Miller and officials of the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU) have been at odds over the double-dipping issue for weeks, and the union had threatened strike action if the sick pay benefit was removed from employees’ pay in November.

On Wednesday, BEWU President Stephano Greene said he had no issue with the decision if it is applied to all government entities.

Miller said BEC can ill afford to waste money as it stands to lose an estimated $26 million this year.

 

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Men who robbed Davis still on the loose

The Nassau Guardian

Men who robbed Davis still on the loose

The men who robbed Acting Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis at his home on Monday morning were still at large, police said last night.

“Persons are providing information daily,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson.

“I think the case is very alive. We are actively pursing all the leads that we have and that we are getting. We are confident that we’ll solve this matter. It’s only a matter of time.”

Ferguson said police had not yet identified the robbers.

On Monday, three armed men drove onto Davis’ West Ridge compound, accosted his unarmed chauffer and robbed Davis and his family at gunpoint in their home, police said.

The masked men entered Davis’ home after 7 a.m. after they assaulted the chauffeur outside.

Police later released photos of two of the bandits to the public.

Davis told reporters that he was a bit shaken by the ordeal and that the incident showed that no one is immune from crime.

He said he did not think he was targeted by the thugs and said that the armed men appeared more frantic when they realized whose home they were robbing.

Davis did not have a security detail at the time.

Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade admitted that there were obvious security concerns at the home and pledged to improve security for Davis.

Ferguson yesterday asked anyone with information regarding the incident to contact police.

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PM says VAT campaign to begin next year

The Nassau Guardian

PM says VAT campaign to begin next year

The government intends to bring New Zealand experts on value-added tax (VAT) to the country as early as January and will ramp up its public educational campaign next year, Prime Minister Perry Christie said yesterday.

In late November, Christie told reporters that New Zealand Prime Minister John Key had offered to send people to The Bahamas who can explain the benefits his country has received from VAT.

Christie said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has to make an official request for the group to travel to The Bahamas.

“The prime minister of New Zealand indicated that he would respond immediately to that request, so I assume, and I would like to think, that we are talking about sometime in January that they would be coming,” Christie told reporters after he gave a speech at the Bahamas Hotel & Tourism Association Leadership Summit held at the Hilton.

“I have great confidence in the team that would be sent out here because they have, in fact, had tremendous experience and a couple of the leaders in the Ministry of Finance told me that they have a system that is as efficient as any in the world.”

Christie met the New Zealand leader at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka in November. Christie also suggested that details surrounding the reform of the country’s tax system depend on a number of external factors.

“The work is continuing on VAT, the people who will be in charge of information technology they are being prepared. The Central Revenue Agency, I am being asked to add considerable numbers of people to the staff, we have hired a leading firm out of the Pacific area to come in to The Bahamas to superintend and assist in this matter,” he said. “We are waiting on the New Zealanders and others to come in and then we will launch.

“You would expect, when we do all of these things, that the government will have a position, meaning me, I will have a certain position on the matter and my position will be influenced by a combination of what is happening in the foreign investment area and what is happening in the public sector area in terms of direct expenditure into the economy. It will be based on an estimate as to what the economy can bear in the country, and when.”

The government plans to implement VAT at a rate of 15 percent in most cases on July 1, 2014. Some members of the business community have opposed the new tax.

Yesterday, Christie said those in the private sector who have issues with VAT should speak with him privately instead of airing concerns only in the press. “It’s critical for me that we understand in this country that we have to do it together and that the government, ordinarily, would not have any particular enthusiasm to impose taxes on people, particularly if it is argued that it would have some dampening impact on the economy,” Christie said.

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More illegal migrants captured on Long Island

The Nassau Guardian

More illegal migrants captured on Long Island

As police and immigration officers continued to comb Long Island for more Haitian migrants after a large group landed and evaded capture on Tuesday, another seven men were apprehended yesterday, Director of Immigration William Pratt said.

Police said a “large group” of Haitian migrants landed at Turnbull around 2 p.m.

Within hours police captured 31 Haitian migrants — 28 men and three women — in the surrounding area.

Another nine Haitian migrants were apprehended before 9 p.m., according to police.

Pratt said yesterday reports suggest there could be more Haitian migrants hiding out on the island, though the number was unclear.

“We still have officers on Long Island with the police and customs and they are still combing the bushes to search for additional people,” he said.

“We don't know at the end of the day what the total number will be, but we continue our efforts.”

Pratt expressed confidence that the remaining Haitian migrants would be found and arrested.

He confirmed that the captain of the Haitian sloop has been identified and was being questioned by authorities on New Providence.

The 46 Haitian migrants captured up to yesterday afternoon are expected to be repatriated next week, according to Pratt.

Two hundred and twenty-eight Haitian migrants captured last month were repatriated on Tuesday on two separate flights.

A third flight was canceled because of a technical decision by the pilot, Pratt said.

Authorities had planned to repatriate 114 migrants aboard that flight. Many of them were aboard a Haitian sloop that ran aground in the Exumas last week.

Those migrants are also expected to be repatriated next Tuesday.

“Other than that delay we would have had a relatively empty detention center,” Pratt said, noting that a group of Cuban migrants was also repatriated last Thursday.

Six Cuban migrants remained in the detention center up to yesterday.

Pratt said three of those migrants previously lived in the Untied States and the government is working with the United Nations and U.S. government to determine if they can return to the United States.

“It is a challenge, but we are working with the U.N. and U.S. government through diplomatic channels to see if we can get those former residents to the United States or a third party country,” he said.

 

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Government cancels contract for court reporting unit

The Nassau Guardian

Government cancels contract for court reporting unit

The government has terminated the contract of Ludell Theophilus, who worked as a consultant in the Court Reporting Unit since 1999.

Last month, Theophilus reportedly received notice to vacate the Bay Street premises by December 31, nine months before her contract was set to expire on September 30, 2014. Government canceled the contract due to alleged breaches.

The move now raises questions about the future employment of the 22 court reporters who work for Theophilus’ company, LET Consultancy, when the contract expires. The remaining 18 reporters work for the public service.

Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU) President John Pinder told The Nassau Guardian yesterday that he is working to ensure that the private court reporters transition to the public service before the end of the year so there are no disruptions in the court.

Pinder said that reporters provide an essential service. He said more workers are needed for the new courts set to come on stream next year.

Privately contracted workers carried out industrial action in September over unpaid wages and the uncertainty of their careers.

The pay issues were resolved but the workers voiced concern about their future when Theophilus’ contract comes to an end.

Theophilus, the first Bahamian to qualify as a court reporter, managed the public services reporters and her staff until this year.

That arrangement ended in January 2013 when Enith Darling was appointed as acting director of Court Reporting Services. Royanne Morrison and Judith Clare were appointed acting deputy directors.

However, they have not been paid for their services. Pinder said Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson has assured him those pay issues will soon be rectified.

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BEC ups efforts against delinquent Inagua residents

The Nassau Guardian

BEC ups efforts against delinquent Inagua residents

After a mass disconnection exercise on Inagua left nearly half the residents without power in October, Bahamas Electricity Corporation’s (BEC) Manager of the Credit and Collections Department Ervin Dean suggested that a significant portion of residents could be left in darkness on Monday.

While he did not want to say how many households stand to be disconnected next week, Dean said the corporation was lenient during its last mass disconnection exercise and will be “less lenient” this time around.

“When we went there the last time, that was to get their attention,” he told The Nassau Guardian. “We were very lenient with some of the people who came up with small sums of money, and we turned the lights back on.

“They were told, prepare yourselves and get yourselves together over the next six weeks.

“Some have done that, but there are some others who are still taking the chance to see what they can get away with.”

There are approximately 450 households on Inagua, according to government officials.

BEC Executive Chairman previously said consumers on Inagua owed BEC in excess of $500,000.

Dean revealed that one resident’s bill has bloated to in excess $32,000. He called it “totally unacceptable”.

“The man has a house, he has a convenience store on the house and he has a restaurant and bar on the house,” he said. “He just wasn’t checking.”

Noting that residential consumers on New Providence can be disconnected when their arrears reach $400, Dean said unless his team is instructed otherwise that baseline would be used.

“We don’t want to cut off the entire island,” he said when asked whether the majority of residents would be plunged into darkness.

“I always start with the people who owe more money first and then that gets the attention of the smaller man.”

Many residential consumers on the island have not paid their bills in at least five years and now owe the corporation thousands of dollars, according to Dean.

Miller has said following the transfer of power generation from Morton Salt to BEC, residents did not pay for 54 months.

He did not say why BEC went so long without disconnecting supplies.

However, Dean said the corporation is partly responsible, though he did not provide specifics.

“We had not done any action on Inagua for about five years and a lot of it was our fault, but those people were just spoiled and thought we would never come to make them pay their bills,” he said.

Dean said while the corporation recognizes the holidays are approaching, it is determined to collect the arrears. He noted that Inagua arrears are “the worst by far” in the country.

Some residents The Nassau Guardian interviewed in October admitted they owed thousands of dollars, but claimed they could not afford to pay the 30 percent required to have their lights turned back on.

But Dean said he believes many residents can afford to pay, but simply choose not to.

 

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Gov’t plans sex offenders register

The Nassau Guardian

Gov’t plans sex offenders register

Minister of National Security Dr. Bernard Nottage yesterday tabled proposed legislation that would provide for the creation of a sexual offenders’ register and a MARCO alert system for missing children.

Nottage has lobbied for stronger child protection laws since 11-year-old Marco Archer was found dead on September 28, 2011, several days after he was reported missing.

“I was directly involved in this matter from the day that I became aware of the missing child, little Marco Archer, and today I have the honor to bring legislation as a result of his tragedy. [It] brings some sense of accomplishment, despite the horrific tragedy,” he said.

The sex offenders’ registry would be managed by the superintendent of prisons.

“The proliferation of violent sexual crimes has wreaked havoc on our small Christian society for far too long,” Nottage said.

“For too long, we have sat by and complained of what could be done and why it should be done and still at the end of the day [did] nothing.

“While there has been much outcry from many victims and their families, I believe the time has come that we must take action.

“With the introduction of this legislation, one sexual offenders’ register will be established and several places will be designated as registration centers.”

Under the bill, an offender would be required to inform the relevant officials of every address or location at which he or she stays or intends to stay, change of address or change of name.

The Mandatory Action Rescuing Children Operation or MARCO alert system, would be similar to the AMBER alert system in the United States, Nottage said.

The AMBER alert system is a voluntary partnership involving law enforcement agencies, broadcasters, transportation agencies and the wireless industry, to activate an urgent bulletin in the most serious child abduction cases.

“The amendment to the Child Protection Act seeks to ensure that never again would [loved ones] feel as though they would have to wait several days if a child or young person goes missing,” he said.

“The guidelines to be enacted will cover all missing children and when a child is reported missing and the police are satisfied that the child is at risk of harm or death, the commissioner [of police] will now be required without delay to cause a MARCO alert to be issued.

“The alert would be disseminated to the public by every means available to the government, including commercial radio stations, television broadcasts, teletexts, electronic network systems, billboards and any necessary means that the minister deems appropriate.”

On August 2, 2013, Kofhe Goodman was found guilty of Marco’s murder.

Goodman was sentenced to death for the killing.

Justice Bernard Turner determined that Archer’s murder satisfied the criteria set by the Privy Council for the imposition of the discretionary death penalty.

Turner said the crime fell within the parameters of the “worst of the worst” and that Goodman showed no prospect of reform due to his continued attacks against this “vulnerable segment of society”.

Nottage said while Marco may no longer be alive, his legacy would be remembered in the bills.

 

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Nottage: Legislation coming to deal with cash for gold

The Nassau Guardian

Nottage: Legislation coming to deal with cash for gold

Minister of National Security Dr. Bernard Nottage said the government has drafted a bill to deal with cash for gold businesses.

In the House of Assembly this week, Nottage claimed that there is money laundering occurring at those businesses.

“Last week, we had a video conference of national security ministers, and it’s almost like a Caribbean epidemic right now, wherever we are,” he said.

“There is money laundering going on in the cash for gold businesses in this town and so we have to make some amendments to the financial services legislation, and we’ve drafted legislation to deal with cash for gold.”

Nottage said he hoped to bring some resolution to the issue soon.

He was responding to St. Anne’s MP Hubert Chipman, who lamented the issue of people having their jewelry snatched from them.

In February, Bahamas Crisis Centre Director Dr. Sandra Dean Patterson called for the closure of cash for gold businesses after she was robbed of her thick gold chain.

Patterson said her chain was violently snatched from her neck as she was manoeuvring through 9 a.m. traffic in the Kemp Road area.

Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade has said that his hands are tied when dealing with suspected stolen goods as cash for gold businesses are fully licensed by the government.

Nottage said in June that of the 506 armed robberies committed between January 1 and June 11, 2013 – 299 or 59 percent of them involved copper or jewelry theft.

Since the introduction of cash for gold type businesses, police have noted an increase in jewelry theft.

In 2011, the government introduced legislation to help combat the growing problem.

The House of Assembly passed the Pawnbrokers and Secondhand Dealers Bill to regulate the industry.

The primary purpose of the law is to monitor the activities of pawnbrokers, deter unlawful property transactions through pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers, and facilitate the efforts of law enforcement in the recovery of stolen goods.

 

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Speed Week boosts economy

The Nassau Guardian

Speed Week boosts economy

Nearly $1 million has been injected in to the Bahamian economy as a result of the activities surrounding Bahamas Speed Week Revival, Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis revealed yesterday.

In October, organizers predicted $400,000 to $500,000 would be pumped into the economy as a result of Speed Week. Jimmie Lowe, president of Bahamas Speed Week Revival, previously confirmed that more than $800,000 was pumped into the economy last year.

“During the six months of activity preceding the event itself, a great benefit to our community is the boost provided to our economic life represented by the expenditure by Speed Week organizers with business and contract services totaling almost $1 million and rising,” Davis said during the opening ceremony at Arawak Cay.

“Also, based on the growing popularity of the event and recognizing that last year the event produced some 800 room nights during the ten days of the event, it is expected that this year’s Speed Week will attract an increase in room nights by some 20 percent, with the attendant increase in the income to hotels, restaurants, bars and shops represented by spending by these many extra visitors.”

Davis said due to the growing benefits from the sporting event, work is ongoing to build a new race track to facilitate the 60th anniversary of Speed Week in 2014.

“Yes, Speed Week will return to a racing circuit which the government plans to build at Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre,” he said.

This year’s Speed Week features almost 50 cars and 40 go-karts. Twelve Bahamians are participating.

To facilitate the event, the Ministry of Works and Urban Development constructed temporary pedestrian footbridges over West Bay Street and Fort Charlotte, and the Cricket Club and Arawak Cay.

Davis said the temporary foot bridges will be dismantled after the event but will be retained for future use.

Bahamas Speed Week Revival will end on December 8.

 

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Attorney’s contempt hearing adjourned

The Nassau Guardian

Attorney’s contempt hearing adjourned

A hearing to determine what consequences, if any, an attorney will face regarding his conduct during the murder trial of Kofhe Goodman has been adjourned to December.

Justice Bernard Turner set the November 26 date for the contempt hearing after he sentenced Goodman to death of the September 2011 murder of 11-year-old Marco Archer.

Goodman’s lawyer, Geoffrey Farquharson, was cited for contempt during the trial after he ridiculed the judge in the presence of the jury.

After he was cited, Farquharson shouted and screamed at the judge so loudly he could be heard outside.

According to court staff, the contempt proceedings were delayed at the request of Farquharson who has to leave the jurisdiction.

That matter is now set for December 6.

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Teachers protest on Bay Street

The Nassau Guardian

Teachers protest on Bay Street

Hundreds of teachers demonstrated outside the House of Assembly yesterday over what the Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) called a gamut of unresolved issues.

The protest came even though the government has paid educators $1 million of the $4.5 million that was owed to them and has promised to pay the rest in coming months.

BUT President Belinda Wilson said Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald has failed to address major breaches, namely the union’s inability to access school campuses and post notices on school boards.

Wilson also accused Fitzgerald of failing to treat teachers as professionals.

She renewed her call for the minister to step down, or for Prime Minister Perry Christie to remove him.

At one point the crowd sat down in Rawson Square and chanted “Fitzgerald has to go”.

Fitzgerald has rejected the union's claims of victimization.

Renewing the union’s concerns yesterday, Wilson asked, “If we as union executives are not allowed to even enter the workplace of our members, how is it that we are able to represent them at all properly?

“How are we able to find out what their concerns are? Meetings are not always about grievances or a major concern, but we have to be able to get information to our members.

“It has really been hindering us and it is a major breach of the Industrial Relations Act, the code of industrial practice and the ILO (International Labour Organization) conventions.”

Fitzgerald said he will not compromise on his position to restrict the union from holding meetings on campuses during schools hours.

The minister addressed the issue in the House of Assembly last week.

He said there is nothing in the union’s collective bargaining agreement that gives authorization to BUT to hold meetings on campuses during school hours.

He said the ministry has no issue allowing teachers to come on these campuses after school, or in cases of an emergency during school hours.

Wilson said teachers are prepared to take a strike vote if the outstanding issues are not resolved.

Teachers have remained on work to rule for the past two weeks.

They stopped all after-school activities last week, according to Wilson.

The BUT will make a formal presentation to the ILO sometime today and request a team to visit The Bahamas to mediate, according to Wilson.

It is unclear if, or when, this would happen.

“When you have to report the government to the ILO it causes a level of embarrassment to the country,” she said.

“When The Bahamas goes to Geneva, Switzerland, every year for three weeks, we are there touting how progressive and democratic The Bahamas is, and how we are adhering to the conventions that we ratified and agreed upon.

“For...something as fundamental as the union gaining access onto the school campuses to have meetings with their members, and we are being denied that, that is serious for the ILO.”

Wilson expects to meet with Labour and National Insurance Minister Shane Gibson and Fitzgerald at the Department of Labour next Monday.

However, the union president said Fitzgerald need not come if he maintains the same “posture that he has displayed over the last few weeks”.

“We want to work in harmony with the employer, but we will not sit by and let anyone intimidate or victimize or interfere with the union, or any union member,” she said.

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Accountant urges lottery over VAT

The Nassau Guardian

Accountant urges lottery over VAT

Chartered accountant Michael Hepburn yesterday urged the government to create a national lottery instead of its proposed value-added tax (VAT) system.

In a presentation made during a Rotary Club luncheon, Hepburn, of Michael Hepburn & Co., said his research has found that a lottery system could earn the government $231 million in its first five years, with $35 million provided in the first year.

Hepburn argued that it would cost the government less money to set up a lottery, less than $10 million, than to institute VAT. He said this amount would be repaid to the government in “less than six months”.

“A national lottery would operate at a cost less than $3 million per year,” Hepburn said.

“Our forecasts have a payout of $88 million in the first year. The economic impact of that in the economy at a multiplier of five is $440 million in circulation throughout the entire economy. Imagine the goods and services it will produce.”

Hepburn estimates that there is a market of 335,000 people for a Bahamian lottery, including a labor force of 195,000; an estimated 30,000 undocumented workers; 100,000 tourists who visit the country each week and 10,000 Bahamians and friends living abroad.

The government plans to implement VAT at a rate of 15 percent on July 1, 2014. The government has said the new tax will reduce the gap between revenue and expenditure and offset rising public debt.

At the start of the next fiscal year, government debt is projected to be $4.9 billion. This year, the government estimates that it will have to pay $230 million to service its debt.

Many in the business community have criticized the new tax.

Hepburn said his company’s review has found that the system would hurt the economy instead of helping it.

“Our review also notes that businesses have already put on hold their plans of expansion because they are not sure how VAT will affect them,” he said.

“We propose to the government [to] delay the implementation of VAT until sometime in the future to give businesses an opportunity to study it more carefully.”

Hepburn said the country’s economic growth will “stagnate, if not decline, if VAT is adopted” and added that many countries who implemented VAT later increased their rates after its introduction.

“The Bahamas is currently faced with a swelling budget deficit, a lackluster economy and high unemployment,” he said. “VAT will not help but will hurt the current economy, burden the private sector and force the Bahamian economy into further decline.”

VAT is expected to add an additional $200 million in revenue in the first year of implementation, officials estimate.

Hepburn said he was driven to make the recommendations after Prime Minister Perry Christie challenged the business community earlier this month to find an alternative to VAT.

The government held a referendum in January asking voters if they supported the regulation and taxation of web shops and the creation of a national lottery.

The majority of people who voted said no to both questions.

However, less than 50 percent of registered voters showed up to the polls.

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Man wanted by police becomes crime victim

The Nassau Guardian

Man wanted by police becomes crime victim

A man wanted in connection with a double murder and triple shooting that occurred nearly six months ago was shot along with another man on Friday night, police reported.

Police said Cornelius Roberts, 23, is wanted in connection with the murders of Amati Knowles, 40, and Odrick Telusma, 17.

Knowles and Telusma were shot and killed off Kemp Road, north of Bar 20 Corner, on Whit Monday.

Police said two men drove to the area inside a reportedly stolen white Dodge Ram truck and shot them.

After the incident, the culprits drove to Mt. Pleasant Avenue, off Kemp Road, and shot three other men, who were standing outside a business, police said.

According to police, officers responding to reports of a shooting on Cowman Lane, off Malcolm Road west, around 11 p.m. Friday, found Roberts and an unidentified man suffering from gunshot wounds.

According to reports received by police, two armed men exited a white vehicle and shot the victims as they walked along the street.

Both men were taken to hospital and were reportedly in serious condition.

In a separate incident, which occurred hours later, an off-duty police corporal was shot along with two other men as they exited a nightclub on Fox Hill Road around 1 a.m., police reported.

The men were shot multiples times and were taken to hospital where they were in serious condition, police said.

The man reportedly fled the scene on foot.

 

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Speedweek set to dazzle

The Nassau Guardian

Speedweek set to dazzle

The Third Annual Bahamas Speed Week Revival features once again some of the world’s most beautiful race cars.

Back in the early 1960s, two young Mexican drivers appeared on the international scene and proved both fearless and fast.  The younger brother, Ricardo, crashed to his death in a race in Mexico City in 1962, while his elder brother, Pedro, went on to race successfully for many years.  Pedro drove a beautiful Ferrari in Nassau in 1966, which is the star entry for the Bahamas Speed Week starting on December 4 at Arawak Cay.

Speed Week starts at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre on Sunday, December 1 with some exciting Go Kart racing featuring Vintage Karts of the type that first raced here in 1959.  A group of Bahamian school children will also take to the track demonstrating the skills they learned through the Edukarting program.

The cars will appear first at Fish Fry at 11 a.m. on Wednesday when Sir Arthur Foulkes opens the proceedings and various lucky people will be passengers as the cars drive their first few laps in front of the beautiful sea and cruise ships.

Saturday sees the Fort Charlotte Hillclimb starting at 10 a.m.  The cars will run one at a time from the center of Arawak Cay up the steep incline to Fort Charlotte.  The mighty Ford Mustangs are likely to lead the field here, take a trip out and watch from the top of the hill as cars snake their way up towards viewers.

Sunday is the big occasion, with cars running in groups against the clock to see who is the fastest of all.  There will be two Ferraris from Belgium and a beautiful little Maserati that will surely catch the hearts of the crowd.  This year the general admission is free on both Saturday and Sunday and the organizers have invited Bahamians to bring their families out to the slopes under Fort Charlotte.

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Dozens get food poisoning on Acklins

The Nassau Guardian

Dozens get food poisoning on Acklins

Almost 60 people in Acklins fell ill after eating food during a local church event on Sunday, MICAL MP V. Alfred Gray confirmed yesterday.

Gray, who said he was briefed by Health Minister Dr. Perry Gomez, said the people attended a church function where ham and turkey were served.

“Of course there were many people at the function and those who ate, most of them got sick,” Gray said.

“Something they served was contaminated.”

He noted that food poisoning was confirmed as the cause of the illness.

Gray said around 11 p.m. on Sunday, dozens of people were being seen by the local doctor at the clinic.

“Today (Monday) I was told that all was well,” he said.

“Most who were seen are okay. This morning, everything was stabilized.”

Gray said the incident was no cause for alarm and noted that an investigation has been launched into the exact cause of the incident.

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PLP to hold convention in Nov. 2014

The Nassau Guardian

PLP to hold convention in Nov. 2014

The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) will hold its convention in November 2014, PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts said yesterday.

The convention was originally expected to be held this month to coincide with the party’s 60th anniversary.

The PLP last held a convention in October 2009.

The party is mandated by its constitution to hold a convention annually.

Roberts said the party plans to hold several mini conventions on the Family Islands.

The first will take place on North Andros in January 2014.

He said the mini conventions will be an opportunity to interact with residents and built up to the major convention.

However, former PLP parliamentarian George Smith said last month that only in extreme circumstances has there not been a convention.

He also said that it does not seem like a good idea to have mini conventions.

Yesterday, Roberts said, “With the greatest respect to Mr. Smith, he is entitled to his opinion just like any other PLP.”

He said not all PLPs will agree with the date or process, but if they did “there would be no purpose of coming together”.

Roberts said the party has a lot of things to discuss, particularly the 2012 general election.

Of the 155,804 voters, the PLP secured 48.6 percent, compared to the Free National Movement’s 42 percent.

The Democratic National Alliance garnered 8.4 percent.

Roberts said the convention will provide an opportunity to reassess and handle party business that has to be addressed.

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Bill would amend Firearms Act

The Nassau Guardian

Bill would amend Firearms Act

Members of Parliament are expected to begin debate today on a package of anti-crime bills that seek to impose heavier sentences on people convicted of serious crimes.

Proposed amendments to the Firearms Act would increase the range of sentencing for people found in possession of illegal firearms.

The bill also creates the new offense of possession of a prohibited high powered firearm that carries a 25 years to life sentence upon conviction.

“This is a very serious offense to be tried only before the Supreme Court carrying a stiff penalty similar to the range for manslaughter under the penal code of 25 years to life imprisonment,” the bill  reads.

“These weapons are extremely dangerous.”

The bill describes a high powered firearm as “any rifle designed or chambered to discharge any rifle cartridge of .22 caliber or greater with a muzzle energy of 900 foot/pounds higher”.

The bill seeks to amend the Firearms Act to include as offenses the illicit manufacture, trafficking and export of firearms pursuant to the United Nations Convention against transnational organized crime.

According to police, 347 illegal firearms and 5,914 rounds of ammunition were seized for the year.

Further amendments to the Firearms Act would allow all of the occupants of a private vehicle where an illegal firearm is found to “be statutorily liable to be in possession of a firearm, not simply the person in control of the vehicle, i.e. the driver”.

The remaining five bills would amend the Prevention of Bribery Act; the Justice Protection Act; the Evidence Act; the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Penal Code.

The bills were tabled in the House of Assembly last month.

The last package of anti-crime bills was brought by the Ingraham administration in 2011.

The bills increased the sentencing for people convicted of gun crimes, sex crimes and drug crimes.

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Fire at new NEMA office

The Nassau Guardian

Fire at new NEMA office

Fire engulfed the National Emergency Management Agency’s (NEMA) new facility on Gladstone Road early yesterday morning, gutting a portion of the building.

The fire occurred around midnight, extensively damaging the northwestern section, authorities said.

The organization moved from cramped quarters downtown into the more than $2 million facility around three months ago.

Salvage teams, including prisoners, who were being overseen by Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) officers and NEMA officials, were sorting through much of the charred remains, when The Nassau Guardian arrived around 11 a.m.

NEMA Director Captain Stephen Russell said around a dozen employees occupy the building for day-to-day operations, but no one was in the building at the time of the blaze.

In the event of a natural disaster such as a hurricane, up to 40 representatives from various government agencies can mobilize there at the facility.

The cause of the blaze up to yesterday evening had not been determined.

Assistant Superintendent Ernest Hanna of the Fire Services Department said police do not suspect arson, but have not ruled it out.

“The most difficult part of our response was gaining entry to the building as it was properly secured and the fire was confined to the workstation area,” Hanna said.

“The electrical supply was comprised due to the damage... to the wiring system.

“That is one of the major repairs that will have to be carried out.”

The new facility has a boardroom, three offices, staff cubicles, a staff lounge, full kitchen fitted with granite counter tops and an operation and training center.

Following an assessment of the damage, Russell said the staff cubicles, several computers, copiers and the roof above that portion were all destroyed.

He said several teams from the Ministry of Works assessed the facility yesterday to determine what repairs need to be made, but he could not put a value to the damage.

“To find this unfortunate event is disheartening. It’s heartbreaking,” Russell said.

“When I called some of the employees this morning on my way here, they could not believe me and thought it was a joke, but I told them it was serious.”

He added, “We are still functioning, and you can contact us for any business related to NEMA at the Cabinet Office on 322-3220 and 376-6362.”

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Minnis defends VAT position

The Nassau Guardian

Minnis defends VAT position

Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis said his party has not flip-flopped on the issue of value-added tax (VAT) and explained that had the FNM been re-elected in 2012 the matter would have been handled “properly”.

Minnis came under fire from the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) last week after he criticized the government’s plans to introduce VAT next July.

Although his party had planned to give VAT “early

consideration if re-elected”, Minnis called the new tax “regressive” last week.

Minnis’ statement drew rebuke from PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts, who said the comments were misguided.

Yesterday, Minnis defended his party on the VAT issue. He said he could not say how soon the FNM would have introduced VAT if it had been re-elected.

“That’s not flip-flopping because the FNM would have ensured that proper analysis was done,” Minnis said.

“The FNM would have ensured that the process would have been right. The FNM would have ensured that people were informed properly, and the FNM would have ensured that people knew exactly the state of the economy and what we are trying to do.

“And at the same time we would have improved on the [existing tax] collection that the people are concerned about. We would have decreased [public] wastage.”

Former Minister of State for Finance Zhivargo Laing has said the former administration had planned to implement VAT, and would have done so within “two to three years” if the FNM was re-elected in 2012.

Laing has also said the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Inter-American Development Bank and the Ministry of Finance conducted studies on whether VAT or a sales tax should be implemented in The Bahamas, and a proposal was submitted to the government.

In a speech he delivered to the Rotary Club of Freeport in August on the implications of VAT for The Bahamas, Laing said that proposal formed the basis of the current proposal before the country.

Laing and Minnis were both a part of the Ingraham Cabinet.

Despite his critique of VAT, Minnis did not offer an alternative tax model to get the government out of its debt crisis.

However, he said if the government aggressively collects the hundreds of millions of dollars in outstanding taxes, a new tax model would not be needed.

“If you don’t plug the leakage, regardless of what tax system you put out there, the leakage will continue,” he said.

He added that there are many unanswered questions on the tax and criticized the government for not giving enough information on its plans.

Minnis said it is a “joke” that the VAT legislation and regulations have not been released eight months ahead of the proposed implementation date.

 

Poll

The FNM has begun polling residents to gauge the public’s feelings about the new tax.

Since Friday, Minnis said 200 constituents of Killarney have responded to an online poll on the issue.

He said when asked if the government should introduce VAT, 77.2 percent said no, 14.6 percent said yes and 8.4 percent said they don’t know.

When asked what form of new taxation the country should implement, 13.5 percent said none and 86.5 percent said other tax models, including a sales tax, income tax or payroll tax.

The Killarney MP said similar polls will be conducted in all FNM constituencies, beginning with St. Anne’s.

 

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FNM deputy blasts Miller on gambling admission

The Nassau Guardian

FNM deputy blasts Miller on gambling admission

Free National Movement (FNM) Deputy Leader Loretta Butler-Turner yesterday suggested that Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller should be arrested after he admitted to gambling last week.

"Tall Pines can buy all the numbers he wants," she said during debate on a package of anti-crime bills. "Maybe he needs to be escorted out of here and asked why is he breaking the laws of the land when in fact he stands here as a legislator. This is the duplicity that we need to look at.

"The reality is you have legislators in here saying they're making the law in here for law-abiding citizens, yet they come in here and claim they are breaking the law. There's got to be something wrong with that. There's got to be something inherently wrong with that. It is an extraordinary contradiction of a message to send to Bahamians in general."

During debate on those bills last week, Miller defended web shop owners and admitted that he plays numbers.

“I went to the barber yesterday (last Tuesday) and a [man] tried to sell me numbers,” he said. “I can’t even buy numbers. I spent $20, and I didn’t catch anything.”

Butler-Turner said yesterday she thought Miller’s admission is cause for concern.

“We must be upholding the laws of the land,” she said. “And if the law of the land says the numbers business is illegal...if you break the law, you are a criminal.”

National Security Minister Dr. Bernard Nottage, who stood on a point of order, said Butler-Tuner has no “moral authority” to criticize the government on web shops.

He said the adminstration she was a part of was aware of the inner workings of those businesses.

“They took on the task of determining how much these web shops make so that they could decide how much to tax them when they were legitimizing them,” said Nottage, referring to the Ingraham administration.

But Butler-Turner claimed that “the licenses that were granted to these people who are running organized crime in web shops [were] not for the selling of numbers; [they were] for people to be able to go there and be able to use a computer”.

Gaming Board Chairman Andre Rollins, who also rose on a point of order, also accused Butler-Turner of duplicity.

“The fact is the FNM, the prior administration, knew full well what was taking place in these web shops,” he said. “They chose to stick their heads in the sand and act as if they didn't know it was taking place.

“This PLP administration, myself and others, have been advocating for us to deal with the industry and regulate it because as the minister of state for legal affairs (Damian Gomez) has acknowledged, there are trafficking concerns and there are terrorist concerns tied to the operation of these web shops in absence of a regulated industry.

“So it is irresponsible and reckless for the member for Long Island to act as though this type of conversation was not taking place around the former Cabinet table.”

On January 28, a majority of people who voted in a referendum on gambling voted against the establishment of a national lottery, and the regularization and taxation of web shops.

A day later, Prime Minister Perry Christie ordered all web shop operators to shut down their gaming operations immediately or face arrest and prosecution.

The matter then went before the Supreme Court and a legal battle is underway.

Nonetheless, Butler-Turner said the law is not being upheld.

Miller, who did not defend his actions, pointed out that the former government failed to shut down any of the web shops while in office.

“They had five years to close them down,” he said. “They closed none down because they wanted the people’s money. That's why they didn't close them down.”

He later added that web shops were around for 65 years.

“And they [are not] going anywhere,” he said.

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$150,000 in drugs found in GB apt., police say

The Nassau Guardian

$150,000 in drugs found in GB apt., police say

Officers on Grand Bahama arrested a 42-year-old man after he was allegedly found in possession of nearly $150,000 worth of marijuana, police said.

On Saturday morning, officers executed a search warrant of the suspect’s apartment in the Lucaya area and found two black duffle bags and suitcases packed with marijuana wrapped in black, brown and clear plastic, according to police.

Additionally, police said they found half a pound of marijuana hidden in a freezer and also found a .9mm handgun and 29 rounds of ammunition.

In all, police said they found 149.5 pounds of marijuana with a street value of $149,500.

In a separate matter last week, a pilot and his two passengers were arrested in connection with suspected drug trafficking after officers discovered 26 pounds of marijuana on an aircraft they were traveling in, police said.

Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) Assistant Superintendent Sam Butler said the drugs were contained in a travel bag on the aircraft. The drugs have an estimated street value of $26,000.

Butler said inter-island drug trafficking is a major concern for the DEU.

“We’ve always been concerned about that,” he said. “That’s one of the recurring trends that we see.

“... Drugs make their way to the islands then on to New Providence where there is a ready market.”

Butler said DEU officers made a similar discovery last month.

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Man convicted of double murder

The Nassau Guardian

Man convicted of double murder

A Supreme Court jury has unanimously convicted a man of double murder.

The jury accepted the contention of prosecutors that Jamaican Serrano Adderley shot Kevin Forbes, 40, of Miller's Heights, and Alwayne Leslie, 28, of Jamaica, on July 11, 2011 at a Haitian shantytown near Montgomery Avenue.

Adderley denied that he was present when the crime occurred.

The prosecution’s main witness, Shawn Knowles, placed Adderley on the scene.

Knowles is on bail, accused of the murder of Adderley’s pregnant girlfriend Erica Ward several weeks later.

Knowles and Timothy Saunders are charged with the July 30, 2011 shooting deaths of Edward Braynen, Ward, who was eight months pregnant, and Chackara Rahming at an apartment at Montgomery Avenue.  Fetal homicide is not an offense under Bahamian law.

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PM seeks better access to concessional lending

The Nassau Guardian

PM seeks better access to concessional lending

Prime Minister Perry Christie yesterday appealed to “international financial institutions” to adjust their positions with regard to gross domestic product (GDP) per capita as a measure or means of determining the cost of financial assistance.

“We are all now called middle income countries,” said Christie in his address at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka.

“This means that when we look to the markets and the international financial institutions, there is a measure which is used to determine what level of interest will be offered to us as the price of borrowing money.

“We are no longer able in many cases to get concessional lending because of the measure used to determine our level of wealth and ability to pay.”

Christie said that in this regard The Bahamas supports the efforts of the Commonwealth “to leverage the number of our voices to bring about change in this area”.

He also identified with the call from the young people of the Commonwealth for action to ensure that they are trained and can participate more fully in the world economy.

“The young people are the future of the world,” Christie said.

“In my own country, we came to office with a specific promise to support young people and to reduce youth unemployment.

“We pledged to double the investment in education during our term. We believe that specific programs for youth development are essential to the future success of our country. I would encourage all leaders to lend their support to youth development. There can be no better investment than to engage the youth of our respective nations.”

Unemployment among youths (people 15 to 24) has risen to 30.8 percent from 30.7 percent according to the Labour Force Survey, which was released last month. The survey was conducted in May with a reference period of April 29 to May 5, 2013.

Unemployment among youth in The Bahamas is "considerably higher than any other age group" according to a statement from the Department of Statistics.

Christie said, “As part of our commitment to young people and to the Commonwealth, The Bahamas is pleased to be able to host the next Commonwealth Education Ministers Conference in Nassau.

We are hoping that there is a full turnout and that this body commits itself to the policies which will enhance and train our people, especially our youth. I look forward to seeing you in Nassau.”

The prime minister also said that heads were meeting at a special time in the life of the Commonwealth.

“Our people often question, what are we doing here? We answer that we are here to reaffirm our values, our commitments to democracy, to diversity, to tolerance, to the rule of law. And if that is not enough, we are now here in Sri Lanka to call for growth with equity,” he said.

“I would wish to place The Bahamas firmly in support of this general call. I wish to place The Bahamas firmly in the column that calls for a more just order. I wish to place The Bahamas firmly in the column of standing up for the human rights and dignity of all peoples.

“I wish to support the rule of law. It is a long list of wishes. I think that we are all as countries and leaders capable of ensuring that all of the values of the Commonwealth are upheld.

“So that is the first thing for The Bahamas: We are here to uphold the values of the Commonwealth. Secondly, we are here to reinforce historic ties. Thirdly, we are here to get an opportunity to exchange views with people and nations from theaters far away from our own place in the North Atlantic and by that exchange of views to help our own growth and development.”

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AG: Increased reports of witness intimidation

The Nassau Guardian

AG: Increased reports of witness intimidation

Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson said yesterday there are increased reports of witness intimidation during trials of accused gang leaders and others, but stressed that laws are in place to protect the identities of witnesses.

In spite of the intimidation tactics, Maynard-Gibson encouraged people to come forward with information that could put criminals behind bars.

“We are finding a situation where more and more witnesses are being intimidated,” she said at a press conference at the Office of the Attorney General.

“We want to remind persons in communities that have information, that the police need information to detect crime and to arrest persons who are believed to be guilty of crime.

“We have a very robust regime that works, relating to witness protection and witness anonymity. We have laws in place today where if the judge agrees on an application from the very beginning, we can protect the identity of witnesses.

“These laws are in place to enable people to safely bring information forward.  Even at trial we have video conferencing, we have ways to disguise the identity of a witness to enable persons to testify behind a screen. . .as well as witness protection.”

In The Bahamas’ 2012 Human Rights Report released by the U.S. State Department, witness intimidation was listed as one of the most serious human rights issues in the country.

Maynard-Gibson also spoke of the significance of the crime bills which were debated in the House of Assembly on Wednesday.

She said the legislation is a message that the Christie administration will not tolerate gang activity and is serious in its commitment to curb crime.

Minister of State for Legal Affairs Damian Gomez said some of these criminal gangs have an international reach, stretching as far as Colombia.

Gomez led debate on the crime bills on Wednesday. He said they will deliver a "death blow" to organized criminal activity and will enhance the effectiveness of the judicial system.

The bills include the Evidence Amendment Bill, the Penal Code Amendment Bill, the Firearms Amendment Bill, the Anti-terrorism Amendment Bill, the Justice Protection Amendment Bill and the Prevention of Bribery Bill.

The amendments to the Penal Code are specifically intended to target gang activity.

According to the bill, anyone who is convicted of being in an unlawful gang or participates in or contributes to the activities of an unlawful gang would be liable to a fine of $500,000, and imprisonment of 20 years, subject to a minimum term of 15 years.

The bill seeks to bring the code in line with The Bahamas’ international obligations to suppress organized crime under the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime.

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War veterans to be honored on Remembrance Day tomorrow

The Nassau Guardian

War veterans to be honored on Remembrance Day tomorrow

Plans for the observance of Remembrance Day to be held tomorrow at Christ Church Cathedral and the Cenotaph Cemetery have been announced by the Cabinet Office.

A press conference was held at the Cabinet Office on Thursday, during which members of the Remembrance Day Planning Committee outlined activities of the day, held to honor war veterans.

Present were: Michael Humes, first assistant secretary at the Cabinet Office and chairman of the Remembrance Day Planning Committee; Rev. Patrick Adderley, dean of Christ Church Cathedral; Bishop Cephas Ferguson, chairman, British Legion Bahamas Branch; Andrew McKinney, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Rev. Gloria Ferguson, representative, Bahamas Christian Council, and other members of the committee from the Ministry of Works and Urban Development; the Royal Bahamas Police Force; the Royal Bahamas Defence Force; Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture; Bahamas Information Services (BIS); The Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas (ZNS) and the Government Printing Department.

Immediately following the church service, a number of youth marching bands will march in processional from the Cathedral to the Cenotaph, where a short ceremony organized by the Bahamas Christian Council will be held.

“Both the church service and Cenotaph ceremony are held annually to honor the service of the men, living and departed, who served the cause of freedom in the two World Wars,” Humes said.

Wreaths will be laid by the governor general, the prime minister, the chief justice, the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Assembly, members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of the services.

Prior to this, the British Legion Bahamas Branch will hold a Pre-Memorial Service at the Veterans Cemetery on Infant View Road at 9:30 a.m.

Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes is expected to lay a wreath and bring remarks.

World War I ended officially at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, and November 11 was set aside in the United Kingdom, United States and France as a Day of Remembrance for those who gave their lives in the war. It was known as Armistice Day.

It was from this date, November 11, 1918 that the Government of The Bahamas made the decision to commemorate Remembrance Day on the nearest Sunday to that date, hence the selection of the second Sunday. World War II ended in 1945.

During both wars, The Bahamas was under the rule of Great Britain and hence, men and women enlisted to serve in various capacities. Their names appear on a plaque at the base of the Cenotaph, the monument erected in their honor.

A number of The Bahamas war veterans are members of the Bahamas Chapter of the British Legion, formerly known as The Bahamas Ex-Servicemen Association formed after World War II.

Also associated with Remembrance Day is the wearing of the Poppy — a beautiful red flower said to be one of the few things, which survived in the battlefields of Northern France during World War I. The flower also represented the bloodshed of all those who died during that war.

Another significant aspect of the Remembrance Day Service is the Last Post and Reveille — the sounding of the final bugle call of the day signaling the end of the soldier’s day, which can be traced back to when the British Army was on campaign in the Netherlands.

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force Band still continues this practice, which has become a staple at all state and military funerals. It symbolizes the “end of the soldier’s day” in so far as the dead soldier has finished his duty and can rest in peace.

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