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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