Ground broken on Abaco port

The Nassau Guardian

Ground broken on Abaco port

The government broke ground on its $39 million North Abaco Port Project in Coopers Town, Abaco yesterday.

China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), an award-winning international engineering firm, is the lead contractor on the project, which is being funded by the government and the Export-Import Bank of China.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said within two years Abaco will have a first-class facility that will benefit her residents.

“There was concern or agitation among some of you that this day would not dawn,” Davis said.

“However, as promised, we are here and breaking ground to build the North Abaco Port.

“Coopers Town, specifically, and by extension all of Abaco, from Treasure Cay northwards, including Green Turtle Cay and other offshore cays, will reap the benefit of this investment and seize other opportunities resulting there from.”

Around $3 million will be issued in subcontracted work to Bahamian contractors over the course of the project.

Davis said Bahamians represent 70 percent of the workforce on the project while Chinese workers represent 30 percent.

CHEC Bahamas has engaged a local firm, Caribbean Coastal Services Limited, to review and approve CHEC’s designs for the port to ensure it meet all local and relevant laws and codes.

CHEC Americas Division Regional Director Zhongdong Tang

“We are very enthusiastic about launching this project as our first initiative in The Bahamas,” he said.

“The port will increase trading opportunities locally, regionally and internationally, especially for those based here in Coopers Town.”

Tang said between September 2013 and June 2014, CHEC spent over $1.3 million on the project.

North Abaco MP Renardo Curry said there has been a consistent push to create employment for the people of Abaco and yesterday was a big step in the right direction.

He thanked the Christie administration and former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, who attended the ceremony, for their efforts in getting the project to this stage.

The groundbreaking ceremony also involved a basketball game between a local Abaco team and some CHEC staff.

Last month CHEC donated food supplies and other items to over 100 people who were left homeless after a devastating fire destroyed over 50 homes in Marsh Harbour, Abaco.

Company officials said they are committed to providing more assistance to the less fortunate and those affected by natural disasters in The Bahamas.

 

 

 

more info...

Union: $100K paid in cash

The Nassau Guardian

Union: $100K paid in cash

Mario’s Bowling and Family Entertainment Palace’s $100,000 payment to the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) to bring down its nearly $200,000 balance was made in cash, Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU) President Paul Maynard claimed yesterday.

This claim directly contradicts a statement made by BEC Executive Chairman Leslie Miller that the payment was made by cashier’s check.

Maynard said a cashier and supervisor from BEC’s post office location were reprimanded yesterday for accepting the $100,000 cash payment.

He said the employees were not aware that the corporation does not accept cash payments over $10,000.

“If that is the policy, then BEC needs to send that policy to the union as they are supposed to do and we will pass it on to our members,” Maynard said.

“Listen, cashiers are not going to take the flack for this.

“What Mr. Miller does is his business. It does not make a difference to me what the deal is. The point is you are not going to pick on the small people.”

Antionette Turnquest, BEC’s assistant general manager for administration, said last night she could not confirm any specific matters related to the payment.

While she did not speak to how the payment was made or how much was paid, Turnquest confirmed that the cashiers were called to a meeting. However, she stressed they were not disciplined.

“There was a meeting with cashiers. They were reminded of BEC’s policy with respect to cash collections, but there was no disciplinary action meted out,” she said.

“As far as I am aware, there is no plan for disciplinary action.”

Turnquest said, “The policy is that they are not supposed to accept more than $10,000 cash.”

In a statement on Wednesday, Mario’s said, “Mario’s Bowling & Family Entertainment Palace, along with Summer Winds Company Ltd., has made a payment of $100,000 towards the balance of our utility bill.

“With this substantial payment, we expect to bring our balance down and have it paid in the shortest amount of time possible.”

Before the statement was issued, Miller said his daughters, the managing directors of Mario’s, informed him that they made a partial payment on the company’s bill via cashier’s check in the amount of $100,000.

When contacted for comment yesterday, Mario’s Director of Marketing Leslia Miller-Brice said, “We have nothing to say on the matter.”

Pressed for a response about the cash payment, Miller-Brice hung up the phone.

When The Guardian questioned Miller on the matter in the foyer of the House of Assembly yesterday, he refused to give any specifics on the matter.

“This done dead,” Miller said. “You get pay, you get pay. I wish someone would come and pay me. I would love that.”

When pressed, Miller said he had nothing else to say.

Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis was also asked about the reported cash payment.

“Obviously he recognizes that it serves him well to settle his accounts,” he said outside the House of Assembly.

“When I spoke, he had indicated to me that he had already made arrangements to settle the whole debt.

“The manner and method in which he was to do it did not include that (paying with cash), but I am happy to see that such a large amount was paid towards the bill,” said Davis, the minister responsible for BEC.

Asked to confirm whether the payment was made in cash, Davis said, “I don’t know how it was paid. I just know $100,000 was paid.”

As has been widely reported this week, BEC records obtained by The Guardian showed that a Harrold Road building registered with BEC in Miller’s name owed the corporation $46,373.77 as of Monday.

Those records also showed that a Harrold Road bowling alley, owned by Summer Winds Investments Company Ltd., owed the corporation $193,159.56, as of Monday.

The BEWU and its umbrella union have called for Miller’s resignation over his and his family-owned business’ arrears.

Miller has said he has no intention of stepping down as executive chairman, and will instead remain focused on the affairs of the corporation.

Maynard added that the issues involving the unions and Miller, which have played out in the media, are “nothing personal”.

 

 

 

more info...

Music teacher retires after 40 years of service

The Nassau Guardian

Music teacher retires after 40 years of service

A teacher from C.R. Walker Secondary School is being recognized at his retirement for reaching 40 years of service in the profession.

Fred M. Munnings was born in Rolleville, Exuma on June 25, 1953 to Bertram Livingston Munnings and Elvise Miller. He attended the local school for a short while, as his parents soon relocated to New Providence. It was there that Munnings became interested in music, in particular the guitar.

His father played the guitar and sang, while young Freddie watched and learned to play a few tunes. At the age of 12 he and several friends formed a singing group that sang in the yard, on the streets and even in the local Church of God on Minnie Street.

In 1971, Munnings graduated from St. Anne’s High School, Fox Hill. He was then hired by the Ministry of Education to teach and play guitar at Uriah McPhee Primary School. In 1973, Munnings enrolled at the Bahamas Teachers College, and there he joined a band called the College Band. In 1974, he became the leader of the band. The band brought joy and happiness to many prospective teachers and lecturers, especially on Friday nights when everyone wanted to “let down their hair” and get away from book work.

In 1975, Munnings graduated from the Bahamas Teachers College and was posted at L.W. Young Secondary School. It was there that he became involved in many activities. He was a teacher and basketball and track and field coach. In basketball he won several championships. In track and field he coached a famous Bahamian icon, Pauline Davis. He was also a member of the Junior Red Cross Link no. 3. He provided songs for the group to sing at special occasions. It was also here that he wrote the song “Who Will Lead The Children”. This song became popular, as the group used it as its theme song.

During this time Munnings was a member of several local bands where he played guitar and sang. He played at the Elks Lodge Hall on Baillou Hill Road North, the exclusive Buena Vista on Delancey Street, the Vintage Club, Rose Town Café, Crystal Palace and the Radisson hotel. Munnings currently plays at various establishments throughout New Providence with a band called “Bounce”.

In 1997, he recorded his first single called “Peace and Love”, a song he wrote a few years back while singing with the group Stars of Youth.

In 2000, Munnings recorded his first album featuring the song “Who Will Lead The Children”. The video featured teachers and students of C.R. Walker Senior High School. In 2006, Munnings introduced two 12th grade female students, Kerline Octave and Dentera Jackson, to a song he wrote called “Hold on Believer”. He also had a few more recordings done with other students of C.R. Walker, namely Keisha and Opal Strachan.

Munnings is married to the former Deborah Smith. The couple has two children, Chad and Cheala Munnings. He retired at the end of this school year.

 

more info...

Millers owe BEC over $200,000

The Nassau Guardian

Millers owe BEC over $200,000

Despite railing against Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) employees who he claimed allowed the corporation’s delinquent accounts to mount by giving “breaks to their friends”, BEC Executive Chairman Leslie Miller and one of his family-owned businesses collectively owe the corporation nearly a quarter of a million dollars, The Nassau Guardian can confirm.

BEC records obtained by The Nassau Guardian show that a Harrold Road building registered with BEC in Miller’s name owes the corporation $46,373.77.

Those records also show that a Harrold Road bowling alley, owned by Summerwinds Investments Ltd., owes the corporation $193,159.56.

Both businesses owed BEC a total of $239,533.33 as of yesterday.

The Harrold Road business registered to BEC in the name Leslie O. Miller is also $45,289.09 delinquent, according to BEC records.

The records show that no payment has been made on the bill since October, 2013.

Those records also show that the bowling alley is $172,474.63 delinquent.

Harrold Road was renamed Tonique Williams-Darling Highway in 2005.

When initially asked by The Guardian in the foyer of the House of Assembly to respond to the findings yesterday, Miller said he would not discuss his personal business or the business of any other customer with the media, no matter “what the amount is or how insignificant”.

However, Miller later contacted The Guardian and acknowledged that both businesses owe BEC money, though he did not confirm how much.

Miller said his daughters, who manage Mario’s Bowling and Family Entertainment Palace, and their accountant, informed him that they have an “ongoing situation where they give them (BEC) a check every week”.

“They give [BEC] a minimum of $5,000 every week and they say they are getting ready now to give them a substantive check on the balance that is owed,” Miller said.

Asked why the arrears on Mario’s was so high, Miller said everyone’s accounts get high when the economy goes bad.

He said nearly every business in the country was hit hard as a result of the recession .

As for Mario’s, Miller said when parents are struggling they do not patronize the establishment, and it loses 80 percent of its patrons, who are teenagers and children.

“I think there has been financial hardship for most of [those types of businesses] in this country,” he said.

Miller said his family did not tell him how much Mario’s owes.

As it relates to Sunburst Paints, which occupies the building on Harrold Road, Miller said over the last several years he has not paid attention to it, especially after his business partner died in an accident.

“We are, in fact, just getting Sunburst Paints back on track again so that will be dealt with in short order,” he said.

 

Conflict

BEC’s accounts receivable are in excess of $130 million.

Last week, Miller blamed BEC employees for the more than 20,000 customers who are $5,000 or more in arrears.

According to Miller, homeowners are responsible for 75 percent of that figure.

He claimed employees have been giving “breaks to their friends”, which has contributed to the financial hemorrhaging at BEC over the years.

The president of the unions at BEC said they felt insulted by Miller’s charge.

They also said they found Miller’s comments unbecoming and out of line.

When asked whether he felt there is a conflict in making those statements, Miller said yesterday, “No. I don’t think so.

“Many, many people owe BEC large amounts of [money] and most of them do what you normally do, you make an arrangement and you try to bring yourself up to date,” he said.

“That is what everyone has been doing. I don’t think they (his daughters) did it because they didn’t know that whatever is due now, [was due] then.”

 

Campaign to collect arrears

Over the past two years, Miller has issued stern warnings to major hotels and commercial consumers to pay up or face disconnection.

His most recent threat came in June 2013, as the corporation reportedly clamped down on arrears.

At the time, Miller said the corporation could not allow major hotels and other companies to remain delinquent.

According to Miller, one company reportedly owed BEC $10 million.

During a press conference at BEC’s headquarters on Baillou Hill Road, Miller said BEC does not get much out of going after ordinary Bahamians who are struggling to make ends meet.

Yesterday, Miller maintained that some “major conglomerates” in the country, who have the ability to pay, owe tens of millions of dollars.

Miller has also gone after some delinquent residential customers who had significant bills.

In October 2013, nearly half the delinquent residential customers — around 200 — on Inagua were plunged into darkness for failure to pay more than $500,000 they owed.

He said at the time that many customers had not paid their bills in over four years, despite benefitting from bill reductions and several assistance programs.

With respect to Inagua, residential customers’ bills ranged form $3,500 to $13,000.

 

Disclosure

Miller was also asked whether he has listed Sunburst Paints and its liabilities as a part of his financial disclosures.

“You can see those things when we issue our public disclosures,” he said at the House.

He did not say whether the money the companies owes to BEC will be included in his financial disclosure.

Miller also admitted that he has not submitted his financial disclosures documents to the Public Disclosure Commission.

He said he expects to do so on Friday.

“The prime minister has indicated to all of us, members of Parliament, including the opposition and his party, last week Thursday, that we need to bring ourselves up to date and everyone has been committed to doing so,” he said.

“It is being done right now.”

The legal deadline for disclosure was March 1.

 

 

 

more info...

Lawyer found in contempt says he won’t pay fine

The Nassau Guardian

Lawyer found in contempt says he won’t pay fine

Attorney Geoffrey Farquharson has said he will not pay the $2,000 fine levied on him by Justice Bernard Turner earlier this month for contempt of court.

The fine is due on June 26, according to Farquharson.

If he does not have a change of heart, he will begin serving a 14-day sentence next week.

Speaking to The Nassau Guardian yesterday, he said, “I did nothing wrong. I committed no contempt. I always tell young people not to knuckle under pressure.

“The only reason I would pay the fine is to avoid the embarrassment of going to prison and as unpalatable as that may be, I’m not going to knuckle and pay the fine.”

Last week, the Court of Appeal refused to stay Turner’s order pending an appeal of his decision.

The court suggested that Farquharson pay the fine, which would be refunded if the appeal succeeded.

But Farquharson said, after prayerful consideration, he has decided not to pay the fine.

Farquharson was found guilty of contempt of court on May 22 for his conduct during the trial, which ended on October 29, 2013, when Kofhe Goodman was sentenced to death for the September 2011 murder of primary school student Marco Archer.

Justice Turner cited Farquharson for contempt in relation to remarks that he made on May 15, 2013 and July 18, 2013 that impugned the integrity of the court.

In sentencing on June 4, Turner said that he was compelled to punish Farquharson to spare another judge from the same behavior.

He said that Farquharson was unrepentant in his behavior by maintaining that he acted properly.

On May 15, Farquharson said, “We are concerned that the apparent bias of the court may be tantamount to participation of the court wittingly or unwittingly to this perversion of justice.

“We say that what the prosecution has done is to fix this man up with a case, and that the court, by its actions, may well be viewed by a disinterested observer to be enabling that effort by the prosecution.

“If that is the case, my lord, that would mean that there was a suggestion that the court itself may be guilty of a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.”

In July, Farquharson accused the court of “blatantly and flagrantly disregarding the law and making up the law on which it purports to act”.

 

 

 

more info...

Fitzgerald predicts Bahamas will eventually have income tax

The Nassau Guardian

Fitzgerald predicts Bahamas will eventually have income tax

Education minister Jerome Fitzgerald has predicted the country will eventually have to implement income tax after it reduces customs tariffs.

“What I will say, Mr. Speaker, is that as we move closer towards [the] WTO (World Trade Organization), there is no doubt that further considerations will have to be given to our tax structure,” said Fitzgerald during debate on the budget in the House of Assembly on Thursday.

“And I have no doubt that someday, yes, we will have income tax. It’s hard to imagine but…once we start eliminating that form of taxation, customs duties, we’re going to have to find income from somewhere. So, it may not be while we’re here, but the time will come.

“I don’t see how we can avoid it based on the level of debt we have and our debt service.”

Government debt at the end of 2013/2014 is projected at $5.1 billion, or 60 percent of GDP.

The government is spending around $260 million in servicing the debt every year.

The government would be mandated to immediately lower its tariff rates upon joining the WTO, government officials have said.

The Bahamas was previously committed to a December 2014 deadline to join the WTO.

However, Minister of Financial Services and Trade Ryan Pinder said recently the process would likely extend into mid-2015.

It is not clear to what level tariffs will ultimately need to be reduced once WTO membership has been achieved.

Prime Minister Perry Christie said last month the government wouldn’t consider any wide scale customs reductions until 2015.

“Based on the revenue performance of VAT (value-added tax) early next year, the government may be in a position to consider tariff and excise reductions at the time of the 2015/2016 budget,” he said. “More general tariff rebalancing, however, is still a requirement that will need to be implemented once The Bahamas concludes the ongoing WTO negotiations.”

Negotiations are currently underway involving other WTO member countries and The Bahamas on the topic of duty reductions, officials have said.

It is estimated that the government derives as much as 60 percent of the revenue from customs duties.

The Bahamas at present has some of the highest customs duties in the world, and will require an overall reduction in the average tariff in order to be WTO-compliant.

VAT will be introduced on January 1, 2015.

It is expected to generate $150 million within the first six months.

In its white paper on tax reform, the government notes that income taxes are in general application around the world, and they do generate significant sums of money for governments.

However, the paper notes that the yield from income taxes is subject to the usual impacts of the economic cycle on employment and profits.

It says the principal drawback of personal income tax is that it acts as a disincentive to work effort and entrepreneurship.

It also discourages saving as interest income, dividends and capital gains are subject to tax.

Likewise, the corporate income tax on profits discourage investment and innovation, the white paper adds.

 

 

 

more info...

Trial of man accused of raping mother continues

The Nassau Guardian

Trial of man accused of raping mother continues

An emergency room physician said yesterday it is impossible to have sex while having an epileptic seizure.

Dr. Ricardo Davis was testifying in the trial of a 33-year-old man accused of raping his 65-year-old mother in their New Providence home on January 10, 2012.

Davis said he was familiar with the defendant, whom he referred to as a “frequent flier” in the emergency room.

He said he took a blood sample from the defendant in relation to the case and had also treated him for his epileptic fits.

Asked by prosecutor Anthony Delaney if a person could have sex while having a fit, Davis replied, “No way in Jesus’ name could you have sex while having a seizure. When a seizure comes on, everything stops.”

Davis continued that when a person has a seizure the person loses all control.

“If you’re in control, you’re not having a seizure,” he said.

Davis said that in his experience with the defendant, he becomes aggressive following his seizures. “He has to be restrained by security or police,” he said.

Davis said that none of the anti-seizure medicine prescribed to the defendant would affect the ability to determine right or wrong.

During cross-examination by defense lawyer Dorsey McPhee, Davis said that it was possible to have sex following a seizure, but he said at that point the person would be aware of their actions.

The trial continues today before Justice Indra Charles.

 

 

more info...

Ginger Moxey on the road promoting The Bahamas

The Nassau Guardian

Ginger Moxey on the road promoting The Bahamas

FREEPORT, Grand Bahama – Ginger M. Moxey, president and CEO of Immerse Bahamas, and former vice president of The Grand Bahama Port Authority has hit the ground running in her quest to further propel The Bahamas as a destination ripe for those seeking the authentic experiences that The Bahamas has to offer. Moxey’s promotional tour was in fulfillment of the organization’s mission to empower groups to experience the splendor of The Bahamas: the culture; with music, dance, cuisine, arts and craft; the unadulterated charm of the islands; the beauty and hospitality of the people, with an element of community giving.

“My new venture is three-fold,” shared Moxey. “It was imperative that I follow my passion for our people, our communities, our culture, and our experiences by developing a company that embraced these facets of our nation. It consists of a destination, event and project management company that promotes and develops authentic Bahamian experiences for visitors to our beautiful country.

Immerse Bahamas utilizes the best of what The Bahamas has to offer, while simultaneously offering entrepreneurial opportunities for those Bahamians looking to enter the field of tourism product development, in a shared-space facility that lowers the cost of operating a business. The venture also consists of a philanthropic component that encourages, supports and facilitates giving back to the community. Its international partnership with Sister Cities International and People to People International bring significant value to humanitarian and economic development initiatives, as well as the destination management aspect of the organization.”

Moxey explains, “The destination management component of Immerse Bahamas is quite unique, as most of the feeder organizations have some affiliation with humanitarian, educational, business, or cultural immersion. In essence, they are all associated with giving back to the community in more ways than the average tourist spend.”

During the recent promotional exercise Moxey made a courtesy call to the new offices of the Consulate of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas in Washington DC. This provided a wonderful opportunity to share the plans of Immerse Bahamas, and to see the great work provided through the office led by Consul General Paulette Adderley-Zonicle.

Moxey’s next stop was the world headquarters of Sister Cities International in Washington, D.C. for meetings to further discuss the partnership with Immerse Bahamas. Items on the agenda included the current sister city agreements under development for The Bahamas and the restoration of existing relationships. Both organizations pledged to make the relationships truly beneficial to the The Bahamas and U.S. cities.

The road trip ended with People to People International (PTPI) at its world headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. Both PTPI and Sister Cities International were founded in 1956 by U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower, and U.S. President Barack Obama currently serves as honorary chairman. People to People International hosts many travel experiences that provide cultural immersion to various destinations. Immerse Bahamas has petitioned PTPI for The Bahamas to become a travel destination.

With its focus on creating uniquely Bahamian events that culturally engage participants into the fiber of The Bahamas and its people, Immerse Bahamas is doing its part to promote The Bahamas as a culture/heritage destination, and developing life-long relationships for The Bahamas that go beyond the ‘one-time’ visitor.

 

 

more info...

Gray defends PM on gambling vote

The Nassau Guardian

Gray defends PM on gambling vote

Agriculture Minister V. Alfred Gray yesterday strongly defended Prime Minister Perry Christie against criticisms by former PLP Minister A. Loftus Roker, who said recently Christie should resign for spending more than a million dollars on a gambling referendum and ignoring the results.

Gray said everyone makes mistakes.

“In my view, I am sorry that such a distinguished former minister of the government sought to use the medium that he used to seek to bring low the esteem of our prime minister,” he said while contributing to debate on the 2014/2015 budget in the House of Assembly.

“That’s not necessary. It wasn’t called for and despite how he feels about the prime minister, he is the prime minister and he is the people’s prime minister and there is no perfect man.

“…[Christie] admitted that maybe he shouldn’t have done it, but that’s hindsight. But you see, Mr. Speaker, there is nobody who made every decision and it turned out the way he wanted or she wanted it.

“That’s not a reason to castigate people because, Mr. Speaker, as long as you try there is a possibility to fail. It’s when you do not try that you cannot fail. Everybody who tries will sometimes fail, but when you keep trying, that’s what makes the difference between a real man and an imposter.”

Before the referendum, Christie pledged to abide by the results. Most of the people who voted, voted against the regulation and taxation of web shops.

In his budget communication two weeks ago, Christie confirmed that web shops will be taxed as of July 1, 2014.

In an interview with The Guardian’s National Review on May 30, Roker said, “He (Christie) shouldn’t have gone to referendum, because he wanted the referendum to say yes. The referendum said no.

“If I were prime minister, I would resign. If I reached that point. I made a mistake and I would pay for it. I would resign.

“...You just can’t keep making mistakes and say I’m sorry...”

Gray added that Roker should have called Christie and personally expressed his opinion on the matter.

“I think the brother wanted a headline for a moment,” said Gray, who charged that The Nassau Guardian allowed itself to be used by Roker.

But Roker offered his comments only after he was contacted by The Nassau Guardian and asked his views on the implications of ignoring the will of the people.

His statements have drawn widespread reaction in and outside political circles and have been referred to several times during the budget debate.

Responding to a question from a Nassau Guardian/NB12 reporter at the Labour Day Parade last week Friday, Christie addressed the matter briefly.

He said Roker knows what he thinks of him and suggested that in time he will tell the public his thoughts about the former minister.

In the House of Assembly on Tuesday, Christie said he stands by his decision to regulate and tax web shops despite the poll results.

He said the decision was in the “national interest”.

In January, Christie told The Nassau Guardian he regretted going to referendum and should have regulated web shops upon coming to office in 2012.

 

Response

In the House of Assembly yesterday, Gray also suggested that Roker’s comments were not the kinds of statements that would be made by an Acklins man.

Both Gray and Roker are from Acklins.

While the minister was highly critical of Roker, his colleague, Minister of Immigration and Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell, said at Roker’s age he should be allowed to say anything he wants.

Mitchell was responding to Montagu MP Richard Lightbourn, who referred to Roker’s comments on Tuesday as he called on Christie to explain why he decided to go against the will of the people.

Mitchell accused Lightbourn of trying to use Roker’s words against the government.

“Let me warn him,” said Mitchell during the budget debate yesterday afternoon. “Don’t go there. You see, the way I look at comments by men like Loftus Roker is like the way my dad used to talk to me. He could tell me anything he liked as he was my dad. And so you just don’t get in that. Just leave that alone.

“...At his age and stage he can say what he likes. But I also know that right now I am in the seat and it is our colleagues’ right to govern no matter who says what.”

Roker is 78.

 

 

 

more info...

Smith says govt must do more in crime fight

The Nassau Guardian

Smith says govt must do more in crime fight

The government has to do more in the fight against crime, according to Nassau Village MP Dion Smith, who warned that the country is likely one generation away from losing everything.

“Crime is challenging our very survival as a nation,” said Smith during his contribution to the budget debate in the House of Assembly yesterday.

“…We need to find a way to tackle this scourge of crime. It is impacting our way our life. And in my opinion, it is impacting it in a very negative way. Crime is changing the Bahamian way of life. We are perhaps one generation removed from the beautiful existence we enjoy, which was the envy of the world. If The Bahamas loses its charm, Mr. Speaker, we have lost everything.”

Smith noted that Minister of National Security Dr. Bernard Nottage has announced various crime fighting plans. However, he said it seems that every strategy that is implemented is “challenged by this monster of crime”.

“Somehow I wonder if we could look at this in another way,” he said.

“…We have to do more in our response, Mr. Speaker, as the crime epidemic is eating away at the very soul of this nation. We are losing too many of our bright and

talented people to the war on our streets.”

Smith said parenting skills have dropped over the years and there is less emphasis placed on obeying laws.

He said parents should be held accountable for their underage children. Smith said if there were legal consequences, parents would take their jobs more seriously.

He noted, however, that there are good parents who have uncontrollable children.

In May, Nottage said he is “personally satisfied” that the government is on the right track in the fight against crime.

At the time, he pointed to broken homes as a key factor in crime.

He said a poll of homes in Over-the-Hill areas found that 80 percent of residents live with single mothers with no male presence.

Nottage said the crime problem will not be fixed overnight, adding that he spends every waking hour formulating strategies and crime solutions.

 

 

more info...

Man convicted of incest in rape of his mother

The Nassau Guardian

Man convicted of incest in rape of his mother

A man convicted of incest in relation to the rape of his 65-year-old mother plans to challenge the jury’s verdict at the Court of Appeal.

The 33-year-old man showed no emotion after the nine-member jury unanimously convicted him of a single count of incest, rejecting his lawyer’s contention that he suffered from a rare medical condition known as sexsomnia, or sleep sex.

Asked by the judge’s clerk if he had anything to say before the sentence was passed, the convict said, “I want an appeal.”

His lawyer, Dorsey McPhee, requested a probation report prior to sentencing. The man, who is on remand, returns to court for sentencing on August 8.

The man’s mother could not be located to testify at the trial but her statement to police given immediately after the incident was entered into evidence under Section 66 of the Evidence Act.

According to the woman, her son woke her around 12 a.m. on January 10, 2012. She said he came into her bed and she could feel an erection through his clothing.

Her son ravished her until 5:45 a.m. when he cleaned himself up and locked her in their rented room and told her, “I coming to sex you later.”

The woman escaped through a window and reported the matter to police, according to the evidence.

During his testimony, the man claimed that he had no recollection of the incident.

However, he was placed at the scene through DNA samples obtained from vaginal swabs taken from his mother.

Anthony Delaney and Kendra Kelly prosecuted.

 

 

more info...

Govt eyes hike in minimum wage

The Nassau Guardian

Govt eyes hike in minimum wage

Despite the lack of consensus from the business community, the government will consider proposals for a “much needed” increase to the national minimum wage by the end of the year, Minister of Labour and National Insurance Shane Gibson said.

The minimum wage for public sector employees is $210 per week while the minimum wage for private sector employees is $150 per week.

Gibson spoke to The Nassau Guardian yesterday following an announcement on Friday that he has invited the government’s social partners to submit their recommendations for a wage increase.

Gibson made the announcement as he delivered his national address on Labour Day.

“It is my hope that the much needed increase in the minimum wage will contribute to the further economic development of Bahamian workers,” he said.

When contacted yesterday, Gibson declined to say what he thinks would be a fair increase. He said he will wait for the consultation process to conclude and the government will make a decision then.

However, he noted that some employers have tried to stall the process for various reasons.

"You can never get the employers to agree on an appropriate time for a wage increase," he said.

"They never think it’s an appropriate time. So we just have to get together and agree on a date and the increase."

While the news of a possible wage increase is expected to be celebrated by union leaders, some in the business community will likely object to the plan.

Fatal mixture

Sky Bahamas owner Captain Randy Butler said businesses cannot afford to take on additional expenses in the current economic climate.

“Let’s analyze this,” he said yesterday. “Did the [government] look at this from the business view or is it going for political expedience to get them elected again?

“We’re talking about adding value added-tax (VAT) on top of [limited] customs reductions and mandatory increased salaries. It’s a fatal mixture for businesses in the country.

“Those in business now are saying, what in the world are we doing.”

Butler said he pays his employers above the minimum wage, and added that the government should increase the salaries in the public sector before it asks anyone else to do so.

“They’re the ones that seem to be in dire trouble with the unions,” he said. “It’s not the private sector that’s having the challenges.”

Several union leaders have called for wage increases recently.

Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU) President John Pinder wants the government to raise the minimum wage ahead of the implementation of VAT.

Pinder said he does not think the government understands the impact that VAT will have on low-income families in the country.

The government will implement VAT at a rate of 7.5 percent on January 1, 2015.

The cost of living is expected to increase by four percent after the implementation of VAT, government officials estimate.

Last week, Trade Union Congress (TUC) President Obie Ferguson said the country’s minimum wage is simply unacceptable.

“One hundred and fifty dollars a week can not be accepted in this Bahamas today,” Ferguson said.

“…These are burning issues. These are issues that affect the average Bahamian.”

Gibson said last year that he expects the Minimum Wage Act to be amended following the establishment of the National Tripartite Council, which links labor unions, employers and government.

The council held its first informal meeting last month.

Gibson said the council will also submit recommendations to the government to amend the Industrial Relations Act 1970 and the Employment Act 2001.

“These amendments will propose increases in the statutory redundancy and severance entitlements, clarification on the definition of a lunch break, overtime entitlement, and minimum time limits for employers to enter into good faith negotiations with the recognized bargaining units,” he said during his national address.

 

 

more info...

Lucaya International School donates juice boxes to children’s home

The Nassau Guardian

Lucaya International School donates juice boxes to children’s home

GRAND BAHAMA – Lucaya International School (LIS) donated 400 juice boxes to the Grand Bahama Children's Home (GBCH) recently.

Students Katelyn Cabral, Sophie Paine and Jessica McBrayer spearheaded the “juice box drive” this year. This is the fourth juice box donation for the home, which was originally started by Cabral in 2012. During the course of two weeks the students worked hard to promote the drive and encourage other students to help the children of the home.

Cabral, a student in year six, said "I am proud to have been able to continue this project at LIS. I know that the children at the home will be very grateful."

Sophie Paine, an International Baccalaureate student, said, "On behalf of the entire school, we are so delighted to donate to the Grand Bahama Children's Home. Not only are we sure that this will make a difference in other children's lives, but it gives us as a student body great satisfaction to know that we have contributed to the well-being of our community. Organizing a drive like this is certainly not an easy task, as it requires cooperation from all the students, however, the Grand Bahama Children's Home means so much to us as students that we gained enormous support, which we are proud to share with the children.”

Jessica McBrayer added, “I’m happy that we were able to help the children’s home out through the juice box drive. I hope to continue to volunteer and help the GBCH in as many other ways as possible”.

"As part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at LIS, students have to complete the 18-month CAS (creativity, action, service) element to fulfill the diploma’s requirements," said Vikki Purvis, CAS coordinator. "There are numerous requirements and one of the aims of this CAS program is to educate students in the importance of caring about others less fortunate than themselves. This year, two IB students decided to work with one of our primary students, which illustrates the way our older students interact with the younger ones at LIS.

"I am very proud of how the students have shown such an act of kindness towards GBCH," said Purvis. "This continual juice box drive, plus our annual ‘turkey trot’ for the home, shows that LIS is truly teaching the students to give back and the importance of being good corporate citizens.”

“We are so grateful to the students, teachers and parents of Lucaya International School who continue to support the home in so many ways,” said Mrs. Lesley Davies-Baptista, Grand Bahama Children's Home executive committee member. “The donation of the juice boxes could not have come at a better time as we approach a long summer break.

“The LIS student body has found meaningful ways to impact the home, as they set a wonderful example of reaching out and helping others right here in our community. Both the executive board and our children very much appreciate their help, which is especially needed during such a difficult time in our economy.”

 

more info...

Man convicted of sex with six-year-old girl

The Nassau Guardian

Man convicted of sex with six-year-old girl

A man has been convicted of the sexual assault of a girl of six.

The jury unanimously convicted Kendrick Rolle, 33, of having unlawful sexual intercourse with the youngster in June 2013.

The incident took place at Saunders Beach where Rolle was on a picnic with the victim’s family.

He molested the child while he took her in the sea, the jury found.

Justice Carolita Bethell remanded Rolle to prison until sentencing which will take place in August.

Basil Cumberbatch prosecuted. Rolle represented himself.

more info...

DeVaughn Gow representing The Bahamas in Mr. World competition

The Nassau Guardian

DeVaughn Gow representing The Bahamas in Mr. World competition

The Search for the world’s most desirable man is on, and Bahamian DeVaughn Gow is on a mission to show that world that he is the one.

DeVaughn is among the finalists in the global hunt for Mr. World 2014, who have gathered in Torbay, Devon, UK for the chance of a lifetime. Over the next two weeks they will be pushed to the limits as they take on a series of challenges designed to test every quality required to be the “world’s most desirable man”.

DeVaughn holds a bachelor of science degree in exercise science from the University of Tampa and is a personal concierge and a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)-certified fitness trainer. He hopes to expand his fitness training enterprise to offer the very best training methods to the very best athletes the world over, using the natural Bahamian environment and specialized techniques to augment and enhance those methods. He said he hopes to use his own success to bolster local and global support for the diversification of Bahamian industry. In his spare time, he enjoys cross-training, basketball, martial arts, drawing, singing, amateur carpentry, gardening, poetry, writing, swimming, spear-fishing and playing with his dogs. DeVaughn is also light on his feet, and is an accomplished latin dancer, specializing in bachata, salsa, and meringue. He is a graduate of the Florida Air Academy and has been awarded for acts of heroism. And he also has a unique talent, he says he can shuck and open a coconut with nothing but his hands and teeth!

Mr. World 2014 promises to be an amazing event like no other. Over the next two weeks the contestants will face a series of grueling challenges, including the following:

– They will be put through their paces at the Royal Marine Commando’s Training Facility, home of the UK’s elite special force and world leaders in discipline, strength and unity;

– They will take to the seas under the expert supervision of the International Sailing School, one of the UK’s premier sailing organizations. They will test their team work abilities as they race against each other on some of the best sailing vessels in the world;

– Their sporting skills will be challenged as they compete in a variety of sporting disciplines, including a football challenge with local team Torquay United.

 

more info...

Mitchell roars back at Symonette over ‘anti-American’ comment

The Nassau Guardian

Mitchell roars back at Symonette over ‘anti-American’ comment

Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell on Wednesday lashed out at the “slimy remarks” made by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Brent Symonette that he is anti-American and charged that Symonette wanted to say something else, but did not have the courage to do it.

During his contribution to the budget debate, Mitchell, the foreign affairs and immigration minister, said he could not pass up the opportunity to respond to Symonette, who he said has no basis to “make the slur against me that in standing up for The Bahamas I am anti-American”.

Mitchell was referring to his response to allegations that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) is recording and archiving every cell phone conversation in The Bahamas.

Symonette told The Tribune that Mitchell is anti-American.

“I want to assure the former member that I owe no money to Commonwealth Bank, and so the well-known practice associated with some in his family of calling in loans when the borrower’s politics was opposed to the lender does not apply to me,” Mitchell said.

“However, I would wish to treat him to a lesson in moral equivalence. I read in the press that the winners of the Catholic [church] raffle recently were two men who are owners of the numbers houses in The Bahamas, Adrian Fox and Sebas Bastian.”

Fox and Bastian, the CEOs of Island Luck, won a 2014 Kia Rio at the Our Lady’s Catholic Church annual fair and raffle. The men said they will return the car.

Mitchell said both men are the “most successful Bahamian entrepreneurs of their generation”.

“There was a time, and the former deputy prime minister would know of it, when bootlegging into the United States was an activity, which grounded the fortunes of many Bahamians, who then were able to transform their wealth into leadership in politics and in commerce.”

He said in 1965, one of those men, a leader of the government, also won a car.

Mitchell said the man could have afforded to donate the car back to the church, but chose to keep it.

“The interesting point though is when people who use the wealth from one generation once considered ill-gotten gains and now converted into legal cash, then want to lecture others about their moral standing in a country which was built up by the blood, sweat and tears of my own father and countless others,” he said.

“I do not take it lightly or without grave offence.

“It must be clear that I do not, and will not, shirk from saying so at every opportunity. The Bible says take the mote from your own eye before making groundless accusations about others.”

more info...

Leon Williams back as BTC CEO

The Nassau Guardian

Leon Williams back as BTC CEO

Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) Chairman Phil Bentley announced yesterday that Leon Williams will take over as the new chief executive officer of the company at the end of this month.

Williams, a former CEO of BTC, was appointed as a special adviser to Bentley in March.

He will replace current CEO Geoff Houston, who will leave the company on August 31.

Williams has been hired on a 12-month contract.

His appointment came six years after BTC fired him. At the time it was fully owned by the government.

After the firing, then chairman of BTC Julian Francis said it was not in BTC’s best interest for Williams to continue to serve in the top post.

In 2011, BTC reached a settlement with Williams, who had taken legal action against the company.

Williams’ termination was an issue of great public interest, and angered people who supported his work in telecommunications.

In April 2011, the Ingraham administration sold a 51 percent stake of BTC to Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC), which is now headed by Bentley.

Upon coming to office in 2012, Prime Minister Perry Christie appointed Williams on a committee to negotiate a two percent take back of the shares in BTC on behalf of the Bahamian people.

During a press conference at BTC headquarters on John F. Kennedy Drive yesterday, Bentley said Williams is the right leader to take the company through its next phase of development.

“Leon Williams is obviously a telephony engineer, somebody who knows the business well,” he said.

“Also we want to ensure that we have the representative of the company here today and for the future as a Bahamian.

“We recognize that we are here to serve the Bahamian people, and I very much wanted to ensure that we had a leader that could win the hearts and minds of the Bahamian people as we move into a competitive market.”

Williams said Bentley has made history by re-appointing the last Bahamian CEO before privatization in April 2011 to be the first Bahamian CEO since.

“I am looking for the support of the public as we go to the public to say to them BTC is being run by Bahamians,” Williams said.

“It is a Bahamian company, 51 percent economically owned by Bahamians. Stay with us. We will get you through the tough times.”

There had been widespread speculation that Williams was being considered to resume his old post.

Asked whether the appointment was agreed to as a part of the deal to hand over nearly two percent of CWC’s majority stake in BTC to the government, Bentley said, “A lot of speculation in the press, a lot of it, frankly, [has been] misguided.

“And a lot of comments have been quite hurtful, particularly to Leon. Let me just say categorically, this is a decision that I have taken.

“I have been under no pressure whatsoever from the BTC Board. I have been under no pressure whatsoever from the prime minister, quite the opposite.

“I have gone to him for advice from time to time and have sought the advice of the BTC Board, but this is my decision and I think it is the right decision.”

Bentley also announced a $200 million investment in BTC’s networks over the next three years.

He said he announced to investors in London two weeks ago a 30 percent increase in investment across Cable and Wireless Communications, including BTC.

The investment is expected to improve the company’s mobile network, the rate of dropped calls, coverage in soft spots and technology across its fixed and mobile networks.

 

Future

 

Bentley was also asked to respond to Prime Minister Perry Christie’s statement in the House of Assembly during his recent budget communication that the Ingraham administration’s legislative efforts to guarantee a three-year cellular monopoly to CWC in 2011 will essentially delay competition to 2015.

CWC’s monopoly on the cellular market expired in April.

Bentley said he has not gotten the background of who said what, when, and to whom back in 2011.

“[What] I can tell you absolutely, categorically is that a second cellular license will be awarded,” he said.

“Bahamian people will have a choice and we want the Bahamian people to choose BTC, not because we are the only supplier, but because we are the best supplier.

“...Frankly, that is all I am interested in. It is surprising in a way that people keep going back to a period in 2008 and in 2011.

“Can we just sort of look forward because we are investing some $200 million into The Bahamas over the next few years. That is what I am looking at.”

Christie has said the government is moving swiftly to award the second cellular license in the country in the shortest possible time.

He said the government established a task force to prepare to award the license following the expiration of CWC’s monopoly.

Bentley also confirmed that the deal between CWC and the government to transfer nearly two percent of the BTC shares in a foundation on behalf of the Bahamian people has still not been finalized, even thought it was announced in January.

He was unable to say when this would happen.

 

 

more info...

Wilchcombe says national lottery may be considered

The Nassau Guardian

Wilchcombe says national lottery may be considered

Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe has suggested the government will explore introducing a national lottery for the development of sports and education in The Bahamas sometime after it has regulated the web shop industry.

Wilchcombe also suggested that foreigners would be allowed to participate in the national lottery if it is introduced.

“I believe a lottery can work,” he said in a recent interview.

“I do think the lottery can work because when you think about a lottery, you are not thinking about the size of The Bahamas; you are thinking about the size of those who come to The Bahamas.

“When you go to Florida, for instance, you buy a lottery ticket. If they come [to play] we have five to six million tourists.”

Wilchcombe, who previously said the issue of a national lottery was not on the government’s radar, was asked whether the government will move to introduce a national lottery once it has regulated the web shop industry.

The government plans to tax web shops effective July 1.

“Don’t forget the national lottery offers even greater opportunity in helping us supplement our sports, culture and education,” Wilchcombe said.

“We are not taking that off the table, and the truth is it’s there. My colleagues, Dr. Danny Johnson, for instance, the minister of sports, is a strong advocate, so we have colleagues who want it to happen.

“But we are just trying to steadily move in the right direction. Whatever we do, we don’t [want to] do too much and create error, so we want to move at a steady pace and once it is done correctly we think it can work.”

Johnson said recently that a national lottery is “on the table” and if introduced it could inject significant amounts of money into the sports industry.

Response

Several other Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) members and one prominent pastor have publically expressed support for a national lottery.

In an interview with The Nassau Guardian, Bahamas Faith Ministries International President Dr. Myles Munroe said although he is opposed to gambling, he would prefer the government introduce a national lottery instead of regulating the web shop industry.

Munroe said the move could lead to a “corrupt system” and expressed concern that a small group of owners, in an industry that is estimated to generate $400 million per year, in a small country, has the ability to “buy a government”.

In response, Wilchcombe said there are always opportunities for people to take advantage, but the government hopes its legislation to regulate the web shops will “ensure that we move away from corruption”.

Wilchcombe said Munroe has provided him with very good advice on many issues that has “helped me in some of my decisions”, and he values the religious leader’s opinions.

But Wilchcombe said the government will continue to listen to “all the voices”.

“And so, we take into account what he says, but we believe that we are going to put in place the processes to ensure that we move away from corruption,” the minister said.

“But no matter how big or how small, there are always opportunities for people to take advantage of situations.

“Our job at all times is to ensure that we don’t, because [what’s] important in our gaming industry in The Bahamas is integrity. That is why we have been able to survive.

“We have always had integrity and we are not going to compromise that whatsoever.”

Wilchcombe declined to say whether there is any consensus among Cabinet ministers on the issue “because that would be revealing some secrets”.

He also described himself as a strong advocate on the matter.

more info...

Lawyer could face further action over contempt

The Nassau Guardian

Lawyer could face further action over contempt

Attorney Geoffrey Farquharson, who was held in contempt for disrespectful remarks made during the Kofhe Goodman murder trial, could face further sanction for his actions from the Bahamas Bar Association.

Bar President Elsworth Johnson said the body has an obligation to protect the court from attacks “from within and without”.

Johnson said he will forward transcripts of the proceedings to the Ethics Committee, which in turn could recommend further action by the Disciplinary Committee.

If found guilty of misconduct, Farquharson could be reprimanded, fined or disbarred, Johnson said.

Farquharson was found guilty of contempt of court on May 22 for his conduct during the trial, which ended on October 29, 2013, when Goodman was sentenced to death for the September 2011 murder of Marco Archer, 11.

Justice Bernard Turner cited Farquharson for contempt in relation to remarks he made on May 15, 2013 and July 18, 2013 that impugned the integrity of the court.

In sentencing on Wednesday, Turner said he was compelled to punish Farquharson to spare another judge from the same behavior.

He said Farquharson was unrepentant in his behavior by maintaining that he acted properly.

On May 15, Farquharson said, “We are concerned that the apparent bias of the court may be tantamount to participation of the court wittingly or unwittingly to this perversion of justice.

“We say that what the prosecution has done is to fix this man up with a case, and that the court, by its actions, may well be viewed by a disinterested observer to be enabling that effort by the prosecution.

“If that is the case, my Lord, that would mean that there was a suggestion that the court itself may be guilty of a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.”

In July, Farquharson accused the court of “blatantly and flagrantly disregarding the law and making up the law on which it purports to act”.

 

more info...

U.S. envoy would not confirm or deny spy claims

The Nassau Guardian

U.S. envoy would not confirm or deny spy claims

U.S. Charge d’Affaires John Dinkelman said yesterday he could neither confirm nor deny allegations that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) is recording and archiving every cell phone conversation in The Bahamas.

But Dinkelman said the relationship between the two countries is strong.

“Regarding the relationship between the United States and The Bahamas, it has never been stronger and will continue to be one of the closest and manageable in today’s world where we struggle together for freedoms, for peace and most importantly for the security of both our nations,” he said.

“The United States government is working very closely with the government of The Bahamas to meet any queries that the government of The Bahamas may have regarding any programs that the United States is engaged in.”

When asked if he was confirming that the allegations are true, Dinkelman said, “I am neither confirming nor denying for the United States does not comment on such things and will maintain such communications between the governments in a diplomatic channel.”

Dinkelman was joined by Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes and Minister of National Security Dr. Bernard Nottage for a wreath-laying ceremony at Clifton Pier in commemoration of Memorial Day.

The government of The Bahamas has demanded an explanation from the United States over the documents, which were leaked by former NSA analyst Edward Snowden.

According to the documents leaked by Snowden, the NSA is using a surveillance system called SOMALGET to collect and store “full-take audio” of every mobile call made in The Bahamas and storing it for up to 30 days.

The story was first reported on the news website The Intercept.

According to Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell, Dinkelman gave both Nottage and him (Mitchell) notice about the article.

According to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the only other country where the NSA records and archives every cell phone conversation is Afghanistan.

 

 

more info...

Man on bail shot to death

The Nassau Guardian

Man on bail shot to death

Two men were shot dead in separate incidents between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, according to police, who said one of the victims was wearing an ankle bracelet.

It is believed that the latest murder took place around midnight on Thursday on Odle Corner, off East Street, police said.

However, the victim’s body was not discovered until around 6 a.m. when a woman walked outside her house to dispose of trash.

"She observed what appeared to be the body of a male,” Superintendent Paul Rolle said on the scene. “She in turn made contact with the ambulance and the police."

Rolle said the victim was shot once in the head.

He said residents contacted police around 12 a.m. and

reported hearing gunshots between Odle Corner and Gibbs Corner.

"We believe that would have been around the time when this incident happened," he said.

Rolle said the victim lived in the area and was being electronically monitored.

He could not say what crime the man was accused of committing.

Rolle noted the man was killed about 100 feet from where another man was shot to death on Tuesday.

He said police were investigating whether the two murders are connected.

On Tuesday, Kenthley Milfort, 24, was shot multiple times during a dominoes game on Odle Corner, police said.

Milfort was acquitted of a 2011 murder of Andrich Charles two weeks ago and released from Her Majesty’s Prisons (HMP).

Police are also investigating the murder that took place around 11:20 p.m. on Wednesday on Pratts Lane, off Rupert Dean Lane.

Police said the victim, who has been identified as Sean Lightfoot, 21, was shot twice in the head as he exited a vehicle.

Lightfoot was found lying next to the vehicle with the keys in one hand and cash in the other hand.

Police said the gunman fled on foot.

The murders pushed the count up to 54 for the year.

Police are appealing to people who have information of either murder to come forward.

 

 

 

more info...

Murderer gets 50 years on resentencing

The Nassau Guardian

Murderer gets 50 years on resentencing

A former death row inmate who now mentors at-risk children has been resentenced to 50 years in prison.

Shelton Moss, 51, has already spent 26 years in prison.

He was convicted in May 1989 of the murder of Phillip Kelly, a beach warden. The 1984 murder happened while Kelly was on duty at the Western Esplanade.

The evidence at the trial in 1989 showed that Moss and his friends called Kelly to the car in which they were traveling and Moss shot him in the chest with a shotgun. Kelly died instantly.

Moss did not know Kelly, but he was part of a gang that targeted law enforcement officers. After the murder, Moss fled to Jamaica. He was returned to the country in 1986.

Seventeen years after his conviction, the Privy Council quashed the mandatory death sentence after declaring the penalty unconstitutional.

Moss appeared before Senior Justice Jon Isaacs on Wednesday to be resentenced in compliance with that 2006 decision.

During his address to the court, Moss said, “I am not the same person I was many years ago, when I was contributing to negativeness, to foolishness.”

Moss said his life now has purpose and that he had availed himself of training opportunities at the prison to make himself a better person.

He said he wanted the opportunity to continue his mentorship of people, who had also fallen in with “the wrong crowd”.

Moss apologized for the pain he caused the victim’s family and his own. He said his incarceration affected his mother and he was certain that Kelly’s family mourned his loss.

According to Moss’ lawyer, Devard Francis, Moss was part of the government’s shock treatment program, which is geared at showing delinquent children the potential consequences of their actions.

In spite of Moss’ turnaround, Isaacs said he had to consider the circumstances of the crime. He said at the time of conviction he believed the death penalty was the appropriate sentence.

“It is apparent that Kelly was called to the vehicle for the expressed purpose for retaliation for what he or a member of his unit had done to you or a member of your group,” Isaacs said.

He continued: “Perhaps you are a different individual from the person who was sentenced in 1989. While I take that into account, the greatest degree of leniency I can give is not to impose a sentence of life. You are sentenced to 50 years, with effect from May 18, 1989.”

 

 

 

more info...

Bahamas gets rave reviews for world relays

The Nassau Guardian

Bahamas gets rave reviews for world relays

The Bahamas won more than silver at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Relays. It won the love of many of the athletes, journalists and visitors who attended the event this past weekend.

Several online sporting websites posted glowing reviews of the relays, which were held in The Bahamas for the first time.

Alan Abrahamson of www.3wiresports.com said the meet had passion.

“Passion is what track and field needs,” he wrote.

“Passion is what The Bahamas delivered, along with great weather, spectacular scenery, a Junkanoo band, fantastic hospitality, first-rate facilities and a fast track that produced three world records, 37 national records and, overall, saw the U.S. team — and especially the U.S. women — dominate the meet.”

The two-day sporting event was held at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

The Bahamas’ only medal was in the men’s 4x400 meter relay in what many Bahamians have called a heartbreaking, but superb race.

“If the Bahamian team had won that gold medal, I think we would’ve had to close Nassau on Monday,” Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr. Daniel Johnson said.

“You would’ve had to have a public holiday, and I don’t know how we were going to get out of that stadium that night.”

Abrahamson described that race as “an advertisement for track and field”.

“It was great theater,” he wrote.

There were three world records broken at the meet and thousands packed the stadium to support Team Bahamas.

In an article appearing on the sports website Spikes, Bahamians were listed as the “prototype sports fan”.

“The noise inside the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium was never less than deafening,” said the article, entitled “Bah-Mazing”.

“The spine-tingling, three-minute-long roar generated during the men’s 4x400 meters final will be remembered for years to come.”

Following the relays, IAAF President Lamine Diack said the IAAF “experienced a true sporting paradise” in The Bahamas.

“The people have embraced the IAAF World Relays and the noise of their support will be left ringing in our memories for many years to come,” he said.

more info...

Smith: PM should have apologized to Bahamians

The Nassau Guardian

Smith: PM should have apologized to Bahamians

Former parliamentarian George Smith said yesterday he believes Prime Minister Perry Christie should have come back to the Bahamian people and formally apologized for deciding to go against the results of the 2013 gambling referendum.

While Christie told The Nassau Guardian in January that he regrets taking the web shop regulation issue to a vote, he has yet to apologize for ignoring the will of the people as expressed in that referendum.

There has been no indication from him that he intends to do so.

Smith said the apology should have come before the announcement in the House of Assembly that the government plans to tax web shops.

In his budget communication last Wednesday, Christie confirmed that web shops will be taxed as of July 1, 2014.

Smith’s comments came on 96.9 FM’s radio talk show ‘Jeffrey’ with host Jeffrey Lloyd.

His comments were made in response to former Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) minister A. Loftus Roker’s harsh criticisms of the prime minister’s “million plus dollar referendum mistake”.

In National Review, Roker said, “He (Christie) shouldn’t have gone to referendum, because he wanted the referendum to say yes. The referendum said no.

“If I were prime minister, I would resign. If I reached that point. I made a mistake and I would pay for it. I would resign.

“That’s what he should do. And let the other fellow who [comes] along do whatever they want to do. But there has to be a penalty. There has to be something.

“You just can’t keep making mistakes and say I’m sorry...”

Christie’s statement on web shops last week came 16 months after the majority of people who voted in the referendum voted against regulation and taxation.

When Lloyd asked Smith whether he agreed with Roker’s statement that the prime minister should resign, the former MP for Exuma said he maintains the greatest personal respect for Roker.

Pressed on whether the prime minister should have been a “man of his word”, and should be held accountable for promising to follow through on the outcome of the gambling referendum, Smith said, “That is true.”

However, Smith argued that it would be very challenging for the prime minister once the “clear advantages” of a regulated web shop industry became evident, to keep his word on the referendum, especially when considering the international pressures.

Smith said Christie’s comments to The Nassau Guardian in January that he ought to have regulated the web shop sector without going to referendum was an acknowledgement that the referendum was a mistake.

“Now he perhaps ought to have done it earlier, and perhaps he ought to have said to the nation, ‘look, I said I’ll do this. I now know things that I did not know, so I’ve changed my mind’,” he said.

“I think sometimes when grown men, intelligent and responsible grown men, get to the point where they recognize that I was wrong on that point and I do change my mind, I think that is an act of great maturity and great intelligence.”

Before the referendum, Christie had pledged to abide by the results.

Government officials later pointed out the referendum was non-binding.

Smith made that point again yesterday.

“And so, I give him credit for coming to that, and it couldn’t have been easy, and he must have known that he would have faced abuse,” he said, if reference to Christie’s admission in January.

“But if he didn’t have the referendum, the country, and particularly those who are opposed to any form of gambling in this country, they would have said he promised to do it and he didn’t do it, so you would have had to have lived with that aspect, that kind of abuse, and that kind of embarrassment.”

Smith said sometimes people in high office are placed in challenging positions where they are either “damned if you do or damned if you don’t”.

 

 

more info...

Dr. Myles Munroe attends South African presidential inauguration

The Nassau Guardian

Dr. Myles Munroe attends South African presidential inauguration

Bahamian leadership consultant and bestselling author Dr. Myles Munroe joined heads of states from over 30 nations as a special guest of the government of South Africa for the inauguration of President Jacob Zuma, 72, at the Nelson Mandela Amphitheatre in Pretoria.

Munroe was invited by the Office of the President after a lengthy meeting with the president before the elections in April.

Munroe was welcomed to the historic event by former wife of the late President Nelson Mandela, Winnie Mandela.

“Tell your prime minister, Perry Christie, that I await an invitation to return to The Bahamas to complete the final chapter between our nations,” Mandela said.

Munroe was then invited to be seated with the heads of state and government ministers as a special friend of South Africa.

This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the free democratic new South Africa.

Zuma assumed his second term in office as president on May 24, following the African National Congress’ (ANC) victory in the national general election on May 7.

“Dr. Munroe was invited because he has been a valuable friend of South Africa for the past 20 years, first through his television programs that aired in the national South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) since 1994 and has inspired millions of South Africans with this powerful empowerment messages,” said the new Minister of Energy Tina Joemat-Pettersson.

The energy minister served as Munroe’s chaperone during the day of festivities.

Munroe also met with South Africa’s new Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, the ANC’s second-in-command, who was appointed by Zuma to focus on running the economy and restoring investor confidence in the country.

The former union leader returned to the political fold last year after 16 years in the private sector, where he amassed a significant fortune.

About 40 African leaders and 4,500 dignitaries attended the inauguration, including former South African President Thabo Mbeki.

During his speech after the swearing in, Zuma laid out his administration’s priority agenda.

“This second phase will involve the implementation of radical socio-economic transformation policies and programs over the next five years,” he said.

“The structure of the economy will be transformed through industrialization, broad-based black economic empowerment and through strengthening and expanding the role of the state in the economy.”

Munroe is scheduled to return to South Africa in August to meet with the president and his new Cabinet to discuss additional leadership training programs.

more info...

150 graduate from Baha Mar job training

The Nassau Guardian

150 graduate from Baha Mar job training

Baha Mar is expected to hire around 700 Bahamians through its Leadership Development Institute (LDI) ahead of the resort’s December 8 opening, Baha Mar executive Robert Sands said yesterday.

The first 150 students graduated from the program yesterday and are all expected to be offered jobs in various capacities at the resort.

Sands, Baha Mar’s senior vice-president of administration and external relations, said another 300 Bahamians are currently enrolled in the program.

LDI, one of the resort’s recruitment programs, has had 3,500 applicants.

Resort executives said they were pleased with the inaugural class performance and have high expectations for the future classes.

The program gives Bahamians between 16 and 24 a "chance at a new start", offering training opportunities to those who may not ordinarily be considered for jobs.

Baha Mar Chairman and CEO Sarkis Izmirlian noted how far the graduates have come.

"Baha Mar, like many of you, has stumbled,” he said.

“We have faced obstacles that would have made many others quit. But we did not. We persevered, regrouped, became stronger.

“We are smarter and better for it. We showed grit and character. Now, when the challenges come, and believe me, they still do, every day, we are ready.

"We know we have what it takes, that our soul, our vital core, our essence, with its unique qualities of tenacity, integrity, excellence, attention to detail, will lead us to the other side of any problem thrown our way.

"...We promised you that if you persevered, if you kept your word, if you lived by our values, we would invite you to be part of our opening team, part of the soul of Baha Mar.

"So today, I say with great pride to this the first graduating class of the Leadership Development Institute, welcome to Baha Mar. Congratulations, you have earned your place on our dream team."

The institute offers a 16-week program to candidates. Those who are successful are guaranteed employment at the resort in areas including food and beverage, housekeeping, cleaning services, grounds, maintenance and security, among others.

The program offers job readiness, hospitality, technical and leadership and life skills training.

Baha Mar President Tom Dunlap also encouraged the graduates to continue to grow.

Dominque Moss, one of the graduates, said the program helped to improve his professional skills and also taught him life lessons.

Moss said he is excited to begin his new career and thanked Baha Mar for giving young people hope.

more info...