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A L L T H E N E W S Y O U N E E D T O R E A D I N T H E M O R N I N G

VOL. 31 - NO. 12 75 CENTSWEDNESDAY - JANUARY 16TH, 2019

DEFENCE MAKES “NOCASE SUMBISSION” INSMITH’S TRIAL

oted JamaicanDefence lawyerK. D. Knightmade a “No case

to answer submission” inthe Frank Smith briberyand extortion case in theMagistrates Court yester-day.

Appearing beforeChief Magistrate JoyannFerguson-Pratt, theQueens Counsel arguedthat under the Penal codeunder which Smith ischarged, “ a public officermust make the demandfor bribery and extortion

N

PM CALLS EU MEETING CONSTRUCTIVE

4 From left: Stephen Coakley Wells, advisor to the Minister of Finance;Attorney General Sen. the Hon. Carl Bethel; Prime Minister, Dr. the Most

Hon. Hubert Minnis; and Viana Gardiner, COO, PMDU.

AuthoritiesC r a c k i n g

Down OnAir Hackers

Prime Minister DoctorHubert Minnis says hisdelegation’s meetingwith the EuropeanCommission yesterdaywas “very constructive”“This meeting allowedThe Bahamas to ensurethat the EuropeanCommission clearlyunderstood the impor-tance to The Bahamas ofits longstanding relation-ship with member statesof the European Union, inparticular our trade rela-tionship under theEconomic PartnershipAgreement.”

The delegation, whichincluded AttorneyGeneral Sen. the Hon.Carl Bethel, met withStephen Quest, DirectorGeneral of the Directorate

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Authorities are out tofrustrate air hackers asmuch as possible in hopesof further cracking downon the illegal practice thatcould very well end indeath.

Minister of Tourismand Aviation Dioniso

BY BERTHONY MCDERMOTTJournal Staff Writer

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4 Tourism MinisterDionisio D’Aguilar

(File photo)

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Inmate Escapes From BDCNational SecurityMinister Marvin Dameshas confirmed theescape of an Inmate fromThe Bahamas Departmentof Corrections yesterday.

He also gave the assur-ance that officers cap-tured and returned theescapee almost immedi-

BY BERTHONY MCDERMOTTJournal Staff Writer

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4 National Security Minister, the Hon. Marvin Dames (File photo)

Opposition QuestionsPM’s European trip

The financial servicessector is said to beextremely nervous aboutThe Prime Minister lead-

ing talks with officials ofthe European commissionin Belgium, while theofficial opposition isquestioning the advisabil-ity of the trip.

Former Foreign

Affairs Minister FredMitchell has given rea-sons why he believes thediscussions could haveeasily been done by a cab-

BY JAMEELHA MISSICKJournal Staff Writer

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Murder Accused ArraignedThe man allegedlybehind the MajorityRule late night murder ison remand at The

Bahamas Department ofCorrections.

Accused of the crimeis 30-year-old, JamesThompson of PinewoodGardens.

Police said it was

after 11pm last Thursdaythat Joel Russell akaJoseph Russell was shot.

Attempts to revivehim were unsuccessful.

BY JAMEELHA MISSICKJournal Staff Writer

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A2 NationalNEWSThe Bahama Journal

Wednesday - January 16th, 2019

BAHAMAS BUSINESS OUTLOOK TOADDRESS CRITICAL NATIONAL ISSUES Bahamas BusinessOutlook (BBO), thecountry’s premier eco-nomic conference, willfeature an impressive listof speakers addressingissues which have domi-nated national headlinesin recent months.Organizers say that thegoal of each presenter isto move these nationalconversations forward,revealing solutions andplans that will shape theBahamian economy for2019 and beyond.

Prime Minister, theMost Honourable DrHubert Minnis will bringthe keynote address andis expected to reveal thegovernment’s plans formaking 2019 animproved and profitableyear. Graham Whitmarsh,managing director andCEO of the NationalHealth InsuranceAuthority will explainhow his agency is trans-forming local healthcare,while Zhivargo Laing,chief negotiator for theBahamas’ accession tothe World TradeOrganization, will pro-vide an update on thenegotiation process.Marcellus Taylor, actingdirector of Education,will speak to the future ofBahamian education andDave Smith, managingdirector of the BahamasDevelopment Bank willexplain how his organiza-tion is a catalyst for eco-nomic growth.

“These are all impor-tant topics in the public’scurrent dialogue. Sowe’re pleased that BBOis a forum that makes sig-

nificant contributions tonational conversations,”said Joan Albury, presi-dent of The CounsellorsLimited and chief organ-izer of Bahamas BusinessOutlook. “We guaranteethat this will be our bestever Bahamas BusinessOutlook and we believethat this year’s themeought to become themantra for The Bahamasin 2019. It’s important forus to really connectresources, where the pri-vate and public sectorswork together so that TheBahamas capitalizes onevery opportunity foreconomic growth.”

Under the theme“Connecting Resources,M a x i m i z i n gO p p o r t u n i t i e s :Transforming theBahamas”, the 28th

Annual BBO conferenceis on target for its January17 launch at the BahaMar Convention Center.

The one-day confer-ence presents diverse andinteresting topics includ-ing “The Risks &Rewards of a FamilyOwned Business” pre-sented by Tara and QuinnRussell of Louis &Steen’s New OrleansCoffee House;“Millennials in theW o r k p l a c e#Whycantwegetalong”with Stacia Williams,Group Human ResourcesDirector at Fidelity Bankand “Player and Coach InThe Visual Arts Industry”with John Cox, founderof Popop Studios.

Mr Cox, who is alsocreative arts director atBaha Mar, said that his

presentation will highlighthow the economy at largerecognizes that creativesplay an integral role in thecountry’s economic devel-opment via collaborationwith local institutions.

“We’ll look at the kindof benefits that come as aresult of that attachmentto institutions and thechallenges that comealong with what it meansto be a professional artist.These are simple ques-tions that have evolved.These were the samequestions asked 30 yearsago, but the answers givenback then are not adequatefor today,” Mr. Coxexplained, noting that hewill speak as an ambassa-dor for artists and cre-atives who are redefiningtheir existence.

“We see a whole lot of

opportunity for growthand a whole lot of oppor-tunity to capitalize onwhat is in The Bahamasand look at how we candevelop a platform in thiscountry to broaden thedefinition of who we areto the world,” he added.

BBO 2019 will culmi-nate with three interactivesessions. Davinia Blair,executive director of therecently launched SmallBusiness DevelopmentCenter, will moderate asession with three entre-preneurs. Personnel fromthe Ministry of Financeand Department of InlandRevenue will conduct aworkshop about procuringbusiness licenses andother business documen-tation. The BahamasEngineers Architects &Allied Professionals

(BEAAP) will be featuredin a panel discussion onindustry concerns.

Marcus Laing, architectand BEAAP secretary,said that he and fellowpanelists will speak to thegap that exists betweenwhere The Bahamas isnow and where it shouldbe in terms of construc-tion and infrastructure.

Mr Laing explained:“There are some loop-holes that the Governmentneeds to close to increasetheir revenue. What weoften don’t realize is thatconstruction is one of themain indicators of howwell a country is doing.We as an organizationhave identified that a lotof opportunities to capturea lot of business is beingmissed. And that affectsthe entire economy.”

Bahamas BusinessOutlook 2019 is one of aseven-island series, whichtakes place each year,covering challenges andopportunities relatingspecifically to each locale.In addition to NewProvidence, the islandsinclude Abaco, Andros,the Eleuthera group,Exuma, Long Island andGrand Bahama, where thenext Business Outlookforum will held onFebruary 21.

Persons interested inattending BBO 2019 maycontact Margaret Alburyat The CounsellorsLimited atmalbury@tclbahamas.com or at Telephone (242)322-1000 or register oronline atwww.tclevents.com.

4 (l-r) John Cox, John Cox, founder of Popop Studios and Creative Arts Director at Baha Mar; Joan Albury,president of The Counsellors Limited and chief organizer of Bahamas Business Outlook (BBO) and Marcus

Laing, architect and BEAAP Secretary speak at a press conference to announce the 28th Annual BBO confer-ence set for Thursday, January 17.

DEFENCE MAKES “NO CASE SUMBISSION”under the cover of hisoffice.”

He said according tothe evidence of the prose-cution’s key witnessBarbara Hanna, she metSmith after the contractwas awarded to her. Mr.Knight said there weretwo limbs to this. The firstlimb was that he did not

meet her before her con-tract. “He would have hadto assist her in getting thecontract, but because hedid not know her, thatnegated any possibility ofSmith being able to assisther in obtaining the con-tract.”

On the extortion charge,Mr. Knight said that FrankSmith would have had tomake a demand, and there

would have had to be adetriment involved, whereSmith would tell her that ifshe did not pay him, hewould have pulled the con-tract.

He said Smith’s term ofoffice was completed at thePublic Hospitals Authorityand he would have lackedthe authority to terminatethe contract.

Mr. Knight said Smith

lacked “mens rea” ( aguilty mind or intention tocommit the crime.) Hetold the Magistrate wherethere is no coincidence ofthe guilty mind and theguilty act, then there is nocrime.

He criticized the man-ner in which the prosecu-tion headed by EdwardJenkins, a British QueensCounsel handled the evi-

dence.Mrs. Ferguson-Pratt

addressing both Counsels,said if there is no coinci-dence of the guilty mindand the guilty act, she doesnot see if the case can goany further.

Mr. Knight said that heanticipates that the prose-cution will say thatBarbara Hanna was mis-taken when she gave her

evidence.Smith is accused of

extorting $60,000 fromHanna, whose CleaningCompany was given a con-tract to service the CriticalCare Unit of the PrincessMargaret Hospital when hewas Chairman of the PHA.

The case continues at10am today when Mr.Knight will conclude hissubmission.

Inmate Escapes From BDCately and that the publichas no reason to be con-cerned.

“The matter is underinvestigation. It was anincident that wasaddressed almost immedi-ately after,” he said.

The last attemptedescape at the BDC was inaugust 2018.The Minister also com-mented yesterday on ZNSservers being hacked; amatter that’s under activepolice investigations.

“This particular inci-dent is something in ourplanning that we have

certainly been anticipat-ing and as an organiza-tion, we’re working toequip the police force onthese types of modern daychallenges,” the ministersaid.

Mr. Dames said they’reworking with internation-al partners on how best toaddress this issue.

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A3The Bahama Journal

Wednesday - January 16th, 2019NationalNEWS

Luxury P.I. Villas Auction Drawing Int’l Attention More than two dozenhigh net worth individu-als or advisors areexpected to arrive inNassau tomorrow to pre-view two luxury water-front residential proper-ties on Paradise Islandslated to be auctioned offlater this month.

Both residences, val-ued in the millions, arein a secluded enclaveknown as Beach HouseVillas. Situated on thewestern end of ParadiseIsland, each comes witha pool, dock, fitnessfacilities, concierge serv-ices and the essentialsfor living in a movie-worthy setting of lushlandscaping and totalprivacy -- a captain andprivate boat at theowner’s beck and call.

Because the villas,one with more than5,000 square feet, theother just over 3,000square feet, are accessi-ble only by water or on

foot – a hearty hike fromthe resorts of Atlantis --potential bidders andagents who havereserved space for thepreview event will bechauffeured by yacht tothe site for the party onWednesday.

They will be treated todelicacies prepared by aworld-class chef, thefinest champagne and theopportunity to see whatthey or their client canwalk away with the titleto by month end.

The party is part of thelead-up to an online auc-tion.

On January 29, theonline auction goes liveon the Concierge digitalmarketplace and reachesits peak on January 31with a live biddingprocess at ThePhoenician in Scottsdale,Arizona, one of thatstate’s toniest resorts.

Villa 1, one of the tworesidences up for auc-

tion, is 5,334 square feetof style and top tier con-struction materials anddetail.

Built by world-renown Brennan Homes(Toronto, Bermuda,Palm Beach), it was orig-inally listed for sale at$8.495 million. On auc-tion, it will sell with a $4million reserve butConcierge BusinessDevelopment executiveDanny Prell thinks thefinal bid will be wellabove the reserve.

“It’s hard to find amore stylishly and beau-tifully designed home ina more alluring setting inThe Bahamas,” Prellsaid.

“Paradise Islandremains one of thehottest high end salesmarkets in the WesternHemisphere because itsofferings are unique andunparalleled. Where elsecan you call home whereyou have a resort like

Atlantis with all theentertainment withfamous celebrities andathletes, fine dining,sports, golf, tennis,swimming, fishing, boat-ing, gaming, water park,shopping and spa facili-ties at your fingertipsand a 10-minute walkdown the beach you arein your own secludedluxurious enclave with aboat and captain await-ing your call if you wantto go across the harbourto historic Nassau? Thisis the stuff fantasies aremade of.”

A second villa, slight-ly smaller in size atabout 3,200 square feetbut also with privatepool, housekeeping,concierge, gym facilities,private boat and captain,will be available on auc-tion at the same time.That will go to the high-est bidder withoutreserve.

That the two villas are

being auctioned insteadof offered through moretraditional marketingmeans is an indication ofthe expanding role ofspecialized auction firmsfor high end properties.Auction specialists likeConcierge Auctions,explains Prell, focus oncreating and combingdatabases for investorswhose appetite for luxu-ry properties is hearty,wherever those proper-ties are. The more stablethe political climate is,the more secure theinvestment environmentis and the greater theinterest is among thosewith very deep pockets.

“The high net worthindividual or sophisticat-ed corporate entity look-ing at a multimillion-dol-lar property in Scottsdalemay also be viewingproperties to be sold atauction in The Bahamas,California, New Mexicoor Costa Rico. They are

not like you or me,searching for a nice 3-bed, 2-bath home with adouble garage in a quietneighbourhood. They arelooking for sound invest-ment in a safe environ-ment that affords thekind of lifestyle that ifyou offered it on Airbnb,the going rate wouldstart at $15,000 a night.These are sophisticatedbuyers who want to pur-sue interests in the eliteproperties of the worldand that is our specialty.”

By the time HGChristie signed with theowner of the two villason Paradise Island, andsigned on Concierge forthe auction process, Prellhad a database of 600names with whom toshare the information.Many would receive aphone call or personalnote over the next fewweeks leading up to theopening of the digitalmarketplace.

4 Two of the five luxurious Beach House Villas in a secluded enclave with allamenities on the western end of Paradise Island will be offered at auction laterthis month. More than two dozen potential buyers or interested investors havemade reservations to attend the preview January 16. H G Christie Ltd. is han-

dling the sale in conjunction with Concierge Auctions.

4 View of Villa 1, Paradise Island, to be sold at auction January 31 with areserve of $4 million.

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A4 The Bahama Journal

Wednesday - January 16th, 2019 NationalNEWS

Authorities Cracking Down On Air HackersD’Aguilar expressed hisviews on the matter withreporters yesterdaybefore the weekly cabi-net meeting.

This problem whichhas been a source of con-

tention for a number ofyears and for successiveadministrations.

It has been notedthough that the currentMinnis administration ismaking strides to bringsome kind of resolutionto this problem.

Minister D’Aguilar

disclosed that theDirector General of theCivil Aviation AuthorityCharles Beneby is closeto rolling out regulationsin this regard.

“Obviously, you don’twant to completely killcommerce via air, it’s avery important compo-

nent of our economy.“While we want to

ensure that the travelingpublic is in planes andpiloted by pilots who areproperly licensed andhave all the necessaryqualifications and up todate paperwork, we dowant to ensure that

everybody is properlylicensed before they fly aplane for Bahamiansmoving within theislands,” he said.

Minister D’Aguilarsaid he cannot put a fig-ure on the exact numberof air hackers in TheBahamas, but there are

reports of how manyflights a particular planemakes.

Officials stepped upthe crackdown on airhackers following lastJanuary’s Andros planecrash where everyone onboard was killed.

PM CALLS EU MEETING CONSTRUCTIVEGenerale for Taxation andCustoms Union of theEuropean Commission,and senior members of histeam.

The DirectorateGenerale is responsiblefor the implementation oftaxation policy in theEuropean Union.

The parties discussed

the implementation byThe Bahamas of commit-ments agreed and recentlyenacted to further and tomaintain good economicrelations with theEuropean Union.

Prior delegations ofThe Bahamas to theEuropean Commissionmet with senior personneland technical teams in theDirectorate Generale.

Tuesday’s meeting

between the PrimeMinister and the DirectorGeneral is part of an ongo-ing process which includ-ed prior technical meet-ings. It provided theopportunity for the PrimeMinister to reaffirm thecommitments of TheBahamas at the highestlevels.

The meeting alsoallowed the AttorneyGeneral to give an

overview and discuss thenew legislative regimewith the DirectorGeneral.

The Director Generalwelcomed and appreciat-ed the presence of thePrime Minister, and thesignificant commitmentdemonstrated on behalfof The Bahamas.

Director General Questnoted that The Bahamasand the European

Commission enjoy a pro-ductive and long-standingrelationship. He encour-aged and supported ongo-ing engagement.

As the head of govern-ment, the Prime Ministerreaffirmed theGovernment’s commit-ment to the highest levelof the DirectorateGenerale.

The discussions withEU officials led by Prime

Minister Minnis demon-strates the commitment ofThe Bahamas to protect-ing the financial servicessector, while maintaininga relevant and competi-tive position of the sector,and to take all possibleproactive steps to protectour national economicinterests.

The Prime Ministerreturns to The Bahamastoday.

Opposition Questions PM’s European trip

inet minister or evenrecently appointedAmbassador to Belgium,Maria O’Brien.

“It makes TheBahamas look like sup-plicates, like mendicantsin fact, that we’re goingwith our caps in ourhands.

“Because the meetingfrom what we can see,again from theannouncement is not aprime minister to prime

minister or prime minis-ter to president level,it’s a meeting which isprime minister to offi-cials who are unnamed,”he said.

“And it seems to methat it makes the countrylook rather desperate.

“The fact is, acrossthe Caribbean regionthere is significant pushback coming from all ofthe countries that havethese financial servicessectors, because whatthe Europeans are doing,

they are actually threat-ening the life blood ofmany of the countriesand is certainly threaten-ing the life blood of thiscountry.

“The ProgressiveLiberal Party has alwayssupported the financialservices sector andwants to do what is nec-essary to protect it; butat the same time the dig-nity and sovereignty ofthe country has to beprotected as well.”

Mr. Mitchell added

that in the past, suchhigh level meetings havenot led to fruitful out-comes.

“We can’t go andembarrass ourselvessimply because we thinkthat this is going to dosomething,” he said.

“The fact is, thesesorts of visits and trips inthe past have not reallyborn any fruit.

“Because as fast asyou meet one goal, theyshift the goal post tosomething else.

“So we think that itbears a more reflectiveperiod now as you deter-mine what you’re goingto do going forward,” hesaid.

“And we think that itneeds a common approachacross the Caribbean, apan Caribbean approachas opposed to an individ-ual going off and actingon his own,” Mr. Mitchellsaid.

The ProgressiveLiberal Party (PLP)Chairman suggests the

Minister for Trade,Finance, Foreign Affairs,The Attorney General orthe Ambassador toBelgium would have beenbetter suited to attend sucha meeting.

The talks are focusedon fulfilling the country’scommitments to theEuropean Union and howthose commitments willbe implemented by thefinancial services sector.

The delegation isexpected back in thecapital today.

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A5The Bahama Journal

Wednesday - January 16th, 2019EditorialNEWS

E D I T O R I A L

The Bahama Journal Is An Independent Newspaper - Published Week Days By The Communicators & Associates In Affiliation With Jones Communications Ltd.

University Drive - P.O. Box N-8610Telephone: 242-325-3082 - Fax: 242-356-7256

Kimaley P. JonesVice President/Operations

Wendall K. Jones Publisher/Chief Executive Officer

DeeplyTroubling!Our shared life in community can bebountiful; it can also be brutish andnasty. But for sure, the fact remains thatwhere we find filth and squalor, therealso might we find [if only we looked abit more closely and keenly] a multi-tude of opportunities to improve things.

As social animals and also as crea-tures who can reason we can chooseright over wrong; and for sure, the verywords we choose as we describe a situ-ation can lead to love or hate!

Here we adduce in evidence someheady conclusions from our currentTOP COP, Mr. Anthony Ferguson: “Inany war there are casualties.

But dear brother: Pray tell: Who eversaid that there was some war going on?By what legal authority justifies thisdepiction and brand new appellation forany of the low-grade thugs and gangsterout-there?

But yet, the fact remains that theentire social fabric is affected [andsometimes left torn and sundered whenand wherever the so-called man in thestreet loses confidence in men andwomen whose job it is to help keep thepeace.

Indeed, one of those matters whichcontinue to perturb us has to do withthe extent to which circumstancesalmost totally beyond the control of thisor that citizen can yet lead to suddendeath for that presumed innocent soul.

And clearly, the same cruel paradoxapplies to the life-chances of any num-ber of children born to indigent parentswho are obliged to live in places thatare unfit for human habitation.

This same kind of unearned hurt isdeeply grounded in situations where [asreport after report reveals] the poorroutinely pay more.

Indeed, there are occasions when the

poor pay with their lives as in those sit-uations and circumstances where thepolice [for whatever set of reasons bestknown to them] identify this or thatyouth-man as some kind of irregularsoldier engaged in some kind of war!

In truth, also, there are also thosecases where the perfectly innocentmother, father or child in caught –as thekiller might say: In the cross-fire.

Helping keep the peace should be thelarger part of a policeman’s duty.

Absolutely none of this can takeplace when an ordinary traffic cop canbecome the really big man on the blockwhen he stops a vehicle that is [sayoccupied by two men, one a 37-year-old worker and the other a senior dis-abled citizen] and in time –at gun-pointboth men are spread-eagled; and thenguess what with the pat-down and thehumiliation done with, the armedpolice-men apparently believe that theyhave done their jobs.

Evidently, they have done nothing ofthe sort.

Our fear is that these are the typeswho –by their own high-handed treat-ment of the citizen-encourage not onlyactive dislike and fear, but also a senseof wondering what next!

In this regard, it is quite troubling tonote that: Fatal police shootingsincreased by 120 percent in the pastyear.

Also take note of this startlingpolice-related factoid: Police reportedkilling 11 people in 2018, compared tofive deadly police shootings in 2017.

And, then, that deep crock of purewar-talk when Police CommissionerAnthony Ferguson recently said thatpolice were at war with criminals anddescribed the extrajudicial killings as“casualties” of that war.

Time to Rethink the QuietRevolution

“There are decades where nothing happens; and there areweeks where decades happen.”

--Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

I was a witness to the historic politicaland social changes ushered in byMajority Rule by the election of theProgressive Liberal Party (PLP) in 1967and 1968. These were euphoric times;nothing seemed impossible forBahamians to achieve. There was a mas-sive public works programme whichseemed to go on forever. Much work hadto be done to provide Bahamians with theschools, clinics, communications, institu-tions and public buildings which weredenied or underfunded by the ColonialGovernment. Yet, that was not enough,every supporter was clamouring for elec-tion promises to be kept and delivered;this was of course impossible.Nevertheless, an inordinate number ofunreasonable demands became a featureof the early years of PLP governance.But, more importantly, qualified [andpolitically connected] Bahamians weregiven the opportunity to receive trainingoverseas, many with the aid of govern-ment scholarships.

What happened within the “BondedScholarships” programme is interestingin that it displayed at an early point justhow ungrateful, entitled and irresponsiblesome Bahamians were. Indeed, some ofits beneficiaries refused to work in gov-ernment as agreed; and, when asked torepay their scholarships in lieu of servicebecame resentful. Some I am told holdsignificant grudges against the PLP eventoday. In fact, had the Free NationalMovement (FNM) studied the experienceof the PLP and its bonded scholarshipprogramme, I am sure that their $165 mil-lion scholarship fund would have beenadministered differently.

The twenty-year period after 1968 sawthe creation of a solid middle class,fuelled by newly minted Bahamian civilservants, doctors, lawyers, accountants,engineers and technical apprentices, edu-cators, bank managers and many otherprofessions.

The “Quiet Revolution” had started.Indeed, it is unquestionable that with-

out majority rule, this new, vibrant, mid-dle class would not have been possible.This Bahamian middleclass now residedin residential areas previously off-limitsto them. Indeed, many of the con-veyances specifically prohibited theacquisition of the land by members of the“coloured race”. This new middle classjoined a small, educated and sophisticat-ed historic black middle class mostlylocated in the eastern end of Nassau. Thisestablished middle class viewed them[the newcomers] as uneducated, unso-phisticated blacks, the offspring of slavesand “jumped up” gardeners, taxi drivers,“mere plumbers” and labourers.

They also perpetuated the myth thatthey were the offspring of “Freemen” andthat leaders were born not made. NoBahamian progress could change that.What the government of the time ignoredin its haste to build a better Bahamas byempowering its citizens was the possibil-ity of a counter - revolution. Onedesigned to consign Bahamians oncemore to their historical “place” as ser-vants and labourers and to claw back anygains made at the expense of an oli-garchy.

To quote James Levinson: “the govern-ment of the day thought that they wereamid a revolution but, as time has shownThe Bahamas was in a state of evolution.A state of evolution because in timemajority rule would have been achievedanyway. This was due in part to aCommission of Inquiry into Gambling inAugust 1967. It was being reported that:“A royal commission of inquiry was wellunderway to investigate corruptioncharges against members of the formerruling government in relation to gam-bling, casino and hotel licensing. Thestar witness was the big man himself, the

former minister of finance and tourism,Sir Stafford Sands. The goings on in TheBahamas certainly drew the attention ofthe international press and the countrymaking headlines”. Excerpted from LifeMagazine, 2nd March 1967.

The counter attacks, on the new black,majority government when they camewas swift and vicious.Bahamianlogy.com analysed the localand international newspapers of the dayand concluded that: “Murder and otherforms of violent crime, in the Bahamas,had historically been a malignant, limitedsocial problem. That is, until 1967. Priorto 1967, neighbourhoods and local socie-ty carried the burden and shame of crimi-nal activity. Crime had nothing to do withthose in power, the minority-led Whitegovernment. If negroes were killing eachother, or robbing each other, or being vio-lent toward each other, that was theirbusiness.

However, after 1967, after a negro-ledgovernment came to power, murder hadmost definitely become a governmentproblem”

In any other country that would be theend of the story but, this is the Bahamasand drama prevails. By 1968, divisionshad begun to appear in the PLP adminis-tration. Cecil Wallace-Whitfield a bril-liant, political mind and an unstintingsupporter of Lynden Pindling was unhap-py. His budget for the Ministry ofEducation had been reduced. He was alsounhappy with the performance of some ofhis cabinet colleagues who he consideredincompetent and unprofessional. This ledto his eventual departure in 1970 from thePLP after the failure of his vote of no-confidence in Lynden Pindling in whichhe was joined by the remnants of the UBPand eight PLP house members. “ThePindling – Whitfield adversarial battles,would come to change the political land-scape of the Bahamas forever. Their bat-tle would result in the dissolving of theUBP and the formation of a new politicalparty, the FNM, The Free NationalMovement”. Bahamianology.com

The problem of course was with thedeparture of Wallace - Whitfield and hissupporters, there was an almost insur-mountable skills deficit in the PLPadministration at a time when these veryskills were urgently required. The PLPelection victory in 1972 and its relentlessmove towards Independence in 1973, wasanother signal to the counter- revolution-ary forces that something drastic had tobe done to restore the natural order. Therewere just too many prosperous, confident[uppity] blacks, beginning to manage theeconomy and open competing businesseswhich the counter- revolutionariesthought was a threat to the long estab-lished social and economic order. Attackswere launched from local and internation-al media who, reported in excruciatingdetail each criminal act perpetrated dur-ing this period. Some sense of the intensi-ty of the media campaign to discredit thenew black government can be gleanedfrom reporting in Bahamianology.comwhich noted:

“When Lynden Pindling formed thenew government in 1967, and took thecountry to independence in 1973, hegained something that he may or may nothave expected. A Watchdog Press! Morethan a watchdog, the press stalked hisevery move, questioned every action, anddoggedly reported every crime that tookplace in the islands. Prior to 1967, localNassau newspapers were filled more withLondon and international news than localnews. Crime certainly didn’t get boldprint front page headlines.

After 1967, and certainly after 1973,every crime became the crime burden ofthe government. There were more than afew in the Bahamas who were stillseething over the push for independence.

Even more were gritting their teeth thatthen Premier, now Prime MinisterLynden Pindling managed to win the1972 general elections, further cement-ing the journey to independence whilesimultaneously shutting out, the oldgoverning UBP Party, forever”. What came as a surprise to many of thedetractors of the majority governmentwas that they did not seek revenge nornationalise the assets of the oligarchs aswas widely expected. To many, this wasa mistake. They can be forgiven for thisas they misunderstood what they wereobserving. What they were observingwas a political revolution, an upheavalin which the government is replaced, orthe form of government altered, but in

which property relations are predomi-nantly left intact i.e. a quiet revolution.

Political revolutions, however,inescapably set the stage for social rev-olution in which old property relationsare overturned. Significantly, politicalrevolutions eventually lose momentum.This occurs because over time, the com-promises which must be made to sustainthe system far outweigh the benefitsderived. A revolution which leavesintact, the economic underpinnings ofan oligarchy or makes it even strongerand more oppressive must be replaced.So, political revolution paves the wayfor a social revolution; and, when thathappens, there will be nothing quietabout that!

WARNING SHOT CONTD.

GOT NEWS?Please call The BahamaJournal’s News TIP LINE at 356-7254 and let us know!

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A6 The Bahama Journal

Wednesday - January 16th, 2019 NationalNEWS

The Post-Pindling Era hasintroduced a new order in TheBahamas. A new politicalenvironment has resultedfrom the approach to gover-nance the three PrimeMinisters who have succeedhim. In conjunction with newpolitical environment, there isa new global environment asgeopolitically the planet isfaced with Trumpism and theemergence of China as aneconomic global powerhousewith an economy which repre-sents 15% of the global econ-omy.

Further, the global agendahas changed from that of theCold War Era when SirLynden was Prime Minister.We now live in an era of glob-alization which is dominatedby technology and facing theenvironmental challenge ofclimate change in a backdropwhich is driven by the WorldTrade Organization (WTO).

There is also recognitionthat The Bahamas has notfared well so far during global-ization. The InternationalMonetary Fund(IMF) haspointed out in its book,Unleashing Growth andStrengthening Resilience inthe Caribbean,” found that thereal per person GDP in TheBahamas had declined by anannual average of 0.4 percent between 2000-2015...The Bahamas “was theonly nation(in the Caribbean)to suffer such a reverse whichnoted that average regionalper capita GDP had risen byan average of 1.2 per centover the same period.”

The Bahamas during thesecond half of the 20th centu-ry was the economic leader inthe region, certainly amongCARICOM countries. Thisreversal of Bahamian fortunesis a sad reflection on thedirection our economy hasbeen heading. The Bahamashas lost ground in Tourismand our Financial ServicesSector has been underassault since the ‘90s duringthe Ingraham Governmentwhen The Bahamas first

experienced blacklisting bythe OECD from which TheBahamas is threatened today.

As our country is suppos-edly moving to WTO member-ship this year, there must be areorientation of our economyin order to face the new reali-ties which are presented bythe global economy.Reorientation also means get-ting over phobias which wehave as they are stifling ourprogress both economicallyand socially. These phobiasare as follows:

Chinese Investment -•China is a global force inthe global economy. Ithas made huge invest-ments in the CaribbeanRegion and is a substan-tial investor in TheBahamas, specificallyHutchinson Whampoa inFreeport, Bahamar inCable Beach and ThePointe in downtownNassau. In addition, theChinese government hasprovided via its Belt andRoad Initiative infrastruc-tural projects.

The world order haschanged and China can-not be ignored as a glob-al investor. If theBahamian economy is tomove, then China has arole to play so we mustbe open to Chineseinvestment.

Immigrants - The•Bahamas is underpopu-lated and should craft anImmigration Policy thatattracts immigrants whowish to resettle in TheBahamas. Our presentImmigration Policy isheavily skewed to depor-tation. In some respects,we have become a xeno-phobic people. This maystem from the fact thatwe look at immigrants ascompetitors in the jobmarket rather than set-tlers with skills and capi-tal. With land as a carrot,

a progressive immigra-tion policy could befocused on Bahamians inthe Bahamian diasporawho may be living in NewYork, Miami, Atlanta,retired and wish to returnhome.

Caribbean Integration -•The Bahamas has beenreluctant to become fullyengaged in CARICOM.This is a time of geopolit-ical blocs as small coun-tries like The Bahamascannot go it alone asmany issues facing SmallIsland Developing States(SIDS) such asBlacklisting the FinancialServices Sector, dealingwith International agen-cies like FAO, the WorldBank, WTO and so on. ACaribbean approach isneeded to ClimateChange because thisregion is one of the mostvulnerable locales to nat-ural disasters like hurri-canes.

The first two decades ofthe 21st century have notaugured well for our country.The Bahamas has become avictim of political tribalismwhich has become an instru-ment of national disunity as ithas divided the country. Theadaptation of the concept ofglobalization has not takenhold in The Bahamas and it isreflected in the performanceof our economy.

Eneas FilesBy Godfrey Eneas

Are We In ANew Reality?

– Part II

Bahamasair wishes to advise the travelling publicBahamasair wishes to advise the travelling publicthat the runway lights in Marsh Harbour are nowworking. As a result, we will resume our normalevening schedule effective Thursday - January

17th, 2019.

Additionally, Bahamasair wishes to advise all pas-sengers travelling to and from our Miami Stationthat the Transportation Security Administration

(TSA) Screening Check Point at the Concourse Ghas resumed normal operations effective immedi-ately. However, Bahamasair still encourages itspassengers travelling in either direction to ensurethat they arrive at least three (3) hours prior to

departure to ensure adequate time for processingwith the authorities, until such time as all issuesrelated to the partial US government shutdown are

resolved.

We wish to thank the traveling public for their con-tinued support and patience as we strive to be theairline of choice connecting the islands of The

Bahamas to the world.

Tracy J. Cooper Managing Director

Murder Accused ArraignedHe died on the scene.

Also arraigned in connection withthe crime was 23-year-old, RobertArthur.

It is alleged that Arthur knowing-ly helped Thompson avoid dueprocess of the law.

Both accused were not required toenter a plea.

They were also denied bail.The two were remanded to The

Bahamas Department of Correctionsuntil May 5th, 2019.

gg Continued from / PAGE 1...

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