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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. 115 75 CENTSTUESDAY - JULY 23RD, 2019

Gov’t to Crackdown on‘Midnight Cowboys’

RUD Y K I N GCHARGED AGAIN

4 Prime Minister with his delegation attending the Caribbean Public Services Associations 49th Annual Conference. (BIS Photos/Yontalay Bowe)

Notorious businessmanRudolph King, alsoknown as ‘Rudy King’,who was previouslyindicted on fraud charges,was back in court yester-day and charged with fivecounts of fraud by falsepretense and five countsof money laundering. It is alleged that

between June 13, 2012and March 5, 2015, Kingobtained cash in theamount of $632,416 bymeans of false pretense

BY BERTHONY MCDERMOTTJournal Staff Writer

g See page 4... 4 Rudolph King

The Gaming AmendmentBill was passed in theUpper Chamber onMonday and according toAttorney General SenatorCarl Bethel, the goal ofthe Gaming Board is tocrackdown on illegalgaming operators, who hecalled ‘midnight cow-boys’.

“There are some mid-night cowboys out therewho offer number place-ment using their tele-phones and placing thesebets over the internet. Soit was deemed to be nec-essary for that and forother reasons for theGaming Board to be givengreater powers to regulatethe gaming industry,”

BY DEANDRE WILLIAMSONJournal Staff Writer

g See page 2... 4AG Senator Carl Bethel

Man Chargedin FatalCrash

Shaquille BethelHamilton, 26, appeared inthe Magistrate’s Court onMonday where he wascharged with four trafficoffences including arecent fatality. Hamilton, a resident of

Yellow Elder, is accusedof killing by recklessdriving which resulted inthe death of a female pas-senger.According to police,

the incident took place onJune 14 shortly after 4a.m. when he was driving

BY EARYEL BOWLEG Journal Staff Writer

g See page 2...

PM Reveals E-Cabinet Efficiency GoalsThe government willembark on an e-Cabinetprogramme aimed atincreasing the efficiencyin the public service,Prime Minister the MostHon. Dr. Hubert Minnishas announced.

He was addressing theCaribbean Public ServicesAssociations 49th AnnualConference held Sunday,July 21, 2019 atSuperClubs Breezes onCable Beach.In welcoming

Caribbean delegates to theoccasion, the prime minis-ter also shared his govern-ment’s plans towards amore modern and efficientpublic service. “The great contempo-

rary challenge for govern-

ments and public officersin our region is the pro-motion of 21st centurygovernance,” the primeminister said.“Such governance must

be built on the platform ofa service culture charac-

terized by effectiveness,the application of appro-priate technology, opengovernment and accounta-bility.” He shared with the

association, some for-ward-looking areas his

government is promotingas a part of its mission tofoster 21st century gover-nance in The Bahamas.“Further, to help lead

g See page 2...

Section A REGULAR_Section A Tues 7/23/2019 12:15 AM Page 1

A2 NationalNEWSThe Bahama Journal

Tuesday - July 23rd, 2019

Customs InvestigationTeam Seizes Goods

The CustomsInvestigation teamassigned to the Ministryof Finance’s RevenueEnhancement Unit con-ducted an operation inthe Coral Harbour areaof New Providence onSunday, which resultedin the seizure of goods

pending review anddetermination of action.According to

Minister of FinancePeter Turnquest, thematter has been referredfor further investigationto assess compliancewith prevailing customslaws and regulations.

The investigation isongoing.The Revenue

Enhancement Unit willcontinue ongoing effortsto strengthen revenuecollection and compli-ance in keeping with itsmandate.

Crackdown on ‘Midnight Cowboys’

PM Reveals E-Cabinet Efficiency Goals

Bethel said. The Gaming

Amendment Bill was alsopassed in the House ofAssembly last week.According to Minister

of Tourism DionisioD’Aguilar, “It is the inten-tion of the government toincrease the rate of tax ongaming revenues from 11percent across the board to15 percent on the first $24million of gaming rev-enues and then 17.5 percent on all gaming rev-enues over $24 million.” During yesterday’s

Senate debate, the attor-ney general alsoaddressed licensing issuesconcerning a gaminghouse that took the gov-ernment to court. “There is one gaming

house that is unlicensedthat sued the governmentand obtained an injunctionand for one reason or

another, the matter hasbeen unable to progresslargely because the princi-ple owner of that gaminghouse had a serious ill-ness, so that has held mat-ters up,” Bethel explained.Taking the lead for the

opposition during thedebate was Senator FredMitchell, who said he waspleased there’s now a res-olution to the longstand-ing taxation dispute, onethat has held up gamingrevenue for the govern-ment.“There needs to come a

day when there is equalityfor all Bahamians withgambling, to gamble any-where if you want to, thatyou can even gamble inthe casinos. I think that isa grave inequity whichmust be at some point cor-rected sooner rather thanlater. “There’s this concern

that I’ve heard many timesthat the people in the gam-

ing sector, Bahamiangaming sector, are makingtoo much money. Do youknow how much moneythey are making? I’m try-ing to figure out why peo-ple are concerned abouthow much money they aremaking. If they areengaged in a legitimateexercise, make as muchmoney as you want tomake.”Mitchell also called for

equity concerning the tax-ation of domestic and for-eign winnings, as hebelieves both should betaxed.“I argue for equity,

which is that no taxationon winnings which isagainst those who go inthese casinos at Baha Marand Atlantis. There is notaxation on their win-nings. So Bahamians gettaxed for winning, butthose who come and gam-ble in the casinos, no taxa-tion,” Mitchell said.

our modernization anddigital transformation byexample, we will imple-ment an e-Cabinet pro-gram that will increase theefficiency in govern-ment,” the prime ministersaid.“This program will

cause Cabinet memorandaand decisions to be paper-less. Our decisions andthe implementation ofthose decisions should befaster and more efficient.” To ensure greater equi-

ty and broader access totechnology by allBahamians, regardless ofeconomic standing, henoted that theGovernment of TheBahamas is introducing avariety of measures.“We are pleased that

our mobile operators havebegun to deploy WIFIservices on buses,” theprime minister said. “We are working to

have widespread access toWIFI services in the parksand public spaces withinthe inner-city of NewProvidence, with a view tofree WIFI in certain com-munities.” He also revealed that

technology would bedeployed to help citizensimprove their communi-

ties, such as reporting thelocation of potholes orother matters to the rele-vant government agenciesthrough their mobiledevices.“Innovation, creativity,

disruption and transfor-mation are words usuallynot associated with gov-ernment, but this mustchange in order to pro-mote 21st century gover-nance,” the prime ministersaid.He shared that soon

after coming to office in2017, he created the PrimeMinister’s Delivery Unit(PMDU). This unit,which had its genesis inthe United Kingdom, wascreated to help ministriesand governmental agen-cies to deliver concreteresults in a number of keypriority areas.There are five main

functions of the PMDU,which include planning,generating performanceinsights, problem solving,capacity building, andcoordination. These functions are

achieved by:Collecting and analyzingrelevant dataCoordinating individualsto ensure target resultsReporting regularly to theprime minister regardingthe status of projects for

the eight key priority areas Taking corrective actionas necessary to achievegoals and objectives ofdetermined projects Other areas are energy

reform, modern infra-structure, and the modern-ization and digitization ofgovernment services.Energy reform is

deemed a priority inensuring adequate elec-tricity supply in NewProvidence.“We are embarked also

on a renewable and solarenergy revolution, withour Family Islands alleventually supplied byrenewable energy,” theprime minister said.“We are building on the

work of former govern-ments to give theBahamian people and res-idents the infrastructurethat will boost equality oflife and enhance econom-ic development.” There is an old saying,

“You don’t get what youexpect. You get what youinspect.”“In this spirit, a govern-

ment may have the bestintentions in terms ofdevelopmental goals, poli-cies and programs. Butgood governance requiresaccountable governance,”the prime minister said.

gg Continued from / PAGE 1...

4 Prime Minister, the Most Hon. D. Hubert Minnis addressed the CaribbeanPublic Services Associations' 49th Annual Conference on 'Promoting 21stCentury Governance' on Sunday evening, July 21, 2019 at SuperClubs

Breezes. He said, "Such governance must be built on the platform of a serviceculture characterized by effectiveness, the application of appropriate technolo-

gy, open government and accountability." (BIS Photo/Yontalay Bowe)

gg Continued from / PAGE 1...

Man Charged in Fatal Crash with a female passenger. Police said he lost con-

trol of the vehicle in thenorth bound lane on SirMilo Butler Highway andcollided into a tree beforerolling into a ditch.

Paramedics pronouncedthe passenger dead and thedriver was transported tohospital and was listed instable condition.Hamilton was also

charged with driving with-out third party insuranceand moving a vehicle

without the owner’s,Sharlice Strachan, permis-sion.He pleaded not guilty to

all charges.Bail was set at $9,000

and he is scheduled toreturn to court on October1.

gg Continued from / PAGE 1...

Section A REGULAR_Section A Tues 7/23/2019 12:15 AM Page 2

A3The Bahama Journal

Tuesday - July 23rd, 2019NationalNEWS

Early Student Introduction toTechnology Raises Concerns The Catholic Board ofEducation is certainlyonboard with theMinistry of Education’sconcept of digitizing andimproving technology inthe classrooms, accord-ing to Claudette Rolle,Catholic Board director,who added that introduc-ing children to technolo-gy too early is a con-cern.

Considering that allCatholic schools acrossThe Bahamas are outfit-ted with WI-FI, capableand ready, Mrs. Rollesaid Catholic schoolshave implemented theidea of bring your owndevice. "There's a debate on

how early you shouldintroduce particularly thetablets and that form ofdigitization to students inschools,” Mrs. Rollesaid.

"We do it, but we areintentionally limited inwhat we do because it isimportant for our childrento learn how to get alongfirst, the socializationskills, the language devel-opment. We find that theyare so focused on tabletsand digitization and swip-ing, they're forgetting thatthey need to learn how toresolve conflicts. "They need to learn

how to have conversa-tions with others. They

need to learn how toshare. They need to learnhow to read a book, not atablet. They need toknow how to manipulatewords, letters, sounds." Mrs. Rolle, at the same

time, acknowledges thatalthough a tablet has pro-visions to allow for learn-ing, research has foundit’s more effective whenthere is a balance. She added too that with

digitizing in the Catholicschools, there is a policy

that schools have inplace. "We’re digitizing and

we've been digitizing. It'simportant because therecan be digitization at any-time. It's just that youhave to know what youare doing with thatdevice," Mrs. Rolle said. The Ministry of

Education recently under-took initiatives to meetthe demands for the 21stcentury and announced its$17 million initiative to

incorporate technologyand digitization in allpublic schools across TheBahamas beginning asearly as preschool educa-tion.The government also

recently launched a pilotprogramme to introducetablets to preschools.Eleven preschoolsthrough New Providence,Grand Bahama, Andros,Abaco, Long Island andCat Island participated inthe launch project.

BY LICEC BASTIANJournal Staff Writer

Break-in at The DundasThe Dundas Centre forthe Performing Arts wasthe target of an earlymorning break-in onMonday. At 7 a.m. Gina

Roberts, Dundas summercamp operator, noticedthe centre’s backdoorshanging from the hingesand considerable dam-ages in the interior. According to Anthony

Roberts, one of the cen-tre’s executives, theDundas has never experi-enced destruction of thiskind.He said, cameras and

phones were disabledand a television set wasstolen. He added that itis estimated to cost near-ly $1,000 to repair thedoor alone. “Within the last three

years, we had a break-inand people have attempt-ed, I could remember

almost 20 years ago wehad a robbery. Thisamount of damage we’venever seen and that iswhat gives us cost forconcern,” Mr. Robertssaid. The burglary has

inconvenienced theevents scheduled at thevenue this weekend, butthere are no plans topostpone. Mr. Roberts explained

that they will prioritizethe repairs, but it will

take time to recover asthe Dundas Centre is anon-profit organizationand do not have theincome to handle thedamages right away.“I wish we could say

we had money seatingand could do theserepairs right away,” Mr.Roberts said.Roberts expressed

disappointment in theindividuals whodestroyed the centre’sbelongings.

BY EARYEL BOWLEG Journal Staff Writer

What’s on your mind?

We would like to know!

SEND YOUR LETTERSTO THE EDITOR.

E-mail: bahjour@gmail.com

Section A REGULAR_Section A Tues 7/23/2019 12:15 AM Page 3

A4 The Bahama Journal

Tuesday - July 23rd, 2019 NationalNEWS

KING CHARGED AGAINfrom the Post OfficeSavings Bank.Further, during that

time he allegedly intend-ed to disguise or conceal.Magistrate Derence

Rolle-Davis told King hewas not at liberty to grant

him bail, but he couldapply for bail in theSupreme Court.King’s Attorney

Damien Gomez, QC, inturn told the court anapplication was alreadysent to the SupremeCourt as he was trying toprevent his client from

spending an unnecessarynight at The BahamasDepartment ofCorrections.King’s trial is slated

for November 4 - 22. Back in 2014, a United

States court indictedKing on 23 countsincluding mail fraud,

wire fraud and aggravat-ed identity theft in ascheme to defraud.According to the

indictment, King createdfictitious corporationsthat he then used to cre-ate merchant accountswith credit card proces-sors.

gg Continued from / PAGE 1...

Shannon Wilson, ofCottonwood Street, wascharged with one count ofattempted murder beforeChief Magistrate JoyanneFerguson- Pratt.It is alleged that on

April 1, by means ofunlawful harm, Wilsondid attempt to cause thedeath of Adenna Young.The 22-year-old was

not required to enter aplea and was remanded toThe Bahamas Departmentof Corrections untilSeptember 4.

BY BERTHONY MCDERMOTTJournal Staff Writer

Wilson Charged withAttempted Murder

BAMSI Throws its Support Behind theBahamian Farmer Tackling UnemploymentThe Bahamas Agricultureand Marine ScienceInstitute (BAMSI) standsas one of the biggest sup-porters of the Bahamianfarmer, a senior executiveof the Institute said, chal-lenging claims the agencyis in direct competitionwith the local farmingcommunity, many of whoalready feel that there is ageneral lack of support for

the sector.“We are here to support

our farmers. We are nothere to compete with thembecause for too long farm-ers have said nobody ischecking for them. Andthey have issues, theyhave problems, so it’simportant that we have asystem that allows us tofacilitate their needs asbest as we can,” Dr

Raveenia Roberts-Hannasaid during her address tothe 2019 Andros BusinessOutlook, held at IslandComfort Resort, NorthAndros.The executive director

was also able to shine alight on the wealth of ini-tiatives the Institute bringsto the national table. Shefocused on the tertiarylevel academic pro-

grammes that are in placeto ensure future Bahamianfarmers have both a theo-retical and practicalgrounding in agriculture,with an emphasis on bestpractices. Dr Roberts-Hanna fur-

ther noted that even if anaspiring student was in themidst of a financial crisis,it would not negate theirchances of being admitted

into BAMSI, as full andpartial scholarships areavailable. She was alsopleased to highlight thatupon completion of theirstudies, graduates are lesslikely to succumb tounemployment, as theirattendance at the Instituteprovides them with anumber of job opportuni-ties. “I got job offers fortwelve. They want twelve

BAMSI students.Solomon’s wants a pro-duce manager, andthey’ve earmarked thatjust for a BAMSI student.Enviroscape just last weekwanted eight students asmanagers. They know thatwhen they come toBAMSI, they get thathands-on practical experi-

g See page 7...

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