C M C M Y K Y K WEATHER TRY OUR DOUBLE FILET-O-FISH ANY TIME...ANY PLACE, WE’RE #1 HIGH 88F The Tribune LOW 75F T-STORM IN SPOTS BAHAMAS EDITION www.tribune242.com Volume: 105 No.256 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2009 PRICE – 75¢ (Abaco and Grand Bahama $1.25) Choosing CARS FOR SALE, Honour for S E S the right E R T D HELP WANTED I U R S T O ‘SEA WOLF’ N A P I AND REAL ESTATE E Relationships S F SEE WOMAN SECTION BAHAMAS BIGGEST SEE PAGE NINE TRAVOLTA TRIAL: Women charged WEEK TWO ‘Bridgewater’s meeting with Travolta lawyer in pilot murder secretly recorded’ f f FORMER PLP a t Defendants aged 20 and 19 in court s Senator Pleasant e n Bridgewater and u b former premedic i r T Tarino / e Lightbourne Pair also accused of attempted murder k r a lawyer Carlson l C By NATARIO McKENZIE Shurland m Tribune Staff Reporter i yesterday. [email protected] T By NATARIO TWO young women McKENZIE charged with the murder of Tribune Staff Reporter Bahamasair pilot Lionel [email protected] McQueen were arraigned in Magistrate’s Court yesterday. AN attorney for Hollywood celebrity John Travolta Genear McKenzie, 20, of allowed police to set up recording devices in his hotel Warren Street alias “Nettie”, room for a meeting with former PLP Senator Pleasant and Rhonda Knowles, 19, of Bridgewater, it was revealed in court Monday. Winton Estates, alias “Ganja Bridgewater and former ambulance driver Tarino Baby”, have been charged with the murder of McQueen, SEE page 12 29. McQueen was found dead Move to boost Bahamas tourism SEE page 12 By MEGAN REYNOLDS Tribune Staff Reporter [email protected] LINKING the Bahamas to the world and the islands to one another is the key focus for the development of the country’s largest industry, Minister of Tourism and Aviation Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace said yesterday. INSIDE As promotions of the Bahamas in the $5.8 million 2009 Miss Universe pageant showing the islands as a chain of unique TOTAL COST OF MISS SEE page 12 UNIVERSE REVEALED New date for National Tourism Week, Cacique Awards PAGE THREE PHOTOS: NATIONAL Tourism Week and the Cacique Awards will Tim Clarke not be held in January as planned but in 2011, the Ministry of CROWN LAND ‘USED AS /Tribune staff Tourism and Aviation announced yesterday. The week to promote tourism and the award ceremony held A POLITICAL TOOL’ GENEAR MCKENZIE, 20 during that week to reward high performers in the tourism PAGE TWO RHONDA KNOWLES, 19 SEE page 12 Revealed: why former Lands and Two face dangerous TV thieves ruin Surveys director was asked to quit drugs allegation Monday football By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter [email protected] MONDAY night football By TANEKA THOMPSON was cancelled at the Green Tribune Staff Reporter Parrot bar and restaurant on [email protected] FREEPORT — Two men Bay Street last night as flat were charged with possession screen televisions in the bar FORMER Director of Lands and Surveys Tex Turnquest of dangerous drugs on Mon- were stolen over the week- was asked to resign earlier this year because he could not rea- day in the Freeport Magis- end. sonably explain how several beach-front parcels of Crown trate’s Court. The Green thParrot man- land granted to his relatives were fast-tracked through the Leroy Miller, 41, of agement hopes to replace the backlogged system. Freeport, and Davonne televisions before Monday Mr Turnquest also could not reasonably explain to Prime Brown, 29, of Nassau, night football next week. Minister Hubert Ingraham, the minister responsible for Anyone with any informa- SEE page 12 SEE page 12 SEE page 12 NASSAU AND BAHAMA ISLANDS’ LEADING NEWSPAPER C M C M Y K Y K PAGE 2, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2009 THE TRIBUNE LOCAL NEWS HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY SELECT COMMITTEE Top official admits Crown land has been used as a ‘political tool’ By TANEKA THOMPSON ical tool by successive govern- for political allegiance has been every election, plenty letters get ernments try to hold onto that crown land applications lan- Tribune Staff Reporter ments, Permanent Secretary in going on for many years, adding issued which are not honoured power, the power to give crown guish in the system because they [email protected] the Ministry of Lands David however that these promises are after election. But I want to ask land – or objectivity. It's like a are incomplete and the depart- Davis revealed. often not fulfilled in the after- you, when did them people get perk." When asked what was ment has no means of contact- THE promise of crown land He said the practice of offer- math of an election. "The trend their grant? Some of them nev- being done on a day-to-day ing the applicants. grants has been used as a polit- ing free tracts of land in return has been established. Before er get it. basis to avoid corruption, Act- Mr Hardy also admitted that "Some of them letters didn't ing Director Richard Hardy – over the past few years a num- originate in the department – who is responsible for issuing ber of applications have gone I'm not calling any years – the approval recommendations to unanswered, but said it was his minister responsible for lands the minister of lands – said he intention going forward to have can issue letters, he can give closely monitors all submissions all applications acknowledged. instructions to issue letters," Mr for approval and outgoing cor- In order to improve its pro- Davis told the House of Assem- respondence. cessing system and keep track of bly's Select Committee on "That is the best control I applications, the department is Crown Land issues yesterday. have. To know what is hap- also looking at implementing an pening. And it is my intention, electronic system that would as long as I am acting director, allow officials to quickly access Questions that it is done fairly." a list of all applicants and check Mr Hardy stressed that the on the status of their applica- He was responding to ques- department makes no decisions tions, Mr Hardy said. tions put to him by committee on applications; only recom- The department’s backlog is member Philip “Brave” Davis, mendations to the minister. due in part to a lack of qualified who suggested that the depart- Audley Greaves, under-sec- land surveyors. Mr Davis said ment was usually mobilised to retary in the department, that since 1992, the department issue approval letters before agreed, saying the best that can has been grappling with the elections. be done to avoid corruption is "impossible task" of trying to Committee member Kenyat- to remain "fair and open-hand- recruit Bahamian surveyors and ta Gibson suggested that the ed." Significant reform of the has now had to turn to foreign- approval process should become department, which is plagued ers. Over the last few months the responsibility of a qualified with inefficiencies and an exten- the department has recruited committee rather than one per- sive backlog, is needed, the wit- about four or five surveyors son – to avoid the appearance of nesses testified. Mr Davis admit- from abroad, mostly from nepotism or corruption. ted that there are deficiencies Guyana or other Caribbean To this Mr Davis replied: in the department's filing sys- countries. The committee, "Land is a very emotive issue, tem, adding: "Given the sheer scheduled to meet every Mon- land is also a very political issue. volume (of applications)… day, is expected to present their I haven't seen any government many of them get lost." findings to parliament on Janu- that's prepared to bring trans- He added that a number of ary 27, 2010. parency to the process – all gov- DOCTORS HOSPITAL SUPPORTS HANDBOOK ON TEENAGE PREGNANCY Helping our youngsters Each year Doctors Hospital makes a donation to the Bahamas Children’s Emergency Hostel in support of its efforts to provide temporary shelter, food, clothing, and other neces- sities to abused, abandoned and neglected children. The hostel houses more than 30 children ages one to 11, and is a charitable non-profit organ- FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Chadwick Williamson, VP MIS, Doctors isation that survives on dona- Hospital; Jasmine Davis, VP Patient Finance, Doctors Hospital; tions and fundraising from the Michele Rassin, VP Operations, Doctors Hospital; Nakita Smith, church, civic and business Assistant Administrator, Bahamas Children’s Emergency Hostel; organisations, the government, Stanley Forbes, Book Assistant, Bahamas Children’s Emergency and individuals from the private Hostel; KellyAnne Smith, Graphic Designer, Doctors Hospital. sector. The cost of running the facil- an effort to educate youths, rate fundraising programme or ity increases every year, and the especially young women, who charitable foundation pro- organisers say the hostel is now may be promiscuous, pregnant gramme. facing financial challenges. or the victims of sexual assault. All donations and gifts are The hospital’s latest fundrais- Those interested in helping welcome, administrators say, ing initiative focused on help- the Bahamas Children’s Emer- including clothes, shoes, books ing pay for the hostel’s hand- gency Hostel can donate funds and toys. book on teenage pregnancy – or supplies, lend a hand, spon- School supplies, such as sor a project or event, or par- books, stationary and school ticipate in the hostel’s corpo- uniforms are urgently needed. TO DISCUSS STORIES ON THIS PAGE LOG ON TO WWW.TRIBUNE242.COM C M C M Y K Y K THE TRIBUNE TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2009, PAGE 3 LOCAL NEWS I GRAND BAHAMA Miss Universe pageant More than $22m cost government $5.8m in drugs and cash Tourism Minister says amount was much less than expected By MEGAN REYNOLDS seizures this year Tribune Staff Reporter [email protected] By DENISE MAYCOCK THE 2009 Miss Universe Tribune Freeport Reporter pageant cost the government [email protected] $5.8 million in total, Minister of Tourism Senator Vincent FREEPORT – MORE than $22 million in illegal drugs and Vanderpool-Wallace revealed cash seizures have been recorded so far this year on Grand in a press conference yesterday.