C M C M Y K Y K WEATHER TRY OUR DOUBLE FISH FILET ANY TIME...ANY PLACE, WE’RE #1 HIGH 70F LOW 55F The Tribune COOL WITH SUNSHINE BAHAMAS EDITION www.tribune242.com Volume: 106 No.80 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010 PRICE – 75¢ (Abaco and Grand Bahama $1.25) Parties in discussions CARS FOR SALE, S E D HELP WANTED W I E S N over possible merger N I AND REAL ESTATE SEE STORY ON PAGE FIVE THE BAHAMAS BIGGEST Tourist in Harbour Island cutlass attack By TANEKA THOMPSON Tribune Staff Reporter Police shoot [email protected] A CUTLASS attack on an American tourist has shocked the tiny community of Harbour Island and led to demands for an increase in police protection. The incident happened at about 2am yesterday when two dark-skinned men, both armed with cutlasses, burst into a hotel room occupied by two American men at Tingum Village and demanded cash. One of the victims was slashed on his right arm but his friend managed to escape unharmed, police said. Three detectives were dispatched from the capital to assist with the investigation and up to press time, three men were assisting police in their probe. A reliable source identified the victim as Eddie Bryant of Stanford, Connecticut. He was reportedly airlifted to New burglar dead Providence yesterday and then to hospital in Florida for SEE page 15 Man is killed Bahamas close MAN FOUND SHOT DEAD to strengthening after threatening diplomatic ties with Brazil officers with knife By NOELLE NICOLLS Tribune Staff Reporter [email protected] By MEGAN REYNOLDS The police had been Tribune Staff Reporter called to stop two men seen [email protected] THE Bahamas is close to walking from house to signing a technical co-opera- house trying to open car tion agreement with Brazil POLICE shot dead a doors and the doors to peo- that would strengthen diplo- would-be burglar who ple’s homes in Tower matic ties, according to Min- threatened officers with a Heights Drive, off Sans istry of Foreign Affairs offi- knife and screwdriver before Souci Road, in east Nassau, cials. trying to flee. at around 5.20am as resi- In the first instance, the The gunfire rang out in a dents slept. agreement will facilitate the quiet suburban neighbour- Officers from Elizabeth transfer of agriculture exper- hood when police responded Estates Police Station sent tise, in research, food tech- to reports of attempted nology and biofuel technolo- break-ins. SEE page 12 gy. These are the areas of interest identified by the Min- istry of Agriculture and Marine Resources, which is Shooting leaves man in hospital the main Bahamian agency pushing the negotiations. A 22-YEAR-OLD Golden Gates man is in hospital in seri- POLICE REMOVE the “Brazil has comparative ous condition following a shooting in Mermaid Boulevard off body of the man in the Carmichael Road yesterday morning. advantage in the agricultural South Beach area sector and has a lot to offer Police responded to reports of gunfire at 9.20am and said the yesterday. young man had been shot in the abdomen and taken to hospi- the Bahamas by way of tech- tal in a private vehicle. nology and food production,” He remains in hospital in serious condition while police By ALESHA CADET said Ava Lane, senior assis- investigations continue. tant secretary in the Ministry The Criminal Detective Unit is following significant leads into THE body of a man of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the shooting and is appealing to the public for any information riddled with multiple and head of the technical that may assist investigations. gunshot wounds was assistance unit. Contact police urgently on 911, 919, or call Crime Stoppers discovered in the back Nothing has been signed as anonymously on 328-TIPS (8477). seat of a car in the area yet, but there is a draft agree- of South Beach yester- day. SEE page 16 f f The victim has been a t s identified as David e Bowleg, believed to be n u between 25 and 30 Talk show host apologetic b i r years old. T / r The Tribune under- o j a stands that Bowleg is over on-air firearm remarks M known to the police for TALK SHOW host Ortland Bodie Jr was “I should never have said it,” Mr Bodie told é p several crime matters. i apologetic on his radio programme yesterday, his listeners yesterday. “You know you cannot l e Officers responded stating that he was wrong for offering to sell a shout fire in a theatre, and if you do, it has to F to the scene at around firearm on national radio and that his remarks be investigated. 1pm, where they found were “irresponsible” and should never have “I said everybody knows where to find an the dead man in a been said. illegal gun. But I don’t really know where any champagne-coloured Having been released from police custody are and I don’t want to know. But the police vehicle on Holiday Dri- some hours after being arrested on Wednes- had to do their job.” ve in South Beach. day, Mr Bodie also lauded the police at the On Wednesday, Mr Bodie was taken into Detectives have Central Detective Unit (CDU) for their pro- police custody shortly after his programme fessionalism, maintaining at the same time ended and his home searched. To illustrate SEE page 12 that he had no animosity for what had tran- spired. SEE page 12 NASSAU AND BAHAMA ISLANDS’ LEADING NEWSPAPER C M C M Y K Y K PAGE 2, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010 THE TRIBUNE LOCAL NEWS Partnership raises $80,000 for Haiti relief Assisting the Haitian A JOINT partnership between Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) Limited and the Western Union Foun- dation has raised over $80,000 for disaster relief earthquake relief effort in Haiti. Efforts to raise the By TANEKA THOMPSON funds began immediately Tribune Staff Reporter after a devastating 7.0 [email protected] earthquake levelled the Haitian capital Port-au- Prince and surrounding MORE than a month after a 7.0 regions on January 12, magnitude earthquake destroyed leaving hundreds of thou- Haiti's capital city Port-au-Prince, sands dead and many more and despite the generous out- injured. pouring of donations from Staff at Fidelity Bank Bahamians and the international (Bahamas) Ltd in the community, countless displaced Bahamas, Grand Cayman survivors are still desperate for and the Cayman Islands food and medical aid. were encouraged to donate This, according to local real to the relief fund and every estate agent Gavin Christie and dollar they donated was German businessman Peter Reb- matched by the bank. mann who recently returned from As Fidelity acts as an a week-long trip to the devastated agent for Western Union city where they assisted in the in the Bahamas, Cayman relief effort. and Turks and Caicos, Mr Christie told The Tribune Western Union then about what prompted him and his matched Fidelity’s dona- tions through the Western friends to make such a compas- Union Foundation and its sionate gesture. Agent Giving circle pro- "A friend of mine (Peter Reb- gramme. mann) had a friend from Haiti The community was who lost about two thirds of her also invited to show their family during the earthquake. support for Haiti by mak- “He decided to ship a few HAITIAN ORPHANS enjoy a much needed meal at Sister Veronica's Orphanage in Port-au-Prince. ing donations at the West- crates of food, clothes and med- ern Union, MoneyCentre, ical aid" to his friend's surviving Fidelity and Fidelity loca- family members, said Mr Christie. tions. After this initial show of good- Money raised will be will, both men realised they had sent to Mercy Corps, as it the means and connections to is a sanctioned, registered raise a significant amount of mon- charity currently working ey to contribute to Haiti. to assist victims of the But they wanted to ensure that earthquake and their fami- their donations went straight into lies in Haiti. the hands of those in need. Fidelity president Gre- gory Bethel said: “We are very proud by the level of Supplies giving from our staff. You know you have hired the On February 12, the pair, along right people when they are with Miami-based doctor Ali not only deeply touched by Shyagan, chartered a private the situation in Haiti, but plane filled with boxes with food, they are willing to partici- medical supplies and toys. pate and part with their They teamed up with a Haitian own money just to make a charity and spent the week doling difference.” out medical care to survivors and handing out food and toys to mal- nourished orphans. They came face-to-face with a city, which was already struggling with widespread poverty before the January 12 quake, that looked as if it had been ravaged by war. Huge piles of rubble still lined the streets of Port-au-Prince, evi- dence of the many buildings - including the presidential palace - that collapsed during the quake. Hundreds of thousands of dis- (kneeling), Dr Ali Shyagan (centre) and Gavin Christie (right) care for survivors of Haiti's earthquake. placed survivors sought shelter in PETER REBMANN tent communities on the outskirts One of the most heart-wrench- the kids were like zombies but when hundreds of millions of dol- of the city, lacking food, electric- ing moments for the pair came after we gave them some toys, lars (in aid) dropped in Port-au- ity and running water.