Police accused of drug dealing

Read storyPolice accused of drug dealing

Sources within the police force say corrupt officers are selling the drugs they confiscate.

On Tuesday, a source within the Royal Bahamas Police Force told The Tribune that agents in the Drug Enforcement Unit ¬¬are some of the country’s biggest suppliers of cocaine and marijuana.

One of the sources said drugs often go missing from the police forensic lab, DEU holding site or evidence room.

In addition, he said, some arresting officers confiscate drugs but don’t report it, pressure offenders for bribes or turn in less drugs than are actually found during arrests.

-Tribune (Page A01)

Claims that Court Evidence ‘disappears’

Read storySources told The Tribune that police prosecutors are being paid to ensure that important files go missing.

According to “well placed sources”, officers are getting up to $5,000 to make sure that cases - including rape, gun and drug matters - never make it to court.

The sources said officers “on the take” have several methods, including telling the court that evidence is not ready, forcing the matter to be adjourned.

According to one of the sources:
“This is the norm. This is not just an isolated incident. It’s with firearms, drugs-you would have files sent, the magistrate would sign the summons, they are stamped but certain prosecutors would hide them away in the office, put them in files that have already been completed or just lose them and then get paid.”

The offenders can earn between $1,000 and $5,000 for their efforts.

The source said that persons are given the wrong court date, which can lead to the case being thrown out when they don’t show up.
The source also said that some of the officers in the warrants section are more concerned with repossessing cars for the local banks than picking up suspects.

He said there are cases of people paying “almost like a salary” so they won’t get picked up.

More corruption revelations are expected from The Tribune in Thursday’s edition.

-Tribune (Page A01)

Policeman and stepson accused in drug trial

Read storyDetective Sergeant Weymond Demeritte told a court why he arrested a policeman and his stepson for cocaine possession Tuesday.

Demeritte said he found a kilo of cocaine after searching a bag that had come on a Sky Bahamas flight from Haiti.

Authorities suspect the bag belonged to Jacoby Knowles, 25. Demeritte arrested Knowles and released him, pending further investigation.

The policeman went to Joseph’s home on December 8 last year. When they knocked, Knowles came to the door with his 36-year-old stepfather, Policeman Wilson Joseph.

Police then confiscated Joseph’s cell phone during a search. Recordings of phone calls from a phone registered to Joseph have already been presented as evidence in the matter.

Demeritte is the final prosecution witness in the trial, which continues on April 15.

Joseph has been suspended from duty and place on half-pay pending the matter’s conclusion.

-Full Story

American must pay $1,000 for iguana, conch charges

Read storyEXUMA: Americans who posted photographs of themselves eating Iguanas and undersized conch on the online network facebook were fined $1,000 Tuesday.

Alexander Rust, a 24-year-old from Indiana, and Vanessa Palm, a 23-year-old from Illinois, pled guilty to charges of possessing undeveloped conch and taking a prohibited wild species.

The pair told Magistrate Ivan Ferguson they did not know the animal was protected. Ferguson excused Palm but ordered Rust to pay fines or serve jail time.

Rust was fined $800 or four months for the conch charge and $200 or two months for the iguana charge.

Bahamas National Trust Director Eric Carey said he was pleased that the pair were convicted but disappointed that they did not get the maximum penalties - $5,000 or one year for the conch and $300 or six months for the iguana.

Carey wants two other men, also shown in the photographs, to be charged. Police say they are still investigating.

-Tribune (Page A03)

Cops charge 106 people with traffic offenses in five hours

Read storyOfficers accused 106 people of traffic-related offenses during a five-hour operation at the Marathon and Robinson Road intersection recently.

In addition, police arrested three people with outstanding warrants, one for disorderly behavior and one for threatening a police officer.

-Tribune (Page A05)

Cable fire stops TV, Internet

Read storyA fire cut television and internet services in about 150 homes on Monday.

Cable Bahamas said a power cable fell on one of their cables which led to the cable catching on fire. This stopped service in the Winton and Camperdown for nine hours - 9.30am and 6.30pm.

Bahamas Electricity Corporation general manager Kevin Basden said a dump truck had dragged an electrical line into the cable line.

Cable Bahamas operations manager Lester DeGregory said the problem has happened before, “around twice a year and it is usually right at that same location, but in this incident it also burnt the cable further down”.

Basden said he was not aware of a similar failure in the past.

-Tribune (Page A05)

Caribbean films playing this week at Galleria

Read storyCaribbean films will be showcased all week at Galleria Cinemas on John F Kennedy Drive.

For the second year, the Traveling Caribbean Film Showcase will feature films with a special interest on children and teenagers from the region.

Productions from 16 countries are featured, including Belize, Cuba, Columbia and Jamaica.

You can view Invisible, one of the films featured, by clicking here.

The mini-documentary features a woman and her daughter, who are both HIV-positive.

It was produced in Trinidad and Tobago by Elspeth Duncan.

-Tribune (Page A06)

Customs officer’s car burnt

Read storyA customs officer’s car was set on fire in front of a home in Sunset Park on Monday afternoon.

The car belonged to Gregory Mortimer, who is a senior officer of the customs department.

Police would not say whether they felt the fire was related to another blaze, which destroyed the home of customs officer Roslyn Ritchie last November.

Ritchie’s responsibilities included investigating corruption in the department and customs fraud.

Clive Schroeter was charged in connection with the home fire in January.

-Tribune

Glass plant in Freeport open

Read storyGRAND BAHAMA: A newly operational glass manufacturing plant expects to be running 24-hours a day by next Monday.

Fenestration (Fenestration definition) and Glass Services, which makes windows, and rubber components, could employ up to 150 people by August.

The company sits on 64,000 square feet on Queens Highway and has so far cost $20 million in building costs, machinery and salaries.

Windows made by the company will be available to Bahamians though rubber components would not.

Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham is expected top officially open the facility on February 20.

-Guardian

-Full Story

Atlantis seeks $1.4 million from Australian gambler

Read storyAtlantis has taken legal action against an Australian millionaire.

Harry Kakavas was on honeymoon in November 2006 when he lost $1.4 milling in a single day of gambling. Kakavas made bets of up to $60,000.

Kakavas, a 42-year-old property developer, plans to defend himself by saying that the casino was aware of his gambling addiction and that the debt is not enforceable.

The trial date is set for July.

-Tribune

Click here to read more in Australia's Herald Sun.

Body found on roadside

Read storyThe body of a black male was found on the roadside near Wulff Road and Peardale Monday afternoon.

There were no obvious signs of violence and police do not suspect foul play.

Authorities do not know the man’s age or identity.

-Guardian & -Tribune

Full Story

Bahamians looking for help

Read storyThousands of Bahamians have applied for help with food, rent and utility costs.

According to statistics, twice as many citizens asked for help from social services outlets in 2008 compared with 2007. This information came from Minister of Labour and Scoial Development Dion Folkes.

Folkes could not give the exact number of applicants but said it was in the thousands.

The government has allocated $13 million for the 2008/2009 social services budget.

-Guardian

-Full Story

Old Bahama Bay layoff worries

Read storyLayoffs are expected at the Old Bahama Bay Resort according to Tribune reports.

Seven of the company’s 147 employees were let go last month due to the tough economic climate.

Member of Parliament for West End and Bimini Obie Wilchcombe said he spoke with staff at the resort last week and heard nothing of planned layoffs.

-Tribune

Man charged with shooting death

Read storyGRAND BAHAMA: Don Phillipe, 30, was charged with the shooting death of 17-year-old Dwight Bartlett Monday.

Bartlett was found shot in the head at Pinder’s Point, on February 2nd.

-Guardian & -Tribune

-Full Story

Teacher molestation case in lawyers’ hands

Read storyGRAND BAHAMA: The Attorney General’s office is now responsible for the molestation case against a teacher on the island. ¬
¬
Police finished their investigation of the incident about two weeks ago according to Chief Superintendent of Police Emerick Seymour.

A male teacher was arrested and questioned after complaints by two former students, both male.

Although district superintendant of high schools in Grand Bahama, Hezekiah Dean, made an official request for the teacher to be removed a month ago, Ministry officials have not made it clear whether he has been.

-Tribune

Ice cream may be contaminated with salmonella

Read storyAn ice cream dessert is the latest product to be recalled due to concerns of salmonella contamination.

The Rich’s Nutty Sundae Cone was recalled Friday. Additional details are available from manufacturer Rice Ice Cream company by calling (561) 833-7585. The company said it has received no reports of illness.

The concerns have come about because of allegations by American Federal investigators that the Peanut Corporation of America knowingly distributed nuts contaminated with salmonella.

-Tribune

Pizza Hut workers say they have not been paid

Read storyFormer employees of the Cable Beach Pizza Hut say they have received no severance pay since their dismissal last November.

Workers said they lost their jobs suddenly, after they were gathered for an emergency meeting on November 8. They were then told that the restaurant would be closing immediately.

An employee said they were supposed to be paid by December 15.

Labour Minister Dion Folkes has said he will investigate the matter and that he was aware of settlement negotiations taking place.

-Tribune

COURT BRIEFS: Car Death, Murder threats

Read storyCrash kills one, injures six
Kervens Forrestal of Cowpen Road was charged with killing Dominic Redhead by driving dangerously on Adelaide Road.

Forrestal, 27, was in a truck heading east and Redhead, 36, was going west in a Toyota Avalon.
The accident involved two other trucks, both heading east.

Redhead died at the scene of the crash and six others were taken to hospital.
-Tribune


Not guilty of death threats
GRAND BAHAMA: Javaughn Delancy pled not guilty to charges that he threatened to kill a 21-year-old female resident of Pinder’s Point on February 5th.

As there was an outstanding warrant for Delancy, he was jailed.
-Tribune

CRIME BRIEFS: Car chase, 6 arrests, Stun gun robbery

Read storyAnother car chase
Officers from the Drug Enforcement Unit chased a green Honda on West Bay Street after at least one shot was fired from the car.

An object thrown from the Honda was later discovered to be a .38 handgun with four bullets.

DEU agents eventually stopped the car and arrested a woman from Marshall Road and two men from Yellow Elder Gardens. All three are 24 years old.

The police chase was the third in three days.


Raid leads to six arrests
Six men were arrested after a raid on a home on Cool Bush Lane and Honey Sucker Street around 3.45pm Saturday.

Six men were arrested after Drug Enforcement Agents found three pounds of marijuana a shotgun and 31 shotgun shells.
-Tribune

Stun gun robbery
GRAND BAHAMA: Employees of the Grand Bahama Shipyard told police they were robbed by two men with a stun gun on Saturday afternoon.

Authorities want to question Bernard Ferguson of Abaco Drive in connection with the matter.
-Guardian

Police searching for Garin Gibson
GRAND BAHAMA: Police are looking for Garin Gibson in connection with an assault case.

Police reports indicate that a 42-year-old man was attacked by another man, who pushed a handgun in his face and threatened to kill him.
-Guardian

Rasta parents want private schools to respect their choice

Read storyRastafarian parents claim private schools are being unconstitutional by trying to restrict what their children can wear.

Ursula Wells, 35 and her husband William Bain, 45 are raising three children. The couple is concerned because many private schools in New Providence will not admit their children unless they conform to the school's uniform policies.

The pair is reluctant to make use of public schools, which will not refuse them. But they worry about the level of violence and limited opportunities at government-run schools.

Education Director Lionel Sands said that private schools are permitted a form of discrimination - refusing children based on dress - something that public schools do not do.

There are 162 public schools in The Bahamas and 91 private schools. About half of the private schools are attached to a church.

-Tribune