The Tribune

ALTHOUGH The Tribune reported Prime Minister Perry Christie’s attendance at the January 26 Caribbean Energy Security Summit meeting in Washington, it missed a most important message. The message was a warning given to all Caribbean leaders by US Vice President Joe Biden.

“Get a handle on corruption,” he told the group and “pick the projects that make most sense”.

The warning article was illustrated by a photograph of Vice President Biden, flanked by the Caribbean leaders. All – except Mr Christie— looked straight into the camera. Mr Christie, who attended in his capacity as CARICOM chairman, was conspicuous as he stood head bowed and hands clasped in front of him — almost in a mea culpa pose.

However, during the meeting, the Vice President told the leaders that although the US was ready to help with aid and other financing, it was not prepared to do so with its eyes closed.

“First and foremost, you have to deal with corruption,” he warned. “You need to be choosing projects because they are the most competitive, not for other reasons.”

He obviously would not approve of government projects tendered by invitation, instead of the regular open tender. Nor would he approve of contracts awarded to friends, who would in turn sub-contract them to a qualified contractor, thereby raising the cost of the project two-fold, or possibly even three-fold at tax payers’ expense.

“I guarantee you we will do our part,” said Mr Biden. “And we can afford it. But we’re not going to waste money. We’re going to insist on considerably more transparency, greater coordination and changes in regulations. We’re not here to replace one flawed financial scheme with another.”

We hope the Public Accounts Committee will take note of this and keep a close watch on all parliamentary grants to make certain they are “applied to the object which parliament subscribed”.

It is time that this committee tightens its grip on public spending, and the public takes a more active interest as to how government spends its taxes.

We might not have a Freedom of Information Act (FIA), which by the time the Attorney General’s office has finished neutering it, might leave us with a eunuch to deal with, but we have a voice that can embarrass answers out of recalcitrant lawmakers.

(Late this afternoon, government released a proposed draft for the FIA. We note that there are 13 classes of records that are exempt from scrutiny).

This government has had a free ride with government funds for too long. The horse might be out of its stable, but it is time to put the curb bit on him, get him back in his stable and padlock the stable door behind him.

• • • • • •

Bahamas crime warnings

from UK and US

ON Friday, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in an update on crime in the Bahamas urged its subjects to exercise “vigilance” while visiting the Bahamas, because of the escalating violence. The warning was published worldwide on the UK’s TravelWeekly.

The news item recorded that “Nassau is a popular destination on cruise itineraries from Florida and about 24,000 Britons visited the Bahamas in 2013”.

The updated advisory said: “There have been incidents of violent crime, including robbery, which is often armed and sometimes fatal, in residential and tourist areas of New Providence, Grand Bahama and Freeport.

“The number of break-ins and robbery incidents reported to the High Commission has increased. There are police patrols in the main tourist areas.”

Advised the Foreign Office: “Be vigilant at all times and don’t walk alone away from the main hotels, tourist areas, beaches and downtown Nassau, particularly after dark.

“Take care if travelling on local bus services after dusk on routes away from the main tourist areas. Do not carry large amounts of cash or jewellery.

“Robbers may be armed. Do not resist in the event of an attempted robbery. If you need the police in an emergency, call 911 or 919.”

And on the American side, almost two months ago, Jim Walker’s Cruise Law News reported “Another Critical Crime Warning for Nassau, Bahamas”. The “News” was written by Jim Walker in the firm of Walker & O’Neil, maritime lawyers. Said the report: “The US State Department has issued a critical crime warning for Nassau, Bahamas today (March 25). The warning is titled Security Message for US Citizens: Nassau (Bahamas), Nassau Violent Crime.

“The warning states that US citizens residing in and travelling to the Bahamas to be aware of their surroundings and remain on heightened alert to avoid being a victim of crime. The warning states that armed robbery remains a major criminal threat facing US citizens with the crime threat on New Providence listed as ‘critical’.

“The last warning from the State Department or the US Embassy in The Bahamas was just last month when the State Department issued the 2015 Bahamas Crime Report which revealed that armed Nassau, Bahamas, murder robbery and sexual assaults were increasing.

“The most recent warning focused on violent incidents on March 22nd and 23rd which occurred in areas heavily frequented by US citizen visitors and residents. One victim was stabbed and killed and the other man was critically wounded and robbed.

“We picked Nassau as the most dangerous cruise destination in the world last year,” continued the “Cruise Law News.”

“In 2014, the Bahamas was the subject of four critical crime warnings to US citizens (one from the US State Department and three from the US Embassy) and one warning from Canada. With the two warnings this year, that’s a total of seven warnings. I have never heard any country being the recipient of seven crime warnings in just 15 months. The last US warning in 2014 mentioned that US tourists have been raped and robbed at gunpoint, and there have been three reported sexual assaults on US citizens, including minors, by jet ski operators on Paradise Island.

“The homicide rate for The Bahamas is over 30 per 100,000. In the US the homicide rate is only 4.5 per 100,000. Most tourists and cruise passengers to Nassau don’t understand this.”

When the PLP made crime an issue in the 2012 election with the promise of a solution if elected, Philip “Brave” Davis, then an opposition MP, declared that “we cannot hide the truth (about crime) and we cannot suppress the facts, we have to address the issues of crime”.

He was then justifying large posters erected by the PLP, even in tourist areas, to advertise the fact that The Bahamas was a crime-ridden nation.

We were fed a false promise by the politicians. The only hope of crime reduction is for the community’s full cooperation with law enforcement, and for all branches of the judiciary to step up to the plate.