NASSAU, Bahamas -- Governor General His Excellency Arthur D. Hanna presented eight teachers with awards for their commitment and dedication in the field of education during the Fidelity Sir Gerald Cash National Distinguished Teachers Awards Ceremony held at Government House, Friday, October 23, 2009.




Seated in the foreground from left: Gregory Bethel, President, Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) LTD; Anwer Sunderji, CEO, Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) LTD; William Allen, Chairman, Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) LTD; His Excellency Arthur D. Hanna, Governor General; Elma Garroway, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education; Belinda Wilson, President, Bahamas Union of Teachers; and Alfred Stewart, Vice President, Fidelity Bank. Pictured standing at the far right is Patricia Collins, Deputy Director Ministry of Education and to her left are the eight recipients of the Fidelity Sir Gerald Cash National Distinguished Teachers? Awards Programme. (BIS photo/Derek Smith)

NASSAU, Bahamas -- Ambassador of the United States of America Her Excellency Nicole Avant pays a courtesy call on Minister of Housing the Hon Kenneth Russell (second from left), Monday, October 26. Also pictured are Parliamentary Secretary, Brensil Rolle (far left) and Deputy Chief of Mission, Timothy Brown. (BIS photo/Patrick Hanna)

John Travolta's attorney has asked Bahamian authorities to forward all of the evidence from the attempted extortion trial of Pleasant Bridgewater and Tarino Lightbourne to prosecutors in the United States who will see if the case could be retried there.

Michael Ossi, who also testified as a witness in the trial, for which a mistrial verdict was delivered on Wednesday evening, told The Tribune that Bahamian authorities have agreed to preserve all of the relevant evidence and the question of where the re-trial will occur is "in the hands of Bahamian and US prosecutors."

A decision could be made within weeks, he suggested.

A mistrial verdict was delivered and a retrial ordered by Senior Justice Anita Allen in the trial of Ms Bridgewater and Mr Lightboure on Wednesday after she announced that she was "very concerned in the interests of justice" following an announcement at the PLP convention by MP Picewell Forbes that Ms Bridgewater had been acquitted.

The exclamation by South Andros representative, Mr Forbes, came before the jury had returned its verdict on the five-week long trial. Justice Allen said the turn of events gave the impression that there had been a communication from the jury room.

The PLP issued an "unqualified apology" for the statement made by Mr Forbes, noting that it was "incorrect" and "not intended to interfere with the administration of justice."

That evening Mr Ossi welcomed the mistrial verdict given the circumstances and noted that he and the Travoltas are committed to seeing a retrial through.

Yesterday, Mr Ossi said: "Jeopardy has not been attached, so you can try the case again. We want the evidence preserved for the next trial, whether it be in The Bahamas or U.S."

Mr Ossi suggested that because one of the alleged extortion phone calls was made from The Bahamas to the US that Florida could have jurisdiction over the matter. He said he has also run the evidence past "an expert" who has informed him that there is a good basis for the trial to take place in the U.S.

Nonetheless, he emphasised that ultimately he and his client have no preference over where the a retrial is held, so long as it is a "fair trial with an impartial jury."

"I am just trying to protect the interests of Mr Travolta," said the attorney. "We want to preserve our options."

If the trial were to take place in Florida, defendants, Ms Bridgewater and Mr Lightbourne, would have to be extradited to the US if they did not go voluntarily.

Yesterday, lawyer for Ms Bridgewater, Murio Ducille, called the suggestion that the U.S. could host the trial "nonsense and stupidness."

Revealing that he had "heard as a rumour" that steps had been taken by Mr Ossi to see whether the trial could take place abroad, Mr Ducille denied that there would be any basis for this to happen.

"Certainly my client didn't make any calls (to the U.S.). This is the point i've made throughout -- no calls emanated from them," he said.


By ALISON LOWE

Tribune Staff Reporter

alowe@tribunemedia.net

Frustrated by their own state of disarray and anxious to find an issue they can exploit in the next general election, PLP leaders persistently try to blame the FNM for the downturn in the economy. They are at it again in their convention.

The extent of their desperation is clear, considering the indisputable fact that the economic crisis enveloping The Bahamas and much of the world is due not to any local causes but to external forces beyond anyone?s control.

The FNM Government has buffered the effects of the crisis by accelerating public works including road building, the massive port project, the new airport terminal project, clean-up and beautification campaigns and the creation of more recreation spaces for the Bahamian people, especially seaside vistas and spaces.

Furthermore, the FNM Government launched a multi-faceted national social programme to alleviate the pain of unemployed Bahamians and to help prepare for the future.

The centrepiece of this initiative was the launching for the first time in Bahamian history of an unemployment benefit scheme. When it was announced, the PLP was so taken aback that they only mutter baseless criticisms such as suggesting that it might not be legal!

Other elements of the FNM social response to the crisis are temporary job programmes, a national training programme and electricity assistance for thousands of distressed Bahamians.

All this was made possible because of the solid economic and fiscal performance of the FNM in its first two terms in office after cleaning up the mess left by the PLP Government.

by FNM Press office