The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Greetings. And thank you for the space in your daily publication to proffer up these several points Of view.

As I reflect on this now tit-for-tat that seems to be taking place, on the one hand this man called John Ray & his American lawyers said to be representing FTX Digital Marketing Inc, versus ‘The Bahamas’ Supreme Court appointed liquidators, chaired by Attorney Brian Simms, KC. And remarks of impropriety alleged by John Ray and others, it doesn’t ever stop, does it?

But, as my grandmother used to remind us, children you cannot beat the law, just too many Of them, therefore, you must join them, quote/end quote.

What am I saying? Glad you’ve asked.

As little children, whenever we ventured over to play with the big boys, the message always got to my grandparents, but since grandfather had had a stroke and consequently confined to a wheelchair, it was my grandmother that did discipline...so guess what? we got our beating for not playing with children our ages, and especially for crossing the divide, what the writers are referring to?

In this global arena, you have the super-rich countries, the populace in hundreds of millions of people, you also have countries with weapons of mass destruction quote/end quote.

And there are the smaller countries like The Bahamas, who must learn to play with other countries their own sizes, otherwise you’ll soon-find out what being super countries meant?

Rolling right along, this FTX debacle, I just hope that it has taught the Bahamian politicians, others a lesson, that everything that glitters, isn’t gold, holds true and does apply in this scenario.

A foreign individual and his company flirting with huge sums of money, as if money had had no value, antennas should have gone up, but you know greed, and gullibility is serious business. sacred scriptures answer the money question this way: Money answereth everything, but the love of money is the root of all evil. I didn’t say that, Father God did, so please do not hold me in, no bad blood please.

Powers that be, I have been reading up on all of the various opinions regarding FTX, some of it legal, others of it personal, much of it with no basis in the laws to compel compliance.

And the preponderance of it from the American side, merely hiding under Jurisdictional complexities. But why?

And what has me concerned is that if a company was so embroiled in being operated as a criminal enterprise, why is that company’s doors still open and staffers still working under the umbrella of FTX Digital Marketing Inc?

Did you not know that I have this gift of discernment, coupled with 25 years plus, as detective & policeman and I will tell you that something is just not right with this John Ray now chief executive officer of FTX, he looks like and sounds like a Fed, the way he connects his adjectives, the various storyline, etc?

Another point, Mr Ray, and the company’s lawyers, seems to be moving this criminal probe in the opposite direction. But what is most egregious about it, the authorities appear to be listening, taking their directives, if only in part from them, why?

And to the local authorities, including the highest court of the land, when we had the leverage we circumvented that authority, that jurisdiction and allowed unlawful influence to prevailed... had we used sensible and good legal judgement, securing, ensuring that the proceeds from the dealings of FTX domiciled within the Commonwealth Of The Bahamas, had been sent to the Central Bank Of The Bahamas (for-safe-keeping), we would have had those funds in our jurisdiction.

Secondly, the court has ruled that Sam Bankman-Fried would have had to re-appear sometime in February, 2023, I believe it was.

And while US Embassy personnel had the prescribed right by whatever article of association, to visit Americans being held in our prisons, should be supervised visits... to ensure that no electronic devices were exchanged, etc (and for these devices ‘usage in our prisons were against the law)?

And for it is unlawful for any dignitaries to try and broker the release of a prisoner, who were awaiting to be processed for other crimes, not suggesting that took place.

Many Bahamians want to know what was the quid pro quo, if any, that brought about Sam Bankman-Fried release and subsequent departure by executive travel means to the US, still haunts us?

Now you see just how ungrateful those people are; referring to government officials as corrupt and attempting to strip The Bahamas of any and all matters pertaining to FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried, etc. And I supposed that in its truest sense, we deserved it, we sowed it, and now we must reap it, sorry to say, but it shows the consequences dealt by those of us Bahamians.

Finally, why do you vex? In my judgement, this is a matter that The Bahamas cannot win, and therefore,

I encourage the powers that be to let it go, otherwise bad blood will prevail or someone will have to pick up the tab at the end-of-the-day, and always the Bahamian taxpayers, but why?

Let it go, there will be other times, and our position will be, please do not talk to me, because I am not listening... but my hands are listening to talk to the hands.

While you are at it, strengthen the laws. And cancel the treaties with America (after all these legal pieces of conveniences are a violation of the Constitution of The Bahamas-and-therefore, ought-to-fall-away) if anyone domiciled in this country that they may or might need, tell go to hell and watch Father God come to our aid... for God is a defender of the poor, watch Him?

Thank you, editor, I appreciate it.

FRANK GILBERT

Nassau,

March 21, 2023.