I suspect part of what happened here was both sides negotiated a way forward and this statement was part of the deal. You dont like it, but you decide not to die on that hill, there's a bigger battle to get to. I'll wait for the filing of the *slander* suit against John Ray and the follow through to trail completion... along with the police presenting the stolen Oban files

"*The Securities Commission may have done the right thing with regards to the collapse of FTX*

This is like giving the security guard an award for locking the doors a year later after the robbers escape **undetected** with 90% of the money

**The SCB appears to have failed in their function as a regulator for FTX, they appear to have functioned entirely in a compliance role**, *do we have all the registration documents? Did all the exec's sign in the right place?* etc. Its the window dressing, necessary, but still window dressing. **This is clear from the Central Bank's statement 2 weeks ago. The Central Bank said in black and white, they *will step in to fill the GAPS left by the DARE Act*. The major gap they specifically identified was "Risk Management", well for an investment platform, risk management is the ball and chain, if you're not doing that exactly what were you regulating? The answer is "nothing", i.e. Sam calculating margins by himself in a corner**

I see another firm talking about mortgage backed securities. I'm **very** skeptical

"*Bowe, writing in a social media post seen by this newspaper, said: “Many organisations in The Bahamas, including the Government, are refusing to accept cash payments. This is illegal. Bahamian cash in The Bahamas is legal tender. If you are conducting legal business in The Bahamas, you must accept cash as payment. The Government of The Bahamas and its agencies must desist from this behaviour.*

I believe what we're seeing is digitization programs throughout the country spearheaded by people who dont understand digitization. Up to thd Intl Food festival mishap, the central bank was indeed full speed ahead on a misguided path to total cash elimination

"*January 2, Prime Minister Phillip Davis said the government was hoping to launch a youth guard programme, which intends to capture the youth to build the communities and to help reduce the effects of crime.*"

I sincerely hope they will not try to turn this into a scare them straight or military torture them straight. It will fail. Your strategies should be based on research in the area of reform and on programs that have worked for similar communities and do not psychologically scar young people

oops

Have they defended him? I read things like the biggest financial fraud ever, I've even heard people allude to the *I didnt know I was committing a crime* as an orchestrated defence strategy.

As to the Bahamas, if you is a small theif you can't claim innocence and get mad if people confuse you with a big theif

"*Cultural*". Well... Cleopatra showed up in Rome and presented Juilius Caeser with a baby he knew nothing about, all in an aim to get an alliance with him

Funny, a few years ago Jamaican gang members holed up in an inner city community to battle for drug dealer Dudas Coke and keep him out of US hands. Last year Haitian gangs holed up in the mountains to keep a gang leader there out of US hands. This week, riots broke out in Mexico when the US tried to extradite El Chapo's son.

Totally unrelated, but it's amazing how regular people, some who have nothing, jump to defend high profile criminals who have everything, even at risk of their own lives