MITCHELL TO RETURN TO MIAMI TO MEET BEREAVED FAMILIES

  December 21, 2005

Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Public Service the Hon. Fred Mitchell will return to Miami, Florida this afternoon for a second round of meetings with the families and bereaved survivors of the 11 Bahamians killed when Chalks flight 101crashed while en route from Miami to Bimini on Monday. 

Minister Mitchell will head a special overseas task force convened by the Cabinet this morning to coordinate advice and assistance to the families and bereaved survivors in Miami. The Foreign Minister announced this morning that Bahamas Ambassador to the United States and Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States, His Excellency Joshua Sears, will travel from Washington to Miami this afternoon in order to coordinate the task force. 

While meeting with the families and bereaved survivors in Miami on Tuesday evening, Minister Mitchell warned them against shady advocates who might be seeking to represent them and take various steps on their behalf. He told the group that the Bahamas Government was seeking the best possible advice on the issue and that he would return to them with recommendations in the shortest possible time. 

Also traveling to Miami with Minister Mitchell Wednesday will be, Anthony Curtis of the National Insurance Board, Melanie Zonicle of the Department of Social Services and Francis Wilson of the Legal Affairs Department in the Attorney General’s Office.

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Ministry of Foreign Affairs
21 December 2005