Jamaica’s capacity to detect fraudulent travel documents has been enhanced with a donation of 150 ultraviolet inspection devices by the German Embassy here. German Ambassador Jan Hendrik van Thiel and Stephan Kaldasch, document and visa adviser (German) federal police, made the presentation to the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) last Friday in keeping with the German Government’s collaboration with Jamaica on border security. The donation was welcomed by PICA Chief Executive Officer Andrew Wynter who noted that it comes as Jamaica is moving into one of its high-travel periods, which usually sees an increase in applications for travel documents. “Certainly, any equipment we can get to help detect document fraud will help,” Wynter told his German guests during the presentation ceremony at PICA’s Waterloo Road office, next door to the German Embassy. He hailed the strengthening of relations between Jamaica and Germany, saying that it will assist with combatting organised crime. Ambassador van Thiel expressed pleasure at being able to make the donation and added that training in the use of the equipment is being offered by his country. He explained that the equipment can also be used in the field, and told Wynter as well as the other PICA executives in attendance that Kaldasch, who is based in Miami, Florida, will be the key man facilitating the training. The idenTT Docu-Viewer is designed to make fast, mobile checks of secured documents. It basically magnifies images in passports and other travel documents, allowing immigration officers to check for fraud. Kaldasch said the equipment has been in use, successfully, in Germany for more than a decade and gave Wynter; Deputy CEO, Operations Garth Williams; Director, Immigration Ezra Whittock; and Deputy Director, Immigration Marie Lue a demonstration.

Declaring that violence is eroding Jamaicans’ quality of life, Prime Minister Andrew Holness says his Government “is going to take a deliberate and focused approach” to the problem that will include the creation of a new ministry. “I’m thinking of calling it the ministry of peace and human development, but maybe that won’t be the name; but we need a ministry that is focused on reducing the level of violence in our society,” Holness told cheering supporters attending the public session of the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) 80th annual conference at National Arena in St Andrew on Sunday. “Jamaica is not a country at war, but our homicide rate, our deaths due to violence, equates countries that are at war,” the JLP leader said. “What it means is that Jamaica is in conflict. We are in conflict with ourselves, we are in conflict with our neighbour, our family, our intimate partner, our employer, workers, teachers, students, and we’re in conflict — citizen and State. We cannot continue to be a society in conflict with ourselves,” he said. “If it is one thing, therefore, that this Administration must do, starting in this term and for the next term, is to put measures in place to deal with the unabated violence that is like a disease, like an epidemic in our society. “So we have commissioned a study on it, which we should get by the end of this year, and when that study comes in we’re going to reorganise the Government to create and bring all the agencies that deal with families, communities, social development, parenting, we’re going to bring all of them together under one ministry,” Holness said. Violence, he said, “is at in intolerable level and it is changing the character and nature of the Jamaican people. It is reducing the quality of our lives and it is making us aggressive with each other”. Pointing out that violence comes at a great economic cost, the prime minister said that a reduction in violence would lead to a lower health-care bill, a reduction in the country’s policing and security needs, while increasing citizens’ creativity and social well-being. In an address that he acknowledged was crafted not only for his audience at the area but for Jamaicans who may be frustrated with politics, Holness said it was important to engage those individuals as they “are an important part of our democracy”. His Administration’s message to supporters and the wider Jamaica, he explained, was, in addition to continuing the country’s economic progress, they are now going to embark on two other streams of development — productivity and peace. “I want to build a partnership with you, it’s the partnership for productivity, the partnership for peace, and the partnership for prosperity,” Holness said. He also used his address to assure diplomats in the audience of Jamaica’s commitment to its treaty obligations and relationship with the international community. “As a small country with an open economy and an open society, Jamaica supports the cooperative system of nations, and we will do our part to make the world a better place. Whether it’s support for disaster recovery for our neighbours, as we did with Dominica and The Bahamas, or in supporting peace-building in Haiti, Jamaica is doing its part,” he said. Addressing the current conflict in the Middle East for which the Government received flak over its absence from a United Nations vote on the matter, Holness said, “Jamaica is consistent in its support for the universal respect and adherence to the principles of international law and respect for territorial integrity and the sovereignty of all nations. We condemn all forms of terrorism and we support the right of nations to defend themselves and pursue their security while preserving the rights of innocent civilians to live in peace and dignity. “We are deeply concerned at the rising human cost in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and we welcome the current pause in hostilities. We urge all parties to seek a permanent solution and we remain convinced that this can only be achieved by a negotiated two-State solution, enabling the Palestinians and Israelis to live securely in peace and dignity.” He also said that Jamaica continues to be a reasonable and rational voice in international fora and continues to lead global initiatives and treaties — whether in trade, finance, or climate change. “Whatever treaty obligations we negotiate or sign on to, it must be consistent with our laws and constitution, and we must engage with local stakeholders within our democratic framework,” the prime minister emphasised. “This had been our approach, even as it is that we are determined and committed to ensure that our local financial system is robustly compliant with the international financial system, Financial Action Task Force recommendations for anti-money laundering and other illicit activities. We want our financial system to meet the highest international standard as we believe this will make Jamaica a stronger and safer destination for investment,” he said. Turning to the Samoa treaty, which has caused some amount of unease locally, Holness said that the trade and economic opportunities it presents will be beneficial for Jamaica. At the same time, he said that as the Government pursues these opportunities it must engage, explain, and reassure “stakeholders of the various provisions in place to respect our values and laws as a sovereign country”. He pointed out that issues like these are not normally raised at the party conference; however, “it is important that our political platform is broadened to treat with some of these crucial issues”.

The usual carnival atmosphere could be tempered at National Arena on Sunday as Labourities gather for the public session of the 80th annual conference of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) as they have some serious matters to address, none more so than the indication that the party is slipping badly in the polls. Seasoned political watchers say the conference will definitely have an undertone of gravity as the JLP leadership moves to infuse the party’s diehard with the need to take back to their communities and street corners news of its accomplishments in Government over the past eight years. The JLP has not made the announcement, but Sunday is being seen as the unofficial launch of its campaign for the local government election due by February next year and its push for a third consecutive term with general elections due less than two years from now. Under pressure with the worrying poll numbers in recent months, senior JLP members spent the past week talking up the achievement of the Andrew Holness-led Administration, and that is expected to continue on Sunday. The party’s achievements in Government figured heavily in the messages from JLP officials in two media engagements last week as they geared up for the Sunday show. “We have to demonstrate to people where we are going and how we’ll get there,” declared JLP General Secretary Dr Horace Chang during a media briefing on Tuesday. “We’re going to be directing the party’s workers, the party supporters, and the entire country. We’re going to show the road forward to make it a stronger, resilient country with a stronger economy and a wealthier, prosperous society,” added Chang. According to Chang, the JLP has a strong policy to carry the country forward and the party’s leader should use his address at the conference not to deal with the minor issues which some people have raised but the big picture. “And that’s where the prime minister has to direct the country. If we keep defending the minor issues, we’re going to get stuck. We have to get out of the pothole and move forward on the highway. That is what the prime minister is responsible to do,” Chang said. “We have done major work in moving the country’s economy into a framework that can ensure growth and development and critically serve the people of Jamaica more effectively and provide greater opportunities for our people to achieve their ambitions. It is a long way to go still, but we are on the right road,” declared Chang. He was supported by conference Chairman Desmond McKenzie, who told the media briefing that the theme for this year’s conference is ‘Building Jamaica Stronger’ and the speakers on the platform will engage in a national conversation on the vision of the party for the future of Jamaica. “At the conference we will discuss the important issues that have already shaped the party and will continue to shape the future direction of the party and the policies and programmes as it relates to the needs of the Jamaican people,” declared McKenzie. It was more of the same from Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, who told journalists at the press briefing that all Jamaicans, not just Labourities, are being invited to listen to the presentations at the conference. “Listen to the facts, listen to the work that is underway, listen to the achievements that may not have been touted enough, listen to the work in progress, and listen to the plans that are in place to prepare a prosperous future for each and every Jamaican,” said Johnson Smith. It was more of the same when the party hosted an Editors’ Forum on Thursday with official after official touting its achievements. “The Jamaica Labour Party is standing on a record of achievement. We are not just saying that we are in Government for how long and that we just want to continue; we are positioned on what we have achieved,” declared Kerensia Morrison, the first-term Member of Parliament for St Catherine North Eastern. “The mission going forward, and especially as it pertains to the young people in my constituency [and] in constituencies all across Jamaica who are benefiting from all that we have done in education, who are benefiting from the digital transformation, who are seeing their ambitions coming through, who are hearing now about the spark programme, who are seeing water in their pipes, who are seeing better roads, and many who are now getting better salaries. We have a strong and convincing case,” added Morrison. As the party continued its final preparations for what it expects to be a bumper crowd on Sunday, one senior member captured the essence of the mood of the JLP’s leadership going into the public session. “This will not just be about music, drinking, and dancing and saying ‘shower, shower’. Every Labourite will leave the conference armed with facts to destroy the myth that nothing is happening. Jamaica is in a much better place under the Andrew Holness Government and we will make sure that when the conference is done, the truth is what reasonable people are talking about,” said the JLP official. The public session is scheduled to begin at 10:00 Sunday morning, with Holness expected to begin his presentation around 2:00 pm.

An illegal trade in indigenous parrots continues in the open at Mammee Bay, St Ann, 10 months after it was first highlighted by the Jamaica Observer, and the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) says, while it is aware of the activity, its efforts to apprehend the culprits have not been successful. “As recent as October 2023, an officer of the agency attempted to confiscate a bird being sold in the area, however, the young man ran away after realising what the officer was about,” NEPA said in response to Sunday Observer queries on the matter. “We have brought this issue to the attention of the police and requested their continued assistance. Consequently, several attempts were made, with the assistance of the police, to arrest the problem. For example, in February 2021, the agency, in collaboration with the police, conducted an operation in relation to this matter; however, the men ran away and left the birds behind,” NEPA said, adding that it continues to work with the Jamaica Constabulary Force to address the problem. In January this year the Sunday Observer had reported that three species of parrots, which are indigenous to Jamaica, are being captured from their natural habitat by unscrupulous people and sold for between $8,000 and $10,000 each to bird lovers. The endangered yellow-billed parrot, the black-billed parrot, and the Jamaican parakeet (otherwise known as the olive-throated parakeet) are protected by law, and it is illegal to capture, sell, and have them as pets without a permit. However, this wildlife crime has been ongoing for a number of years, and in recent times sellers have become even more barefaced, advertising the endangered birds for sale on social media platforms, along with videos of the captured animals, the newspaper reported at the time. The article had given wildlife advocates hope that more would be done by the police and NEPA enforcement officers to administer the law; however, over the past month more videos of the young men selling the parrots from the roadside in Mammee Bay have been shared with the Sunday Observer. In one of the videos sent to the newspaper on October 20, a young man is seen holding a stick with two parrots. When asked by a motorist, who recorded the encounter, what type of parrots they are, he said “talking parrots”. He also told the motorist that he was selling one of the birds for $10,000 and the other for $12,000. The motorist, who had no intention of buying the birds, told the young man that he would need to get in touch with him again to make the purchase, upon which the bird seller gave him a cellular number and told him that when he called he should “just ask for Birdman”. The Sunday Observer dialled the number on several occasions, and while the calls were picked up, the only audible sounds were male voices in the background. In another video posted to YouTube and shared with the Sunday Observer on October 26 by BirdLife Jamaica President Damion Whyte, a man demonstrates a method of making gum, which is placed on tree limbs to catch birds. The man explains that the final product needs to be “brown”, because if it comes out white, the birds will easily see it and won’t perch on it because tree limbs are not white. “Please remember to like, share, and subscribe,” he appeals in the just under six minutes video which he says is made “for all the bird catchers”. Whyte said that one avenue open to NEPA is to inform YouTube that the video is facilitating the commission of crime and as such the social media platform would take it down. When the Sunday Observer asked the agency if it has approached YouTube, it said it is not aware of the gum-making activity and would appreciate it being brought to its attention. “Nevertheless, the option of making contact with YouTube will be reviewed with a view to restricting the publicising of this egregious activity,” NEPA said. However, Whyte expressed surprise that NEPA is not aware of the gum-making video as he and other environmentalists have posted comments about the activity on social media platforms and have been asking what is being done to arrest the problem. “If NEPA is not aware, that means it is not using social media. It needs to start using the platform or engage people who are using it to find out what is happening,” he said, adding that the men who are making videos showing illegal activity relating to the capture of protected parrots are not hiding. “Just type in Jamaica parrot on any of these social media sites and you see how many hits come up,” Whyte said. “They obviously have no fear of the law. They are operating in your face. People stop and make videos and take pictures of them on the street side. I have stopped there at Mammee Bay and made videos of the men selling the parrots. The police, who have gone out there to arrest them, need to change the way they operate,” Whyte argued. YouTube, on its website, lists a number of regulated goods and services, among them endangered species or parts of endangered species, and advises that content that aims to directly sell, link to, or facilitate access to any of them is not allowed. The platform provides advice as to how the public can report any offender. The Sunday Observer has been told that one of the young men in the videos is already before the court in a case brought by NEPA. However, when the agency was asked about that it said, “We cannot comment on details related to matters before the court, as this would constitute a breach of the sub judicerule.” The agency did, however, disclose that over the period 2019 to 2023 approximately 18 people have been prosecuted or are currently being prosecuted under the Wildlife Protection Act for various offences across the 14 parishes at

Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Friday used the ground-breaking ceremony for a new housing development at Rasta City in Tivoli Gardens, downtown Kingston, to decry unnecessary bureaucracy and other hurdles which he blamed for depriving many Jamaicans of home ownership. The new housing project, which Holness said was in the making from as far back as 2007, will consist of 144 units on 8.3 acres of land. The project, named Royal Estates Tivoli Gardens, is being executed by the National Housing Trust (NHT) and the estimated cost is $2.8 billion. Construction is expected to take two years. Using the project as an example, Holness said Rasta City is just one of many communities being deprived of development due to people playing politics or dragging their feet and being negligent. “Rasta City is not the only community waiting for so long. I toured this area in December 2019, which was four years ago. At that time, Shakira Dockery said for many years they had been told there would be some form of housing development and they haven’t seen anything happen. Another resident said the living conditions of citizens are unbelievable, and over the past few weeks, during increased rainfall, his roof leaked and that he would want the prime minister to come through with the housing plan,” Holness said. “Funds were allocated to do it, and it should have been done under the auspices of the Urban Development Corporation (UDC). However, [the] Administration changed and it didn’t get done. It fell off the books. Administration changed again, commitments were made again under the UDC, but it didn’t get done. Administration changed again and we made a commitment to do it. This time we said it’s not the UDC’s task to build these houses and we are going to put it through to the Ministry of Housing in collaboration with the NHT,” the prime minister said. “Then, because of the size of the project, it had to go through the usual processes that can take several months. It then had to go through what is called public investment to ensure that the right decisions are being made and the project is feasible before we can spend public resources. Then it has to go through procurement. In other words, who is going to build this. We have to ensure the project is fair and transparent. If one thing goes wrong in the process and we become open to any legal challenge, the advice that we usually get is to abort it and start again. This project suffered from that,” Holness said. Lamenting the unnecessary bureaucracy, Holness said, “That explains why people lose faith in government, why they become cynical of government. Sometimes as bureaucrats and administrators, we believe that the longer a process takes, the better it is. It is a culture in the Jamaican bureaucracy that we must eliminate. It should not take us four years to break ground for the project,” he said. Friday was not the first time that Holness was speaking out against bureaucracy. In 2018 at a ground-breaking ceremony for 230 housing units in St Andrew South Western, he said that removing the existing bureaucratic culture will help to fast-track several projects and grow the economy. Holness again addressed the issue in 2019, at which time he lamented that since he took over the helm of Government, much of his time had been absorbed in attempting to resolve the inherited legacy of bureaucracy which was impeding economic growth. Linval Freeman, chairman of the NHT, in his opening remarks at the ground-breaking ceremony on Friday, described the project as a community rebirth in Tivoli. “This will be a place to build opportunities that will positively shape our nation,” Freeman said. Desmond McKenzie, Member of Parliament for Kingston Western, which includes Tivoli, said that the community is grateful for the project but he warned and implored the people to remember that the units will not be given away freely. He said that people who are not already contributors to the NHT have started to regularise in order to get in line with the requirements for the houses.

THE Government is facing fresh calls to urgently amend the Domestic Violence Act so as to make it easier for perpetrators to be convicted, even if the victim decides not to continue with the case. This time support for what has been dubbed a no-drop policy has come from policy and advocacy officer at Jamaica Aids Support for Life (JASL) Patrick Lalor and co-founder and development and training director for Eve for Life, Joy Crawford. Addressing a Jamaica Observer Press Club on Wednesday to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW) 2023, which is being commemorated today, Lalor and Crawford agreed that Jamaica needs to move to a position of evidence-based prosecution, which would proceed even if the victim stops cooperating with the police and/or prosecutors. “Too many times we see the victims go, they give a statement, detail everything that is done, press charges, and then come to court and say, ‘Your Honour, a mi babyfada; mi beg you give him a chance,’ for whatever reasons,” noted Lalor. “I am saying [pursue the case] once you have those matters where you have the documented evidence, because we have to bear in mind that our legal system requires a complainant and requires evidence that meets the standard of the Evidence Act,” added Lalor. He pointed out that a number of perpetrators of gender-based violence get away with the crime because when the matter finally reaches the court, the victim has forgiven them. “There is a cycle which involves the incident or angry stage where the victim says, ‘Lock him up, officer! Him do it all the while.’ Then it moves to the reconciliation stage — that is when the abuser starts to say, ‘Boy, you know me never did really mean fi box you, a through you bun up the rice. If you coulda cook better mi wouldn’t lick you.’ “When the court date comes three months later we are no longer at stage one, we are at stage four — the honeymoon stage when everybody forget that ‘mi did get lick, and box, and stab’, and that is the person you are seeing in court,” said Lalor as he pointed to the cycle which causes several of the cases to collapse. In the meantime, Crawford said she has long held the position that the State should take over the prosecution in some cases of gender-based violence. “But I don’t know if our constitution will allow that,” said Crawford as she noted that domestic violence is often dismissed as a “man and woman story”. Crawford had previously pointed out that there are many jurisdictions which make a decision, based on the Government and the national policy, to protect women by a no-drop policy — even if the victim wants to walk away from the case. “When a woman is raped, when a woman is beaten, when a woman is abused, her first reaction is not to go get legal advice, her first reaction is an emotional pain, a brokenness, a humiliation… so her head space is not there,” Crawford said. “Her vulnerability and her dependency for many social reasons — including the ones where the society says, ‘Is your fault’, or ‘Yuh wicked fi send yuh man go prison’ — she will change her mind. She may say, ‘Not now’ or she may say, ‘I am not prepared to go before the court and face more public humiliation.’ There are many reasons, so that is why the State needs to stand for that woman. The State must say, ‘We are protecting you because you need protection,’ ” Crawford had told the Observer in a previous interview.

Education Minister Fayval Williams has requested additional information on the collapse at school and subsequent death of a grade three student at Wakefield Primary and Infant School in Trelawny on Tuesday. Eight-year-old Alexia Drummond was reportedly seen unresponsive on the floor by her classroom teacher after the lunch break and was taken to a nearby health facility and then to hospital by school personnel. She was later declared dead. “This is a terrible tragedy that has traumatised Alexia’s family, classmates, and the wider school community,” Williams said as she declared that more information is needed. Williams also urged school personnel, parents, and all who have duty of care of children to be watchful for any early signs of health challenges. Alexia was described as a quiet, diligent student by her classroom teacher. The minister also noted that the ministry’s team of guidance counsellors has started offering support and counselling to the family and school team. On Thursday, the Jamaica Observer reported Alexia’s class teacher’s painful account of the tragedy. The teacher, Sheryl Chisholm, had recounted that shortly after resumption of classes following the lunch break on Tuesday she was walking through the class while reviewing a lesson when she spotted the eight-year-old slumped on the floor, unresponsive. “While in the class I was going over a topic which I did before lunch. I realised that some of the students did not fully grasp the lesson, [so] before I decided to move on I decided, ‘Let me review what I did,’ so I went to the chalkboard — everyone was seated — and started reviewing. “I don’t know if it’s God who sent me to walk to her side first so when I reached up I saw her on the ground. I said, ‘Alexia, why are you lying on the ground?’ I did not hear her respond, so I said, ‘Get up, Alexia,’ [and] she did not move, so I bent over where I saw her on the ground. Vomit was on the ground,” the teacher said. “So I grabbed her quickly and shouted for the other teacher and he came, and we lifted her up and we went to the staff room. Other teachers came and we rushed [her] to the Wakefield Medical Centre with a vice-principal and a caregiver, then to Falmouth Public General Hospital, [and] from Falmouth to Cornwall Regional Hospital. The guidance counsellor went with them,” recounted Chisholm. She told the Observer that it was the first in her 25 years in the classroom that she had ever experienced such tragedy. Family and other stakeholders are awaiting the result of a post-mortem to determine the cause of Alexia’s death.

Quick response by the police on Thursday morning foiled what they believe was a plot to murder a Petrojam employee at the State-owned oil refinery plant on Marcus Garvey Drive in St Andrew. Jamaica Observer sources said that three men, who were sitting in a motor car in the Petrojam parking lot, in the vicinity of gate five, were accosted by about seven policemen who searched the vehicle and found two handguns loaded with six bullets each. The sources said that the suspected target is a manager at the company. They also allege that early investigations have so far revealed that the gunmen were contracted by another employee. However, Petrojam officials and the police are yet to confirm this. Petrojam General Manager Telroy Morgan, in a statement addressing the matter, said, “[A]pproximately 6:25 am three persons were apprehended by the police in the car park designated for contractors located outside the entry to the property. The Hunt’s Bay Police are investigating the matter. We can, however, confirm that the individuals are not employees of Petrojam nor are they contracted by Petrojam.” Senior Superintendent Kirk Ricketts, commander for the St Andrew South Police Division, where the policemen who responded to the incident are assigned, said that he wouldn’t be able to get into the details. However, what he was sure about was that the police prevented a violent situation from unfolding. “What I can confirm is that sometime about 6:00 am a team from the St Andrew South Police Division, led by the shift commander, intercepted three men in a motor vehicle. We seized two firearms along with the motor vehicle, and the three men were arrested. We do believe that these men had a plan and were up to no good. At this stage, I do not really want to get into the details of what we believe the plan to have been. The investigation is a joint one and it is joint because where the men were interdicted was in the Kingston West Division. The police who initiated the action are from the St Andrew South Division. “The Kingston West Division is bordered by St Andrew South, and responding to something across the border is normal for both divisions. Both Kingston West and St Andrew South detectives are currently interviewing the men. Secondary investigations could lead us to as far as Kingston East, where we believe one of the men is from. Our actions prevented serious and violent actions,” Ricketts told the Observer Thursday afternoon. A video of the police leading handcuffed men into the back of a service pickup vehicle in the parking lot at Petrojam has been circulating on the Internet since the incident occurred. When the Observer visited the location following the men’s arrest, security guards, contractors and other employees were tight-lipped about the situation. A few of the people who said anything at all only pointed out that they had not heard anything about the situation since arriving at work.

WAKEFIELD, Trelawny — Tears flowed freely down the cheeks of grief-stricken teachers and students at Wakefield Primary and Infant School on Wednesday morning as they mourned the sudden passing of eight-year-old grade three student Alexia Drummond, who fell ill at the school after the lunch break on Tuesday. Little Alexia died late Tuesday afternoon at Cornwall Regional Hospital, shortly after she was transferred from Falmouth Public General Hospital. On Wednesday, when the Jamaica Observer visited the school, Alexia’s parents, Patricia and Omar Drummond, who were on the compound, were too shaken to speak to reporters. They were ushered into a classroom where they were comforted by members of the school community and visiting guidance counsellors. A bereaved Sheryl Chisholm, Alexia’s class teacher, recounted that shortly after resumption of classes following the lunch break she was walking through the class while reviewing a lesson when she spotted Alexia slumped on the floor, unresponsive. “While in the class I was going over a topic which I did before lunch. I realised that some of the students did not fully grasp the lesson [so] before I decided to move on I decided ‘Let me review what I did,’ so I went to the chalkboard — everyone was seated — and started reviewing. “I don’t know if it’s God who sent me to walk to her side first, so when I reached up I saw her on the ground. I said, ‘Alexia, why are you lying on the ground?’ I did not hear her respond so I said, ‘Get up, Alexia,’ [and] she did not move so I bent over where I saw her on the ground. Vomit was on the ground. “So I grabbed her quickly and shouted for the other teacher and he came, and we lifted her up and we went to the staff room. Other teachers came and we rushed [her] to the Wakefield Medical Centre with a vice-principal and a caregiver, then to Falmouth Public General Hospital, [and] from Falmouth to Cornwall Regional Hospital. The guidance counsellor went with them,” recounted Chisholm. She told the Observer that it was the first in her 25 years in the classroom she had ever experienced such tragedy. Chisholm said she could not sleep throughout Tuesday night and that the incident has left her young charges traumatised. “The students are crying, I cried. It is very tough. It”s the first I am seeing something like this. It’s hard, tough. They [students] are sad, they are crying. It’s very tough,” said Chisholm. Speaking during devotion on Wednesday, a devastated Michael James, the school’s principal, sought to comfort the students and the rest of the school population. “We have lost one of our princesses, one of our [prospective] doctors,” he said, his voice cracking, face etched in grief. After devotion James broke down during an interview with reporters in his office. He revealed that it was déjà vu for the school which is still reeling from the July death of Makeal Senior, who was a classmate of Alexia. “Makeal, who would have been a third-grade student, died during the summer holidays,” the distraught principal explained. But while heartbroken by the deaths of Alexia and Makeal, James is encouraged that a grade five student who fell ill last week has managed to overcome her illness. “Last Thursday one child from grade five, she was coming down the staircase, walking casually, didn’t feel well, and she fainted. I took her straight to the Falmouth hospital at the time, after contacting the parents and taking relatives with me. During the journey she passed out twice. While the caregiver was trying to assist her, she passed out again. She is back at school now. I am giving God thanks for that,” said James. Alexia was described as a quiet, diligent, and disciplined student. “She was a very quiet, hard-working student. Never received a [report] of her being involved in any fight,” James said. Her class teacher echoed that view. “She’s very quiet, kind. She doesn’t give trouble [and] she didn’t talk a lot. She did not come to me and say, ‘Miss, I am not feeling well’; she lined up and she came inside like everybody else. There was no sign of illness on Alexia, none. It was so shocking,” Chisholm bemoaned. Pastor Andre Sinclair of Reid’s Friendship District of Seventh-day Adventists, prayed for and sought to console the school population during devotion. Seven guidance counsellors from neighbouring schools, the school”s parent-teacher association president and other stakeholders also visited the school to offer comfort. Family and other stakeholders will now await the result of a post-mortem to determine the cause of Alexia’s death.

THE Ministry of Education and the Overseas Examination Commission (OEC) are to introduce several measures in an effort to prevent a repeat of breaches which tarnished Jamaica’s reputation and left portfolio Minister Fayval Williams with egg on her face following the sitting of the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) papers this year. In May it was determined that the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) math paper had been leaked from a site in Jamaica, while, also in May, a fireproof cabinet containing examination papers was stolen from St James High School. CXC previously announced that it was undertaking measures to bolster its security efforts, and on Wednesday Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education Dr Kasan Troupe told a post-Cabinet media briefing that while the police continue their investigations into the two incidents, local education officials will be playing their part to prevent a repeat. “It really cost us as a country. It was very embarrassing for our minister to sit in a regional meeting of ministers [and] for CXC to be explaining that there is a breach which will impact other students, and for us to be taking full responsibility and apologising for the disruption that had happened at that time,” said Troupe. “For persons to break into a school and remove an examination cabinet — that disrupted a lot of things. It created physiological disruption for our students; we had to put a number of systems in place to make sure that the other exams could have been done and students could resit their exam,” added troupe. She told the media briefing that the OEC is now going through an audit of all the exam safety cabinets in Jamaica schools. “They are specially built for this, with special codes and so forth, so we are going to make sure that all of those systems are working. “The last deliberations we had with OEC was to add to their budget the security CCTV [closed-circuit television] cameras — either to attach that to the cabinet itself or to install in the location of the cabinet so we can have instant footage of what’s happening around the papers,” Troupe said. The permanent secretary also announced that retraining of principals will be implemented to ensure they observe all the protocols of exam administration. “We get the sense from the audit that some of the expectations were relaxed a bit because of, over the years, … doing the exam with the same team. The OEC will also be strident and vigilant with who are selected to be exam managers for each school,” declared Troupe. She said principals are also going to be asked to be careful in deciding who will move the exam papers to the examiner and back. “We are asking for no compromise, regardless of your circumstance. We are going to be vigilant with those we have selected to work for us, [and] the OEC will also do some spot checks on the days so they will be having persons going in randomly [to] just check a school to see what’s happening and making sure that the papers are delivered. [And] once it is written we are going to be collecting, because we have had cases where papers are stored and [go] missing,” said Troupe. “We are going to relook, we have relooked, and we are going to be vigilant this year. We cannot as a country afford another experience of this nature. It was very embarrassing for us and it was also a cost factor. For CXC to provide an alternative paper for our students, the Government had to foot that bill,” added Troupe as she appealed to students, parents and teachers to stand together in an effort to not have a repeat of this year’s breaches. “We must protect the integrity of our exams if we are going to trust that once a student produces a result from their exam, it can stand and it will validate what they can do as a citizen of this country,” said Troupe.

Local quick service restaurant Quick Chick last Friday (November 17) officially opened its second store along Grants Pen Road in St Andrew. The event, held in the midst of a tropical storm watch for the island, saw a good turnout of guests and other stakeholders who came out to celebrate another major achievement for the locally grown company, which is already mulling plans for a third store. In a short ceremony held in the restaurant’s parking lot, Member of Parliament for the St Andrew North Eastern Delroy Chuck, in lauding the company’s directors for their decision to bring their newest location to Grants Pen, said the move signals that the area was now ready and available for greater investments. Business Social was among guests in attendance and shares these highlights.

PETERSFIELD, Westmoreland — Parents and teachers of two teenage cousins who died in a fiery crash on their way to Petersfield High School Tuesday are baffled that they were travelling on a motorcycle. It is against school rules, and one boy’s mother had warned him not to ride a bike to school. He promised her he would not. The deaths are particularly difficult as the Westmoreland school is still mourning the loss of a 15-year old girl who died in a five-fatality crash on November 13. All three were in fourth form. “We are coming out of a week of prayer; we are a praying school. We had a brief devotion and we prayed with the general student body,” said Acting Principal Vinton Vaz. He described students and teachers as traumatised but said they had been receiving support provided by the education ministry. According to Vaz, the school has zero tolerance for students driving a bike to school. “It is banned from the school. We do not condone it, and they cannot park the bike on the school compound or anywhere that we are aware,” said the acting principal. He said one of the boys’ parents had been called in prior to the incident when they learnt that the student was driving a bike to school. Vaz also noted that just two weeks ago the Transport Authority and the Island Traffic Authority had engaged with students and hosted a sensitisation workshop. Sixteen-year-old Ajani Robinson and 14-year-old Zakeal McIntyre are just the latest in a long list of Westmoreland road fatalities that involve bikes. The parish has a bike taxi culture and for years has led the rest of the country in road fatalities, despite frequent training sessions and free safety equipment. So, Angella Hewitt was understandably reluctant for her son to use that method of transportation. After a friend told her Robinson, who is affectionately called JJ, was riding a bike to school, she said on Tuesday she confronted him. He denied it. “Me say ‘JJ don’t ride nuh bike go a school’ and a dis morning mi a hear seh him dead off a bike,” the distressed mother added, saying that she was unaware how he came by the bike. In reacting to the boys’ deaths, president of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association Leighton Johnson said it underscores “the urgent need for us to implement a rural school bus system that will assist in ensuring that our students will commute to school on a daily basis in a manner that is safe”. But Robinson’s mother said she had told him to take the school bus. He just didn’t listen. His cousin Finsise Reid, who confirmed that there is a school bus that transports Petersfield High students to school from Darliston, was also left reeling from news of the fatal crash. And he struggled to accept that the teenager lied to him when they spoke on Sunday. They were at a funeral, he said, and he told Robinson to reduce his speed when travelling on the motorcycle, and not to ride it to school. “Him say him park the bike a Darliston so when me hear this morning, mi frighten say him tell mi lie,” Reid added. The Whithorn police reported that about 6:50 am Robinson and McIntyre were travelling on a motorcycle heading northerly along the Petersfield Main Road when the driver lost control while negotiating a corner. The teens then collided into a motor car, which caught fire. The police were summoned and the boys were transported to hospital where they were pronounced dead.

Jamaica created history by beating Canada 3-2 in cold Toronto, Tuesday night, to advance to the semi-finals of the Conacaf Nations League and an automatic qualification for the COPA America next summer. The Reggae Boyz, who had gone into the half-time break 0-1, turned in a splendid second-half performance with Shamar Nicholson scoring a brace (62nd and 66th minutes) and Bobby Reid (78th-penalty) securing victory to overturn Jamaica’s 1-2 loss to the Canadians at the National Stadium in St Andrew on Saturday morning. Alphonso Davies (25th) and Ismael Kone (69th) were Canada’s goalscorers.

The State-run Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), which is already suffering billions in losses, is to face further haemorrhaging over a 24-month period as the Government is reducing bus fares, beginning in January next year. However, the Administration says it is giving the company $1 billion to balance out its losses over the period of the intervention to be done in two phases. Minister of Finance and the Public Service Dr Nigel Clarke told Parliament in a statement on Tuesday that this “temporary” reduction in fares is part of measures by the Government to “dampen the impact of the announced increases in public passenger vehicle (PPV) fares on the overall inflation rate”. He said that beginning January 1, 2024, adult fares will decrease from $100 to $70; children’s fares will be reduced from $30 to $25; and pensioners’ fares will move from $40 to $30. The finance minister noted as well that effective April 1, 2024, there will be a further reduction in the adult fare from $70 to $50; a further reduction in the fare for children from $25 to $20; while pensioners will see a reduction from $30 to $25. “We anticipate that these temporary measures will have a mitigating effect on the impact of the private bus and taxi fare increases on the commuting public,” he said. Dr Clarke explained that he was advised by the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) that countervailing measures needed to be put in place in response to the inflationary impact of the 19 per cent increase in public passenger fares which came into effect in October. A further 16 per cent increase was also announced to take effect in April 2024. “The BOJ has advised me that as a result of the adjustments in PPV fares, they are expecting a reversal of the downward trend in annual inflation starting in November 2023 unless there are countervailing measures. The October inflation numbers do not include the impact of the increase in PPV fares which will impact the November numbers,” Clarke said. He said, given that the cost of transportation services comprises a notable portion of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) basket, the BOJ further advised that the announced increases in taxi fares, cumulatively, could add approximately two percentage points to inflation if not balanced by such measures. Dr Clarke stressed that the Government is mindful of the impact of the PPV increase on the cost of living and also the need to support the BOJ in its efforts to return and keep inflation within the four per cent to six per cent range. “We have had calculations from the central bank that indicate that the path of inflation over the next several months will be within or near to the target range, which is what motivates this policy update. I expect these measures to be temporary. We are giving ourselves up to 24 months, after which fares will need to be adjusted upwards and returned to existing levels,” he said, adding that next fiscal year the Government will add another 100 buses to the 200 new buses it had previously announced would be procured over two years. In response to the announcement, Opposition Leader Mark Golding questioned how meaningful an impact the measure would have on inflation and what would be put in place to cushion the cost on commuters who use public transportation services outside of the JUTC passenger cohort. “People already have had to absorb very high inflationary costs in relation to food and other consumer items and then the fare increase was awarded. I want to ask the minister: What will he be doing for the vast majority of users of public transportation services who are not taking JUTC buses, but are taking taxis and other buses in rural Jamaica and around the country, because they need to have some protection from the impact of the fares on them and the inflationary impact, which you have said is the reason for this additional subsidy to the loss-making and haemorrhaging JUTC, which is a huge charge on the fiscal budget every year nowadays,” he said. Further drilling down on the impact of the measure, Member of Parliament (MP) for Manchester North Western and Opposition spokesman on transport Mikael Phillips questioned how soon the JUTC fleet will be increased to a “respectable number that will not continue the haemorrhaging at the JUTC” which, he said, is already being subsidised by $10 billion this fiscal year with a loss of approximately $11 billion. In his arguments, St Andrew South Eastern MP and Opposition spokesman on finance Julian Robinson said that, while the Opposition welcomes the move, “practically, it will have little effect”. He argued that the capacity of the JUTC is about 40 per cent of what it should be, and because of this the majority of the travelling public is forced to take private passenger vehicles. “So, while every JUTC customer will welcome this, the reality is that many wait two, three hours for a bus on a daily basis, and because they have to get to work or school they are forced to take a private passenger vehicle… It is welcomed, but [will have] very little impact. We have to move quickly, Minister of Finance, to deal with the operations of the JUTC. There’s a need for more investment, there’s a need for better management so that you can increase the capacity of JUTC,” he said. Dr Clarke, in response, said that while the Administration recognises that this intervention does not solve all problems associated with public transportation, it represents a concerted effort by the Government which will have a positive impact on inflation outcomes and on cost of living.

NEW FOREST, Manchester — A Manchester farmer who plants several cash crops is telling Jamaicans to brace for an up to 35 per cent increase in prices following the flood rains last week. The New Forest farmer, Conrad Murray, told the Jamaica Observer on Monday that the torrential rainfall between Wednesday and Friday has caused a setback for farmers. “The three days of rain are going to set us back two to three weeks, meaning it could affect the prices for the next two to three weeks. After Christmas, then you will see the prices go back to normal,” Murray said. “The prices will attract at least 30 to 35 per cent increase for most vegetables — scallion, thyme, tomato, cucumber,” he predicted. His projection has been echoed by Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) President Lenworth Fulton, who said that while an estimate of the losses has not yet been determined “the damage is still significant”. According to Fulton, many farmers had two- to three-week-old vegetables in the field — such as lettuce, cabbage and pak choi — which have been destroyed. “We expect that they are going to lose some production due to the rain,” he said. “The eastern parishes and the vegetable belt in Douglas Castle; places in Bog Hole, Aenon Town area (all in northern Clarendon) suffered the drowning of crops. The damage was widespread, and we must remember that one of the setbacks would be the middle of the Irish potato land preparation,” added Fulton. Up to Monday the Ministry of Agriculture, as well as the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), had not determined the extent of the damage or indicated how prices would be affected. Minister of Agriculture Floyd Green, in a post on social media platform Xon Monday, said a report is to be finalised this week on the extent of damage. “Our RADA parish teams have been out since Saturday morning, assessing the extent of damage done by Tropical Depression 22. Southern and eastern parishes were most impacted, including St Thomas, Portland, St Catherine, Clarendon, Manchester, and St Elizabeth,” he said. “Almost all farming communities in St Thomas have been negatively impacted and have seen loss. About 400 farmers in east rural St Andrew were impacted largely by land slippage. Parts of Bernard Lodge, Hartlands, Lakes Pen in St Catherine also [saw] significant impact,” added Green. The agriculture minister said several crops were affected. “Seeing significant impact on hot pepper, sweet pepper, corn, cabbage, cassava, lettuce, sorrel, and onion. Also losses to our chicken farmers. Will have finalised the report this week,” he said. Murray said the heavy rains pummelled the crops, leaving farmers to dig deep to restore production. “We got battered, but we can recover some crops — thyme, scallion, cabbage, lettuce and pak choi. With the excess rain, it weakens the plant so we will have to respray and so on,” he said, adding that other farms were flooded. “The fields are under water because once it floods more than one day, we lose the plant,” he explained. Everton Holness, a farmer at Chocolate Hole near Junction in St Elizabeth, shared a similar sentiment. “It damaged some suckers that we had. We have watermelon that just started to bear; the rain burns up the crops, it turns them black [so] we have to spray them and get them going. The rain gave them a stunt. We have cabbage that is near ready and we start to see some of them rotting,” he said. “I know the price a go turn up pon things, enuh, because right now basically everything scarce. Basically, the prices are high already and the demands are going to come on higher,” he added. Fulton is calling on the Government to address the farmers’ plight swiftly to stabilise the sector. “It is going to need some quick help to get some fertiliser to rejuvenate what is left of the crop. The weeds will grow rapidly so farmers will need some weed killers. After these rains you generally have a very rapid regrowth of grass, which you will have to control. You will also need fungicides,” he said. “When you have heavy showers it affects prices in every category. [Even] those crops that are underground — sweet potato, Irish potato, yam, coco, dasheen — you have significant spoilage of these too with waterlogging,” added Fulton.

THE Government of Jamaica and the World Bank on Monday signed a $30-million agreement aimed at improving teaching practices, inclusiveness and learning conditions; reaching more vulnerable students; and is also focused on the use of information for decision-making within the education system. The project is expected to benefit some 150,000 secondary students along with 6,000 teachers, school principals, Ministry of Education and Youth staff, and education policymakers and practitioners. The project will also provide approximately 2,400 students — at least half of who will be girls — with access to a new science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) secondary school. The STEM school will also address existing gaps for vulnerable students, particularly boys, living in underserved areas where schools are currently functioning over capacity. “Jamaica is making noteworthy strides in education; however, challenges persist. In secondary education there are issues with completion, equity and low student performance. This new project aims to bolster the Jamaican education system by enhancing access for the most disadvantaged students and improving the education outcomes,” said Lilia Burunciuc, World Bank country director for Caribbean countries. The project will also equip teachers to deliver the existing curriculum through better instructional practices, and will improve the use of assessments to support learning. Special attention will be given to digital and socio-emotional skills within the classroom. In endorsing the agreement, Minister of Finance and the Public Service Dr Nigel Clarke said, “Jamaica’s growth and development depends critically on human capital. Human capital development is a priority for the Government of Jamaica; key to achieving this is equitable access to quality education. As such, we are pleased to partner with the World Bank on this critical project which will help the GOJ significantly improve education outcomes.” Additionally, the project will facilitate the creation of an effective information system that will enhance management of the education system by enabling the implementation of precisely targeted early intervention strategies to bolster student retention, with a specific focus on secondary education. The $30-million loan is financed through the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and was signed by Minister of Education and Youth Fayval Williams, Clarke, and Burunciuc.

MINISTER of Webster Memorial United Church in St Andrew, Reverend Astor Carlyle told journalists they have a lot more work to do to help Jamaica rise again and to revive “withering Jamaican institutions” by the application of truth. His theme ‘Can a withering tree bloom again?’, the churchman held the rapt attention of the congregation worshipping with the media fraternity as they kicked off a series of activities marking the Press Association of Jamaica’s (PAJ) annual National Journalism Week. “It is this question that I believe Jesus seeks to answer as he responds to Peter [the apostle]… Can a withering tree bloom again? After all, doesn’t the Bible predict that things will get worse and worse? “Can this, our country beset by criminal activity of all kinds, be renewed? Is there hope for restored values and attitudes in this our nation Jamaica? Can the seeming withering tree of law and order, decency, and propriety be restored to life? Saying that Jesus had answered yes, Reverend Carlyle insisted that restoration “doesn’t rest solely on infrastructural reforms, as good as they are, but on ‘inner-structural’ reform, working in tandem with infrastructural improvements… our hearts need to be made right”. He knocked the priests who were supposed to stand in God’s presence on behalf of the people but who used “the people’s sacrifices as a means to enrich themselves and, instead of caring for the poor, they manipulated the poor”, adding that “scamming is nothing new”. To demonstrate the state of affairs Pastor Carlyle quoted the late American comedian George Carlin as saying: “We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider highways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less. “We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more medicine, but less wellness. “We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. Through our own genius we’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life; we’ve added years to life, not life to years. We’ve conquered outer space, but not inner space; we’ve done larger things, but not better things… We have higher incomes, but lower morals; we’ve become long on quantity, but short on quality.” Reverend Carlyle continued: “If the withering tree of Jamaica is to be restored, the culture of suspicion that is choking us needs to be overthrown. I believe that in some communities, if not the whole nation, truth-telling sessions need to take place so that hurting families may have closure and the healing of our communities may take place. “Probably some truth-telling sessions may need to take place in our churches, where authentic exchanges take place that serve to mend old wounds and that reconciliation may be a reality. “Jesus says for withering trees to sprout again we must engage the community-building virtue of grace-filled forgiveness.” In his remarks at the service PAJ President Milton Walker said the fraternity recognises the immense power woven within journalism — the power to unveil truth — but acknowleged the hurdles and trials encountered in the profession. “The distressing decline in Jamaica’s press freedom rankings, slipping from 12 to 32, casts a shadow on the liberties we tirelessly uphold. We grapple with adversities, navigating through political assaults aimed at stifling the voice of truth and impartial reporting. “In these challenging times we stand united, fortified by our commitment to the foundational values of journalism. The theme of this week, ‘Journalism’s Power…Truth Unleashed’, echoes the essence of our calling. It reminds us of the pivotal role we play in unravelling realities, confronting injustices, and illuminating the path to a more informed society.” Walker urged his colleagues not to waver in their resolve “to harness the power within journalism to counter adversity, uphold the mantle of truth, and safeguard the fundamental liberties that underpin our democracy”.

COMMANDER of the Area One police Assistant Commissioner of Police Clifford Chambers says no major crime has been recorded in St James since a state of public emergency (SOE) was declared for the parish on Wednesday, November 8. Prime Minster Andrew Holness declared the enhanced security measure in St James following an increase in gang violence in sections of the parish, including the shooting death of two primary school boys and another man who were travelling in a taxi when they were fired upon by a gunman on Monday, November 6. “The state of emergency, like others that we have had, has given us very, very, very good results. In the past we have had state of emergencies [during which] we have had major crimes, though reduced, but we have had major crimes committed. What we have had here now, since this state of public emergency in the parish was declared, there has not been one major crime — no murder, no shooting, no rape, no aggravated assault. No major crime has been committed since the inception of this last state of public emergency. We are now going over nine days,” ACP Chambers told reporters on Saturday. “Its [success of SOE] is a combination of factors. The efforts and multiplying factor of the military and ourselves; the targeted operations; the arrests; the recoveries; and the latitude that legislation provides us are giving us some good results,” the Area One police commander said. “We are not saying it is the end of it, because we know the criminals are out there and, based on our intelligence and information, tend to watch and observe and then adapt. But we will do what is necessary to maintain and contain crime levels as it is now, in which all major crimes in Area One are far less than where they were last year, and so we are hoping to keep it thay way to the end of the year and beyond,” he added. He was responding to questions from the Jamaica Observer following the Jamaica Constabulary Force 156th National Commemorative and Memorial Service at Falmouth Seventh-day Adventist Church in Trelawny on Saturday. During the service, tributes were paid to 46 cops who passed during the past year, five of whom died during the execution of their duties. Commissioner of Police Major General Antony Anderson, whose message was read by ACP Chambers, expressed gratitude for the role the 46 fallen colleagues played in the Jamaica Constabulary Force. “This occasion is a time of reflection and thanksgiving as we honour and pay tribute to our members who died over the past year, even as we give thanks for our individual and collective milestones. “As we celebrate these milestones today [Saturday] and in the days ahead, it is not lost on us that the 46 members being commemorated on this occasion played their part in service to country and paid the ultimate sacrifice in the process. We mourn this loss with the families of each member and will be forever grateful for their sacrifices in advancing the efforts of national security and public safety,” Anderson said. “We must honour the members we lost by continuing and building on the path they pursued. We will remain on course with our transformation journey with the continued investment in our people, quality systems, and technology. We have seen these investments improve our service delivery standards, building greater confidence not only among our ranks, but among the Jamaican people as we serve and protect them,” he added. ACP Chambers, who thanked the Falmouth Seventh-day Adventist Church for hosting the police, expressed his appreciation and said he was encouraged by the “strong support and turnout”. “The message was strong as we acknowledged those who passed on and we gave the necessary reverence to their work and their contribution to nation-building. Five died in the active line of duty and for that the Government, and I am sure a nation, is grateful. All the necessary things were put in place to remember them, such as the event today [Saturday], following the necessary arrangements with their families and loved ones,” ACP Chambers said.

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Those waiting on State-handled post-mortems for their loved ones can also blame the country’s murder rate and deaths by motor vehicular accidents for the sometimes months-long delays. An article published by the Jamaica Observer earlier this month highlighted the length of time that it took for autopsies under the control of the Government, islandwide. In that news story the sister of murdered businesswoman Lativa Helps bemoaned having to wait two months for an autopsy to be performed. The woman complained that her family’s plans to put together proper funeral arrangements were on hold as they had no idea when the autopsy would be done. A dive into the Jamaica Observer’s archives, dating as far back as 2015, showed a handful of articles involving families voicing concern over the time that it took for autopsies to be done so that their loved ones could be buried. The number of forensic pathologists on the island has always been brought into focus. Autopsies are carried out through the Institute of Forensic Science and Legal Medicine (IFSLM), an agency of the Ministry of National Security. It is reported that there are currently four forensic pathologists serving the country’s 14 parishes, and according to the Ministry of National Security this has contributed to a backlog in the cases islandwide. “There is a shortage of forensics pathologists in the government system. As a result, the four pathologists are the only ones available to cover all 14 parishes,” the ministry said in its response to a query from the Sunday Observer. Jamaica has always grappled with a shortage of forensic pathologists. However, challenged by the island’s high murder rate and deaths caused by road accidents, the four pathologists who are now in the system are stretched thin. “It is having a negative impact on the length of time it takes to schedule and conduct post-mortems”, the national security ministry said. The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) says that as of October 16 there have been 1,231 murders across the island. In addition to that, 359 people have lost their lives in road accidents since the start of the year, over the same period. That, the national security ministry said, is putting additional pressure on the country’s forensic pathologists, causing delays. The ministry said that it usually takes an average of four to six weeks for autopsies to be done, but “in some instances it takes longer”. The Sunday Observer was unable to ascertain the number of autopsies currently included in this backlog, however, the ministry said the cases are assessed to determine the urgency of the autopsy. Cases involving children and victims of sexual assault and murder are reportedly prioritised for post-mortem examinations. “Yes, there is a backlog; the exact figure depends on the amount of deaths added per day/week. The situation is exacerbated by the recent spate of incidents of mass killings,” said the Ministry of National Security. The ministry added, “Cases are triaged and then scheduled in order of priority. The other cases are done in chronological order.” Paul Patmore, operator of Patmore’s Funeral Home in Trelawny, told the Sunday Observer that he is not affected by the backlog in autopsies, due to the low crime rate in the parish. Patmore’s Funeral Home is the government-contracted parlour for the parish of Trelawny. “There is not a great backlog on our side; we have our regular post-mortems. The most [time] we wait is five weeks. The murder rate isn’t as bad, and we have quite a few motor vehicle accidents, but we don’t have that big of an issue here,” Patmore explained. At the same time, Patmore said that in his attempt to cushion the blow caused by the shortage of forensic pathologists, “we sometimes take the bodies into Kingston or Spanish Town for the autopsy to be done”. He told the Sunday Observer that this, however, is not a regular occurrence as the IFSLM designates a day when a pathologist visits Trelawny to conduct autopsies. “They do it parish by parish and they try to give Trelawny a day. Trelawny does not really have a lot of cases so they sometimes wait until they have about three cases here,” said Patmore. While there are not many instances of delays in autopsies in Trelawny, Patmore said that an issue with bodies being frozen has caused scheduled cases to be postponed. “On quite a few occasions bodies have turned up at post-mortems frozen, and that will cause the autopsy to be rescheduled. Different reasons can cause a delay but it is not always the fault of the Government. At least once every year we end up with bodies that are too frozen to be cut,” he said. For president of the Jamaica Association of Certified Embalmers and Funeral Directors Calvin Lyn, delays in autopsies is accepted as the norm “because of the volume of cases islandwide and the pressure on the forensic unit”. Lyn, the proprietor of Lyn’s Funeral Home in Manchester, told the Sunday Observer that he has had to wait approximately six months for an autopsy to be carried out on partially decomposed bodies. “Someone drowns, motor vehicular accident, hanging, shooting — those sometimes take us two or three months for the autopsies to be done, especially when the bodies are partially decomposed. As it is now, the forensic unit is having a problem getting the pathologists to do the autopsies on these decomposed cases on a regular basis,” Lyn shared. “We have had [partially] decomposed cases, and I believe the other contractors would as well, for up to six months because the forensic unit will take three at a time from us,” he added.

T he National Works Agency (NWA) and Jamaica Public Service (JPS) said on Saturday afternoon that it was way too early to attach a monetary value to damage associated with the torrential rainfall that the island experienced between Wednesday and Friday night. Communications manager at the NWA, Stephen Shaw, told the Jamaica Observer on Saturday that rural St Andrew and St Thomas were badly impacted compared to other parishes. “The areas impacted have been affected by landslides, fallen trees, and we had areas that were flooded islandwide. The assessment continues. We will have a better idea of the cost, in terms of damage, in the week,” Shaw explained. Winsome Callum, director of corporate communications at JPS, said on Saturday that the utility company was not in a position to say definitively what the cost of damage to the network was. JPS issued a press release on Saturday, which stated that teams were continuing efforts to restore supply to customers affected by power outages caused by the recent persistent heavy rain. The release said that some customers lost supply as the electricity grid was negatively impacted by landslides, trees falling on lines, and dislocated poles. “While several communities across the island have been affected, the majority of customers currently without electricity are in the parishes of Kingston and St Andrew and St Catherine. JPS is projecting that most of these customers will have their service restored by the end of the day. However, it may take longer to get to some areas because of challenging terrain and limited access. “Several communities, particularly in rural St Andrew, have been affected by widespread landslides which are restricting access and slowing down restoration efforts. JPS is reminding members of the public to stay away from fallen poles and broken power lines and to take every precaution to keep themselves and family members safe. Outage reports can be made via the JPS mobile app or by calling 888-225-5577 (Flow) or 888-935-5577,” the release from JPS said. On Saturday, downed utility poles and blocked roads were the main feature in some communities, such as Jack’s Hill, St Andrew. According to Jack’s Hill resident Billy Bones, the community was battered by the rain. “We get a lick. The road mash up, a pure landslide, and some people house tear weh at a road named 13th Street. Light post drop down and we have no light. From the rain start, the transformer lick out. All tourist trapped up here,” he said, pointing to downed trees and debris that blocked many sections of the roadway from Skyline Drive to Jack’s Hill Road. Elder farmer Gladstone Clarke said that he has lived in the community of Jack’s Hills for multiple decades and it was the first he was seeing so many landslides and roads being blocked by debris. “We get a whole heap a blockage, as you see. Around on my road there is landslide. Further around from there water dig up the road. Even vehicles got trapped around by City View. I cultivate plantain, gungo peas, and yam. I lost three roots of plantains so far, based on my assessment. “I am here from 1980 and it is the first time I am experiencing this kind of blockage. I never experienced that before. I don’t know if it happened and I don’t see, but it’s the first. I am wondering if it was because of the earth tremor,” Clarke said in reference to the recent magnitude-5.6 earthquake that Jamaica experienced. Another resident, Richie, emerged from his house with a gas cylinder and told the Sunday Observer that he changed his mind when he realised the road was blocked. “I was planning to go to Barbican side to get some cooking gas, but I can’t right now because the road is blocked. I have to just wait until it is clear. Luckily, I have another cylinder with a little bit of gas in it, so I can cook until the road is clear,” Richie said. According to Benedict Parks, a resident of 13th Street, debris from a landslide impacted his yard and damaged some of his crops. In Gordon Town and Mavis Bank there were also landslides and blocked roads. On Thursday, during a roving exercise by the Observer in Kingston and St Andrew, there were many roads that were flooded, including Waltham Park Road. In the Bog Walk Gorge in St Catherine, residents complained that the authorities had failed to inform them that the gorge would be closed, citing that the closure always keeps people in or out of the community whenever it rained. They complained that they had business to conduct, even when it rained, and begged for the gates leading into the gorge to be removed and placed at a more convenient spot that will allow them access to their homes. Althea Cole, who said she is one of the divers at the gorge who helps to save people if vehicles plunge into the Rio Cobre, claimed that the authorities do not consult residents whenever they are going to close the floodgates. “Whenever it is raining [and the river is rising], they just pass back and lock the gate. More time we are in problems because if you are coming from town, majority of the times they don’t allow the taxis to come in. As you can see, the gate is all the way behind where we are. Allowing us from Dam Head to this spot in the gorge is fine, we are good with that, but they don’t inform us any at all when they are going to close it. “The water only comes up here on the road when the water is in the ‘pinka form’. When I say pinka form, it is when you look straight down the road and it’s just river [as you cannot see Flat Bridge]. It came straight through my shop in 2017. At different points of the road it catches you from ankle to neck; that is just

THE National Works Agency (NWA) was busy Friday clearing blocked roads as heavy rains from a severe weather system caused flooding and landslides in a number of areas, forcing several businesses and government agencies to close early and send home staff. The agency said it had to deal with more than 30 incidents involving issues such as fallen rocks, landslides, flooding, scoured surfaces, and breakaways. NWA Manager of Communication and Customer Services Stephen Shaw said the bulk of the incidents were in the parishes of St Andrew, St Catherine, Portland and St Thomas. In the meantime, Jamaicans were warned to brace for more heavy rains and flooding into the weekend, even with lifting of the tropical storm watch for Jamaica on Friday afternoon. The Meteorological Service of Jamaica (Met Service), in a release on Friday, said the poorly organised weather system continues to be a significant rainfall producer and, due to soil saturation, flooding is likely to continue. “This could result in landslides in some areas, mainly over southern and eastern parishes,” the Met Service said. It said a flash flood warning remained in effect for low-lying and flood-prone areas of Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, Manchester, Clarendon, St Catherine, Kingston, St Andrew, St Thomas, Portland and St Mary. This, the Met Service said, means that flooding has been observed or will occur shortly. In addition, a flash flood watch remained in effect for other low-lying and flood-prone areas of the island until 5:00 Saturday morning. On the forecast track, the system was expected to move across Jamaica by last night and over south-eastern Cuba, the southeastern section of The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands on Saturday, the Met Service said. Small craft operators, including fishers from the cays and banks were asked to remain in safe harbour until wind and sea conditions returned to normal. Meanwhile, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) advised the public to avoid flooded waterways — fords, gullies, streams or rivers — either on foot or in vehicles. The agency also urged people to avoid areas with damaged roadways, as well as areas prone to landslides and flooding. It said that in case of extensive rainfall, people should avoid going on the road except when absolutely necessary. According to the NWA, among the roads in St Andrew that remained impassable last night were the corridors from Cooperage to Guava Ridge, Papine to Redlight, and the Chesterfield Road. Shaw said that Chesterfield Road, near Seaview Gardens, was closed Friday afternoon as it posed serious dangers to motorists due to a scoured-out, excavated area. Landslides also impacted the roads from Cooperage to Guava Ridge, and from Papine to Redlight. In St Thomas the main road from Bethel to Richmond Vale was impassable up to last evening. This corridor, which was previously reduced to single-lane traffic, suffered further erosion, rendering it impassable. Landslides also blocked the main road from Bowden to Old Pera Road, while fallen trees blocked the main road from Port Morant to Pleasant Hill. In Portland the NWA team reopened the main road from Fellowship to Berrydale, but main roads from Port Antonio to Nunsuch, Wakefield to Hardwar Gap, and Hectors River to Muirton remained impassable last night. Shaw said the NWA was making progress with roads in St Catherine and that work was underway to reopen the main roads from Zion Hill Bridge to Parks Road and Bartons to Ginger Ridge, which were affected by landslides. However, the Old Harbour to Bartons road was impassable as water from Big Pond overflowed onto the road. Also in St Catherine, the Bog Walk Gorge was closed, so too was the Spanish Town to Port Henderson Road, while Bernard Lodge Road suffered heavy flooding. The road to Point Hill as well as the one to Above Rocks were blocked due to landslides. The NWA said while it made efforts to reopen other affected corridors for people to gain access to their communities, these attempts were stymied by the continuous rainfall, and stated that the safety of the work crews must be assured. And, ODPEM advised people to ensure that all important documents are secured in plastic bags or waterproof containers. In addition, all electrical, power, gas and water supplies in areas that are in immediate danger from flooding should be turned off.

PEOPLE living in the area of Bog Walk Gorge from Dam Head to Flat Bridge are furious, claiming on Friday that their lives are severely impacted as they are locked in whenever the floodgates are closed to prevent vehicular access through the gorge during heavy rain. The residents said Friday that when authorities padlock the gates leading into the gorge it prevents them from moving quickly in and out in case of emergencies or if they have business to conduct. Sections of Jamaica were battered with heavy showers on Thursday and Friday as a severe weather system passed over the island, causing several rivers — including the Rio Cobre — to rise and forcing the authorities to close off access to Flat Bridge, which is the main road to get to Bog Walk, Linstead, and other communities as well as St Catherine capital of Spanish Town, travelling in the other direction. But residents insisted that they are being badly inconvenienced when the floodgates are closed, and would like the authorities to listen to their cries. Althea Cole, who said she is one of the divers at the gorge who helps to save people if vehicles plunge into the Rio Cobre, claimed that the authorities do not consult with residents whenever they are going to close the floodgates. “Whenever it is raining [and the river is rising] they just pass back and lock the gate. More time we are in problems because if you are coming from town, majority of the times they don’t allow the taxis to come in. “As you can see, the gate is all the way behind where we are. Allowing us from Dam Head to this spot in the gorge is fine, we are good with that, but they don’t inform us any at all when they are going to close it. The water only comes up here on the road when the water is in the ‘pinka form’. When I say pinka form, it is when you look straight down the road and it’s just river [as you cannot see Flat Bridge]. It came straight through my shop in 2017. At different points of the road it catches you from ankle to neck; that is just to show you how heavy the water can get. It can come that way at times,” said Cole. “But right now the rain is just drizzling — a must the gully water from the hillside swell up the river like this. I got to my shop approximately 12 minutes after six this morning and shortly after, I see a Jeep passed me and by the time I look, the gate is closed. They don’t have any conscience, any at all. It is useless to talk,” a frustrated Cole said, pointing that at no point in time from Thursday to Friday afternoon did the river cover Flat Bridge or any road at all in the gorge. According to her, when the gates were being erected around 2013 to 2014 the people who live in the gorge were surprised. “When they were going to put the gate up there, we were not informed. We just walk past and said to ourselves, ‘A weh dem a do?’ They have a gate at Dam Head and one when you go to Kent Village at the old pump house, and one is at Bog Walk. To my own knowledge, people are always in the dam working,” she said. “I think they should leave the key for the Dam Head gate with the people at the dam. People who live from here to near Flat Bridge would be able to come in with a taxi. What if we get sick, how it go? I live half a mile from the dam where the gate is padlocked. They don’t have principle! And we talk this every year and it’s the same thing. People live here who have babies and have to go to and from. I deal with principle. If you don’t have it for me, one day I am going to lose it for you,” Cole said. One man, who was clearly upset after unpacking 30 crates of ackee from his minibus and passing them under the gate at Dam Head to a man on the other side of the gate, said that he has had to suffer losses many times when the authorities lock the gates. “They gave the firefighters the keys for the gate because they don’t want people to pass and go around to the bridge, but we don’t live at the bridge. People do business in the area so how can you lock the gate and go away with the key? People are paying tax in this country. Kent Village has two gates, why we can’t get two gates right down here? “This man [whom I asked to carry the ackees] is my co-worker. I was lucky to come out here and see him before he went to the ackee factory. That is how I got help to move my produce, otherwise I would have to stay here for the whole day. When the ackee spoil, who is going to pay us? They say they are trying to prevent motorists from dropping off the bridge but they are preventing us from eating our food. When our children don’t get an education they have to run behind politicians to get a small amount of money. They think we are fools,” the resident said.

IT was a gold-studded event for Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts at the 9th Annual Travvy Awards Gala, as the Caribbean’s leading luxury all-inclusive company earned top honours across five coveted categories. The group was emboldened by a sixth and special honour for Adam Stewart, executive chairman of Sandals Resorts International (SRI), who was presented with the prestigious Executive of the Year Award. Held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the Travvy Awards, produced by TravelPulse and AGENTatHOME, recognise the top travel industry suppliers in categories such as destinations, hotels, cruise lines, airlines, tour operators and more, with Sandals Resorts earning the top award in the categories: • Best Hotel Chain – Overall: Sandals Resorts (Gold) • Best Hotel Chain – All-Inclusive: Sandals Resorts (Gold) • Best All-Inclusive Adults/Couples Resort – Caribbean: Sandals Grande St Lucian (Gold) • Best All-Inclusive Resort – Honeymoons: Sandals Emerald Bay (Gold) • Best All-Inclusive Family Resort – Caribbean: Beaches Turks & Caicos (Gold) • Executive of the Year – Adam Stewart, executive chairman Touting Stewart’s unwavering commitment to advance destinations throughout the Caribbean and his organisation’s unmatched support of the travel advisor community, Mary Pat Sullivan, executive vice-president of marketing and partnerships for Northstar Travel Group, presented him with the Executive of the Year Award. “Adam is carrying on an incredible legacy, leading with integrity, professionalism, a commitment to the Caribbean — a place he loves dearly — to sustainability, to the travel advisor community and to the travel industry. He grew up in this business, and I think we should all be really grateful for the next generation that is making leadership happen for our industry,” she said. “It’s been a monumental year for Sandals and Beaches and we’re all sure more is on the horizon,” added Sullivan. Stewart, who has been at the helm during a pivotal moment in the brands’ evolution and enduring impact across the Caribbean, continues to champion all-new trends reimagining the all-inclusive experience with never-before-seen programmes like Island Inclusive dining — which invites guests to immerse themselves in local island flavours at off-site restaurants as part of their all-inclusive stay — as well as complimentary MINI Coopers for exploring the brands’ island homes. These programmes, together with cutting-edge suites, amenities and other Sandals ‘Firsts’, are a testament to Stewart’s commitment to guests as much as to travel advisers curating the most unique Caribbean experiences for their clients, a news release from Sandals said. “We are a company profoundly committed to sharing our beautiful part of the planet with guests from around the world,” the release quotes Stewart, who is also executive chairman of the Jamaica Observer. “Tourism fuels the economies of the Caribbean and travel advisers are critical to the region’s success. In 2015, this team came to New York to celebrate another executive — my dad [Gordon “Butch” Stewart]. That year, he took home the Travvy Award for ‘The Most Innovative All-Inclusive Resorts Executive.’ He was very proud of that award, a recognition of decades of pioneering work to enhance and improve a vacation concept that guests absolutely loved, and travel advisers absolutely loved to sell. “So being awarded here tonight is very humbling for me and a complete full circle moment. And to my team, there is no accolade I receive that you are not part of. I thank you for your dedication and hard work that have allowed us to pursue and expand upon the dreams we know are possible for the people and the places we love,” added Stewart.

MANDEVILLE, Manchester – As the island braces for torrential rain today, several communities have already begun experiencing flooding, landslides and disruptions with more expected as Jamaica faces a tropical storm watch. Among the communities flooded on Thursday was Mandeville as rain pelted the south-central town affecting businesses and schools. The flooded roads included Ward Avenue, deCarteret Road, Villa Road, Newleigh Road, Grove Road, and Manchester Road. President of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce Simone Spence-Johnson told the Jamaica Observer that flooding on Ward Avenue has become a sore point whenever there is heavy rain. “We did have some impact. The weather affected businesses throughout the day. Persons along Ward Avenue were more affected. This is an ongoing sore point for us, but I know they did significant work on Ward Avenue; it seems there has been some new development why we are getting this flooding again,” said Spence-Johnson as she appealed to the authorities to remedy drainage issues on Ward Avenue. “If it is that we cannot traverse the roads to do our business, then we need the roadway to be clear. There are pedestrians to move along the roadway as well, and if we continue to have flooding then it is going to slow down everything and have a domino effect in slowing production,” added Spence-Johnson. Several schools in Manchester were forced to send home students and suspend classes as the downpour continued Thursday evening, with indications being that classes will be suspended today. Late Thursday evening, the Ministry of Education told the Observer that it has decided not to issue a blanket instruction for schools to close today. According to the ministry, principals and board chairs have been instructed to monitor their local situation and determine if there will be any classes based on the forecast from the Meteorological (Met) Service which issued the tropical storm watch. The Met Service noted that there is an area of low pressure over the west central Caribbean Sea which was becoming better organised on Thursday while moving closer to Jamaica with the potential to develop into a tropical cyclone overnight. “This means that tropical storm conditions pose a possible threat to Jamaica within 48 hours. The flash flood watch for low-lying and flood-prone areas of the island has also been upgraded to a flash flood warning for southern and eastern parishes of Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, Manchester, Clarendon, St Catherine, Kingston, St Andrew, St Thomas, Portland, and St Mary, and remains in effect elsewhere,” the Met Service said. “On the forecast track, the centre of the system is expected to continue moving towards Jamaica tonight (Thursday) and across the island late on Friday, before moving towards south-eastern Cuba and the Turks and Caicos Islands on Saturday. “While the potential tropical cyclone is in the vicinity of Jamaica, it is expected to produce locally heavy rainfall and strong, gusty winds, primarily over eastern and southern parishes… Flooding has already been reported in the south-east of the island and will spread over southern and eastern parishes in the next 12 to 24 hours. Landslides should also be anticipated in vulnerable sections of the island,” added the Met Service as it warned that flooding could occur in most low-lying and flood-prone areas of the island. In the meantime, communications manager at the National Works Agency (NWA) Stephen Shaw told the Observer late Thursday that roads in several parishes were affected by flooding. “We have received reports from Manchester, St Andrew, St Catherine, and St Thomas being impacted by different things to include fallen trees, rock slides, and blocked culverts. We are advising persons to exercise caution in using all of our corridors as the rainfall is impacting every parish at different levels,” Shaw said. He said the Sligoville main road from Spanish Town, and the St Jago Hills Road were reduced to single-lane traffic because of flooding and landslides on Thursday. “These corridors are being impacted by rocks and trees, caution is being advised in using these roads at this time,” said Shaw as he indicated that NWA teams have been mobilised to respond to clear blocked roads.

Richard Brown, who confessed to kidnapping and killing Phillip Paulwell’s 10-month-old daughter Sarayah and her 27-year-old mother Toshyna Patterson, spent time in custody penning a note to the family of the victims and the public begging forgiveness for his heinous act. In the note, which he gave to one of his attorneys, Brown — who was handed a 30-year sentence on Wednesday in the Home Circuit Court for the crimes — expressed remorse for his actions which, he said, disappointed his mentor. The mentor was not identified. “I want my lawyer to tell the family of the baby and her mother and the Jamaican public that I am very sorry for the loss of their lives. I want my lawyer to also tell my mentor that I [am] very sorry for the disappointment. I hope one day everyone will find it possible to forgive me,” the lawyer, Rita Allen-Brown, read, adding that her client’s instructions to his legal team, which includes King’s Counsel Valerie Neita-Robertson, was that the note should be made available to all. “He didn’t mention who the mentor was. He just handed me a note today that he wants me to read to the media, but as it relates to the proceedings this morning, I am not able to discuss that,” Allen-Brown said. In addition to the 30 years for murder, Brown was also sentenced to one year and 10 months imprisonment at hard labour for the kidnapping of the mother and baby. Also on Wednesday, Brown’s accomplice, Roshane Miller, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison for two counts of accessory before the fact of murder for his role in the crimes. Additionally, he was sentenced to two years and 10 months imprisonment at hard labour for conspiracy to kidnap and one year and 10 months at hard labour for misprision of a felony. The sentences are to run concurrently. The kidnapping and double murder shocked the country and triggered a parallel investigation by the United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service due to the fact that US Navy Culinary Specialist Seaman Leoda Bradshaw, who also has an eight-year-old daughter with Paulwell, has been charged in the matter. Her 30-year-old cousin, Roland Balfour, was also charged for his role in the murders. On October 14 the Jamaica Observer reported that deputy commissioner of police in charge of crime Fitz Bailey had disclosed at a news conference the previous day that the mother and baby girl had been “brutally murdered and their bodies disposed of”. He described the case as one of “the most painful investigations for the team in recent times”. The Observer report said that when Bradshaw appeared in court at a mention hearing on October 13, prosecutors said the fact that 27-year-old Patterson had “blocked” Bradshaw from her social media account did not stop her from travelling here and conspiring with Balfour to contract men to kidnap and murder the mother and daughter. “She learnt of the existence of young Paulwell on Wednesday the fifth of September 2023. Having learnt of the existence of this child, she contacted Patterson on Facebook and informed her that she was the wife of Mr Paulwell, and further that she learnt of the existence of the young offspring of Mr Paulwell. Miss Bradshaw advised Miss Patterson that a DNA [test] should be done to determine the paternity of the child. After this brief exchange the [now-] deceased blocked the accused from her account that very day,” a senior prosecutor told the court. “The accused, who is domiciled overseas, travelled to Jamaica the very next day, September 6, 2023. The allegations are that she travelled to Jamaica for the sole purpose of killing Toshyna Patterson and the young child she shared with her spouse. The Crown’s allegations are that the accused, through her cousin and co-accused Roland Balfour, contracted men to kidnap and murder Patterson and Sarayah,” the prosecutor said further. According to the prosecutors, Bradshaw met up with men to arrange for the kidnappings and murders. The original plan was to kidnap Patterson and the baby from their home. Bradshaw paid the men the equivalent of $100,000 in United States currency as down payment for the execution of the crime. The remainder of the funds ($400,000) was to be paid after the completion of the deal, the prosecutors said. In preparation to execute their ‘contract’, the men, the court was told, went to the Gilmore Drive address in St Andrew, where Patterson lived, during the night of Wednesday, September 6, 2023 to “scope out the area”. They also went to the home where Bradshaw was staying in Stony Hill, St Andrew. A further meeting was held on Thursday, September 7, 2023 to discuss the execution of the plan, the court heard. Prosecutors said that on Saturday, September 9, Bradshaw “placed several calls and conversed with Patterson, with a view to lure her away from her premises”. She afterwards arrived at Patterson’s home at approximately 7:00 am that fateful day. “Evidentiary material shows Patterson exiting her premises and entering an SUV parked at her gate, along with her baby. Evidentiary material shows that she remained in this vehicle for over 15 minutes. The vehicle then drove off and left the area approximately 7:22 am. Patterson and Sarayah never exited the vehicle prior to its leaving,” the prosecutor told presiding Supreme Court judge Justice Simone Wolfe-Reece. “The Crown’s case is that Bradshaw took Patterson to Stony Hill in the vicinity of the home where she, Bradshaw, was staying. At this location the accused handed over Patterson and her young child to Richard Brown and other persons who are yet to be apprehended. After this, Patterson and her young child were taken to Warieka Hills where they were shot and killed and their bodies burned,” the court was told. Bradshaw has been remanded until a further hearing scheduled for December 1. She is represented by attorneys Deborah Martin and Kelly Hamilton.

THE Government is looking to introduce legislation to increase the penalties for people who issue multiple bomb threats. Since last Thursday almost 80 bomb threats have been delivered to entities across the island with operations disrupted at 74 schools, one hospital, a courthouse, and a number of businesses. The latest threat on Wednesday disrupted operations at a call centre on Warrington Avenue in New Kingston. Less than one hour before that threat was delivered minister of national security, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Horace Chang, told a post-Cabinet media briefing that this level of disruption to the society needs a strong response. “We will have to look at the legislative framework as because currently I am told that the primary legislation we can charge the individuals, when we find them, is under public mischief. The activity certainly deserves more severe penalties and we will have to examine that as we go forward,” said Chang. A person charged with the common-law offence of creating public mischief can face a maximum prison term of three years or a fine of $1 million. However, if the threat is sent by cyber communication the perpetrator can be charged with using a computer for malicious communication which could carry a heavier sentence. But Chang is not satisfied, as he wants people to pay a strong penalty for the bomb threats. “The legislation does provide some strength, but we think we should strengthen it because where there is a single incident or a mischievous act at play occasionally we would continue, but given the scale of the disruption over the last four days in particular we are examining how we can strengthen that legislation. “For example, not only are you disrupting the entire education system, putting children at risk, disrupting the economy…all of those are major disruption to the lives of Jamaicans and provide significant threat risks. A part of our anti-crime-fighting strategy is to strengthen legislation and those who are apprehended must be put away for long periods and removed from society,” declared Chang. He noted that despite suspecting that these threats are hoaxes, the security forces have had to deploy significant resources to each one. According to Chang, based on the level of the threats, “they were designed to disrupt and create a level of confusion in the society”. He told the briefing that the people behind the threats are being pursued aggressively and every effort is being made to apprehend them. “We also have the support of our international partners, that include the FBI [the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation], which has been active in support from day one,” said Chang. According to the security minister, the Government will have to expand the country’s emergency response team and be prepared for any eventuality. Chang said additional resources will have to be provided to these emergency response teams, especially in the terms of sniffer dogs, which are imported from overseas to check for bombs. In the meantime, deputy police commissioner in charge of crime Fitz Bailey told Wednesday’s post-Cabinet media briefing that the police are pursuing several leads as they try to apprehend the people behind the bomb threats. “We have the resolve and commitment to ensure that those persons who are responsible are brought to justice,” declared Bailey as he underscored that local investigators are working with international partners to go after the perpetrators who they believe are very tech savvy. “In our interactions with our overseas partners, they have also indicated that these individuals are not ordinary people. Some of the information that we have we cannot disclose, but what I will say to the public [is that] we are committed to ensure that those persons who are responsible will be brought to justice,” said Bailey. In July, 25-year-old truck driver Chevon Flowers, who posted a video on social media saying that there was a bomb at a gas station in Ocho Rios, St Ann, was fined $1 million or nine months in prison for using a computer for malicious communication. Following a high-level police investigation, Flowers was charged with creating public mischief, using a computer for malicious communications, and extortion. During his court appearance he pleaded guilty to using a computer for malicious communications and creating public mischief. He pleaded not guilty to extortion.

A number of National Heroes’ Circle crab vendors who have been trained and certified as small food operators by the HEART/NSTA Trust are expected to return to their stalls by November 23. Chief executive officer of the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) Robert Hill told a meeting of the KSAMC yesterday that the corporation and the HEART/NSTA Trust have collaborated for the training of 12 vendors in small foods preparation and sales in a five-day training programme. He said the vendors will also receive food handler’s permits from the Public Health Department, which trained them and is expected to start training vendors in other municipalities. However, in a message to yesterday’s monthly meeting, Mayor of Kingston Delroy Williams said that the situation relating to the closure of the popular Crab Circle at National Heroes’ Circle is not an issue for the KSAMC alone, but for all Jamaicans. Councillor Williams, who was responding to questions raised by the Opposition about the incident which led to the closure of the famous crab spot, noted that while there have been some “disturbing, disappointing and distasteful” videos circulating about the event, he is making it clear that the municipality will not in in any way excuse personal responsibility, which must be taken or displayed by the operators within these spaces. “We want to emphasise that vendors who are preparing and handling food offered to the public in these facilities have personal responsibility,” the mayor said in a statement included in this month’s “Order of Business”, which also commended the quick moves by vendors as well as other contributors to the recovery of the investment. Councillors of the minority People’s National Party (PNP) had laid the blame for the ‘filthy state of affairs’ that led to the closure of the popular venue squarely at the feet of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP)-controlled KSAMC. However, JLP members insisted that it was not a political issue. The PNP’s spokesperson on local government, Natalie Neita Garvey, termed the development a “national disgrace” which should be blamed on the “total breakdown” of the city’s local government and public health systems. Williams noted that the city of New York had many mobile restaurants along the streets, which are quite popular and which may not have sanitary facilities but wash stations for customers and are an example of the nature of food handling. The mayor said that addressing the situation at Crab Circle does not only address the situation, in terms of the proliferation of streetside food facilities, but the manner in which the problem is being addressed. “That in my estimation is the seriousness of the issue and, in my opinion, is how we ought to approach the matter, as it is not a simple issue, or else we could just say, where there are no sanitary conveniences we will remove them all. That, in and of itself, cannot be the answer to the problem. The social issue should be looked at as hundreds and thousands of Jamaicans depend on these types of facilities for their livelihood, to send their children to school, and to take care of their families. “So, this matter requires a proper examination and discussion in terms of how small food facilities across the country are addressed. That ought to be the approach, in my opinion. Directing their closure and asking the vendors to construct sanitary facilities is not the answer. There needs to be serious thought into how the matter is addressed from a national standpoint. “As mayor I am not here to hide from these things neither am I here to assign blame; that’s not the approach I think that is necessary. The approach is to find solutions,” Mayor Williams said. He also noted that the HEART/NSTA Trust has been approached to teach a course offered by them, which is called “small food facility operations”. He said that he had perused the content and felt satisfied that the course content will go a far way in addressing many of the sanitation issues with street food facilities. “We have also suggested that the training by HEART/NSTA for street vendors be offered throughout the country, and not just in Kingston and St Andrew,” he noted. He said that it is a “good step” in the right direction, and sent the appreciation of the council to the HEART/NSTA for partnering with the municipality, the Public Health Department and the Social Development Commission. Health officials shut down the crab stalls at Heroes’ Circle in Kingston in the first week of October following a viral video of a vendor relieving herself at one of the stalls.

BLUEFIELDS, Westmoreland — Three families are now struggling to cope under the weight of heartbreaking grief as they recall the moments after they learnt that their loved ones were among five people killed in Monday evening’s motor vehicle crash in Westmoreland. Eudith Wilson lost her daughter, 39-year-old Petrina Wallace, and her 15-year-old granddaughter Lavecia Forrester, who lived in Gordon district, Whitehouse. Wilson told the Jamaica Observer on Tuesday that she rushed to the scene of the crash but when she arrived she was told her daughter had already died and her granddaughter was taken to hospital. “I looked at her [Petrina]; the Lord gave me the strength. Then I moved on to the hospital. By time I reach there I saw my nieces crying and [they] said my granddaughter died,” Wilson said, visibly distraught. “I went inside, looked at my granddaughter; I touched her, I tried calling her, and no response,” the grief-stricken Wilson said. In addition to Wallace and Forrester the crash claimed the lives of Mount Edgecombe residents Oneil Allen, otherwise called Dummy, and his 65-year-old mother Angela Samuels. Grief is all too familiar for their family. On Mother’s Day 2021, Samuels lost her pregnant daughter Jodian in a crash. The Observer was told that Jodian, who was in the seventh month of her pregnancy, was the pillion on a bike when it collided with a vehicle in Springfield, Sheffield. The driver of the bike also died. The fifth victim of Monday’s crash was 54-year-old Janet Thompson, who lived in McAlpine district. Her only son, Owen Plummer, had the difficult task of verifying her identity at the scene. He said he has been left shattered. “When I lift the covers off I realise it was my mom. To be honest, it was devastating,” he recounted. He said they had shared a bond that grew stronger as he matured. “At one point I was going down the wrong road and my mom stood with me, fight with me; she never gave up. Now, she sees me coming around and taking a different path. My mom was so happy to see that,” a distraught Plummer recalled. Before her death, he said, they were the closest they had ever been. “Even at church I am the one that plays the keyboard, and she was the one who plays the drum,” he said. For Thompson’s niece, Danesha Sanderson, her birthday will now be forever associated with the day her aunt died. She said Thompson had called her dad and asked him to pick her up and they were on their way when they heard there had been a crash. “We leave and go down there, and [when we got there] it was my aunt. It was on my birthday, I can’t forget that day — November 13. That feeling can’t go away! Even when my birthday comes, I have to remember [my aunt’s death] over and over,” Sanderson told the Observer before bursting into tears. Meanwhile, even as she grieved, Thompson’s daughter, Sabrina Marshall, was already thinking of how she would keep a vow she had made to her mother to take care of her 16-year-old sibling. “I told her that if I should die first I would want her to take the very best care of my daughter. And if, God forbid, she went before me, I would do my best to make sure I substitute as best as I can, because she cannot be replaced. But I will try my best to be there for her,” she told the Observer. Marshall said she has no ill will towards the driver of the taxi in which her mother died. Instead, she spoke of the importance of forgiveness. “As Christians, part of life is forgiveness. I am not saying we are not hurting at the moment, because we are. But right now, I don’t have any feelings harbouring for anyone to harm him or anything,” she said. Accompanied by his lawyer, the driver of the grey Toyota Voxy involved in the crash turned himself in to the police Tuesday morning. Senior Superintendent of Police Wayne Josephs had said that the driver fled after the crash. However, some residents have countered that claim, saying he left the scene to seek medical care. Among them is Wilson, who told the Observer that she saw the driver at the hospital Monday evening. She, too, appears to bear him no ill will. “I don’t know him as any reckless driver,” she said. She added that she had been his passenger several times in the past and he was familiar with the roads. According to the police report, about 3:30 pm the taxi, with six people on-board, was travelling towards Whitehouse when the vehicle it was travelling behind slowed down. The cab driver swerved, collided with a truck travelling in the opposite direction and ended up in a tree. Three of the occupants of the taxi died on the scene while two others died at hospital. All those who died are from Westmoreland. On Tuesday, Marshall appealed to road users to be careful lest they suffer the same fate as her mother and the others who died in the crash. “I would like to say to the other motorists — taxi drivers and people who are driving their personal vehicle out there — sometimes we are already late for where we are going. Might as well we just take our time and reach as soon as we can,” she urged.

A syndicate of six organisations and 11 individuals, in a pushback against the Jamaican Government’s decision to delay signing the new African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP)-European Union (EU) pact — the Samoa Agreement — on November 15, says the Administration should do an about-face and sign without entering any reservations and without further delay. That call comes after Minister of Foreign Affairs Senator Kamina Johnson Smith last Friday, in response to an outcry Thursday from Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society (JCHS) over Jamaica’s pending ratification, indicated that the Government will delay signing the agreement to facilitate ongoing consultations but would still participate in the meeting of the ministerial councils as customary. The JCHS, in a statement to the media last Thursday, expressed alarm that “the agreement will bind Jamaica to undefined human rights obligations tied to trade sanctions, reintroduce Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) back into schools despite parents’ outrage in 2012 with regard to CSE’s sexualising content; trap the nation in yet-to-be-negotiated international instruments, and demand the acceptance of terms that directly threaten citizens’ freedom of conscience and speech among other alarming concerns”. But the petitioners, in the statement delivered to the foreign ministry on Monday afternoon, pointed to what they said are discrepancies between the claims made by the JCHS and the facts related to past EU-ACP agreements and the proposed Samoa Agreement, and called on the Administration to do a U-turn. “The proposed new agreement is not unprecedented in its scope as the same subject areas were covered in the Articles of the Cotonou Agreement of 2000-2020 and which was extended to 2021,” they said. They further dismissed concerns by the JCHS about the absence of a definition of “human rights” in the agreement despite some 100 references to the term in various clauses. The consortium, in objecting, said throughout the text of the agreement reference is made to “relevant human rights instruments”. The JCHS has been at pains to point out that while, historically, the agreements have focused on trade and economic development relations, the new agreement is unprecedented in its extensive coverage from trade and development to data protection, war crimes, terrorism and violent extremism, illicit trade in drugs, education, health, food security, social inclusiveness, youth, culture, environmental protection, climate change, human rights, democracy, gender equality, and human trafficking, among other subject areas. It further expressed discomfort with what it said is the concept of “human rights” by the EU’s definition. “To enter into a 20-year binding agreement with the EU without a national consensus on the nature and content of human rights renders Jamaica vulnerable to any definitions imposed by the stronger party, the EU, without input from the citizens of Jamaica,” the JCHS has contended. The Samoa Agreement is the successor to the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, the principal development framework through which Jamaica and other Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States have obtained grant funding from the EU since the year 2000. However, the syndicate, in the statement, said, “having read the actual negotiated text we see no departure in the text from existing United Nations and other international declarations, programmes of action, platforms for action, agreements and conventions to which Jamaica is a signatory. “Furthermore, we see no departure from the spirit and intent of the immediate past EC-ACP Agreement (Cotonou) which served as the framework for development cooperation and trade between the parties for 21 years up to 2021 without injury to the sovereignty of Jamaica. We therefore call on the Government of Jamaica to sign the agreement without entering any reservations without further delay,” the group said. Organisations listed among the signatories include We-ChangeJA, Eve for Life, Stand up for Jamaica, Equality for All Jamaica Foundation Limited, Sistren Theatre Collective, and Jamaica Environment Trust. Individuals listed as signatories are civil society advocate Carol Narcisse; blogger Emma Lewis; gender and development advocate Judith Wedderburn; artist Stephanie Martin; gender and child rights advocate Joy Crawford; gender and governance advocate Deborah Duperly-Pinks; founder of Jamaica Environment Trust Diana McCaulay; civil society advocate Horace Levy; convenor of GROOTS Jamaica, Lana Finikin; gender advocate Hilary Nicholson; and development consultant Patricia Donald Phillips.

THE Ministry of Local Government and Community Development has approved a resolution passed by the St Ann Municipal Corporation for Main Street in Ocho Rios to be renamed in honour of late hotel mogul Gordon “Butch” Stewart. The resolution, which was read by chief executive officer of the St Ann Municipal Corporation, Jennifer Brown-Cunningham at the recent monthly meeting of the corporation, said: “And whereas Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart has been a significant employer in Ocho Rios, and whereas Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart has been, through his Sandals Foundation, contributing greatly to the development and benevolence outfit programme, be it resolved that the St Ann Municipal Corporation look to rename Main Street, Ocho Rios in his honour posthumously. We further resolve that this do not interfere in the mailing address but rather add his recognised name as an addition on signposts and street name, and we further resolve that this recognition be forwarded to the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development for approval,” she said. Councillor for the Ocho Rios Division, Michael Belnavis noted that the renaming will serve as recognition of Stewart’s contribution to the parish. He stressed that the renaming will not affect those who do business along Main Street. “Persons who live and operate on the stretch, Main Street, will not have to redo their stationery and so on. However, on the signposts and so on will get an additional component to the top of the sign itself just to have the name on. So it’s just a recognition but it doesn’t affect the economics of the business people and so on the Main Street…so I’m asking that we get the support,” he said. The business mogul, who died in 2021 at the age of 79, is remembered for building a tourism empire through Sandals Resorts International. He was also honoured with Jamaica’s fourth highest honour, the Order of Jamaica.

THE Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society (JCHS), in praising the Government’s decision to stand down on ratifying the new African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP)-EU agreement, the Samoa Agreement, on November 15, says while it knows the financial gains derived from being party to various European Union (EU) pacts, the country cannot afford to barter its sovereignty and children for money. “We understand that, and we understand the pickle that the Government is in. But, nonetheless, it is good to say we reserve, because what we would be doing is handing over our sovereignty and our future and our children’s future to these people for money. We must be able to say we don’t agree with this,” head of the JCHS Dr Wayne West told the Jamaica Observer on Sunday. “We are not against trade, we are all for trade, but these types of things have never been linked to this agreement before, and this is a new strategy by the EU. This agreement has been from the days of Michael Manley, but the EU is now introducing this social, ideological component, imposing [it] on the ACP countries. So we hope that other ACP countries will say let’s do trade, but we won’t be part of that,” he continued. “The reality is that if we allow the EU to get away with what they want, parents will lose control over their children from the time they get to school, because the children are going to be indoctrinated in the schools about these various ideologies about being transgender and LGBTQ, and just generally having a nihilistic approach to sexuality. So this is one of the objectives of that agreement: They want to indoctrinate, educate, and force into the children these things,” the JCHS head warned. “And not only that, if you follow what is happening overseas, you will see that the schools are beginning to take away the rights of the parents. In some places in the United States, for example, a child can go to school and the teacher can allow the child to go through a transition without telling the parent. That’s what they want. The parents are going to lose control over the children, they are going to lose the right to say what the child should be because they are going to use the schools and the teachers and so on to impose their ideology on the children, and we have to resist that,” Dr West stated further. He is, however, wary as to the impact that the Government’s decision to withhold its signature at this time will have, if any. “Our understanding is that the time for making these amendments has passed, so we really don’t know how the Government is going to approach it,” Dr West said, adding that, “Jamaica is not the only Government that is not signing.” “Namibia has also indicated concerns over the same issues that we are concerned about, which is basically imposing LGBTQ ideology and abortion, so-called human rights, and indoctrinating our children in schools with comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), which is really teaching children pornography and presenting it as acceptable, and that behaviours can be as nihilistic and as anarchist as people want. We heard that another one or two African countries may not be signing as well. We are still waiting for confirmation, but possibly Rwanda and Uganda may not be signing as well,” he said. Article 99 of the convention, in respect of duration and revision, says, “The parties may submit proposals for amendments to this agreement to the [Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States] OACPS-EU Council of Ministers no later than six months prior to the meeting of the OACPS-EU Council of Ministers. Any amendments shall be approved by the OACPS-EU Council of Ministers and be subject to the procedures laid down for the entry into force and provisional application of this agreement.” It further adds that, “OACPS-EU Council of Ministers may refuse to give its consent for an amendment deemed not consistent with this agreement and shall notify the relevant Regional Council of Ministers of the reasons for its refusal. The absence of a refusal of consent within 120 days from the date of notification is deemed to constitute consent. The amended regional protocol shall enter into force on the first day of the second month following the date of consent.” The agreement, which is scheduled to be signed in Samoa at the upcoming ACP-EU Ministerial, has been described by the JCHS as a “comprehensive new, binding 20-year agreement with the EU that will reintroduce the rejected CSE curriculum back into Jamaican classrooms and undermine Jamaicans’ fundamental rights and freedoms”. Last week the JCHS, in a last-ditch attempt to reason with the Andrew Holness-led Administration, issued a statement which capped 27 months of advocacy in which it urged the Government to reconsider “the glaring danger of multiple clauses” in the pending treaty. The JCHS said, “The agreement will bind Jamaica to undefined human rights obligations tied to trade sanctions; reintroduce CSE back into schools despite parents’ outrage in 2012 with regards to CSE’s sexualising content; trap the nation in yet-to-be-negotiated international instruments; and demand the acceptance of terms that directly threaten citizens’ freedom of conscience and speech, among other alarming concerns.” The obligations referenced by the JCHS are contained in articles 101(7) General Pact; 48(7), Caribbean Pact; 36(2) General Pact; 9(2) and 20(1) General Pact of the Agreement. On Friday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Senator Kamina Johnson Smith said Government will delay the signing of the agreement to facilitate ongoing consultations but would still participate in the meeting of the ministerial councils as customary. “Throughout the negotiations, which concluded in 2021, the Government had taken on board the views of the various stakeholders, including members of civil society. After what was, in fact, three years of challenging negotiations, the Government was satisfied that the language of the text in the final agreement would not supersede Jamaica’s domestic legislation. Notwithstanding, the Government has taken

A call by Opposition People’s National Party Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Lisa Hanna for both political parties to “blockade” themselves with experts and crime reports inside Gordon House for at least a three-day period to hammer out a plan to address the spate of violence in the country has been dubbed “dramatic” by gender activist and Crime Monitoring and Oversight Committee (CMOC) member Dr Nadeen Spence. “When it is convenient for Government and Opposition to lean on a CMOC, they do, and then when it is near to election time and they need to throw punches at each other they forget that the rest of us are supposed to be sitting in consultation with each other on the matter of crime,” Dr Spence told the Jamaica Observer on Sunday. Hanna, in her weekly column in the Observer’s The Agenda, made an impassioned plea for Prime Minister Andrew Holness to “drop everything and call all of us to Parliament for three to five days”. “We are to emerge from the House with a plan to solve violence in our country, with the attendant legislation to match. The Vale Royal talks are taking too long, and we are tired of seeing the post-PR pics. Call us to Parliament to do this particular work for the people we serve. Bring all the reports and the experts; let us make decisions together as one Parliament. Broadcast all the proceedings live to the general public so they are aware of the deliberations,” Hanna said. “If the prime minister truly means ‘enough is enough’, then business as usual cannot be his mainstay. The killing and hurting of our people should not be a political issue. Tackling this violent crime culture requires the cooperation of all of us. Therefore, he must use the Parliament effectively. Let both political parties press pause on the campaigning. The people are crying out, and it’s time we check our egos at the door and come together in a bipartisan moment for the best interest of our country,” she said. According to Hanna, action must be taken before Jamaicans get frustrated enough to corral parliamentarians themselves. However, Dr Spence, who is the Women’s Coalition nominee on CMOC, when contacted by the Observer for her opinion on Hanna’s proposal, said there is a crime plan and the respective organs, have been doing their part. “There are some things in the crime plan that the Government and other critical State actors have committed to that they haven’t delivered on, but it doesn’t mean that they don’t have plans,” she said. “There is a framework that the parties that are critical to the process are working through, that’s why we have CMOC, which is monitoring the response. And while there are some areas, especially the legislative areas, that the Government is lagging in, it doesn’t mean that there is not a comprehensive crime plan.” Added Dr Spence, “We are monitoring the response to see what are the things they say they are doing to see a downturn in crime. CMOC is staying committed to the monitoring of the crime plan because we think it will work if Government and Opposition are committed. So what Miss Hanna is pointing out is that the issue with our crime problem is the inability of both the critical partners in the consensus — the Government and the Opposition — to stick to the commitment that they made. They made a commitment and they are the ones who keep going out to say all kinds of rubbish.” “We have a consensus on crime. To me, going back and talking about getting to a consensus would seem as if we don’t have consensus on crime,” she stated. The Observer was unsuccessful in its attempts to contact CMOC Chair Lloyd Distant. CMOC, which was established in 2020, is an independent body comprising non-partisan stakeholders from the private sector, civil society, academia, and the political directorate with a mandate to set goals aimed at mitigating crime and reporting to the public. It provides an independent overview of the efficacy and efficiency of the programmes agreed through the process of national consensus and keeps the public engaged on the progress of reducing crime, violence, and corruption in Jamaica.

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Acting CEO of the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) Dr Natalie Whylie has disputed claims of ill-treatment and neglect made by family members of cancer patient Reneisha Townsend. Dr Whylie told the Jamaica Observer that she was made aware of the allegations through a video making its rounds on various social media platforms where Townsend’s family voiced their discontent with the quality of treatment they say is being given to their loved one. Townsend, a 37-year-old mother of three, is currently battling stage four breast cancer and has been admitted to KPH. On Monday, Townsend’s sister Shanice told the Observer that her family believes that health professionals at KPH have “given up on her”. “We had her at UWI (University Hospital of the West Indies) first and she didn’t like the treatment so we moved her to KPH…Each time she comes here, they keep her the most, three days and then they send her home back. Hours a night we affi jump up and bring her back to the hospital because the breast is bleeding,” Shanice said on Monday. She also stated that Townsend was brought to KPH on Monday morning to have her wound dressed and was rushed back to the hospital in the afternoon as she complained about trouble breathing. That, Shanice said, was when they encountered difficulty with the staff at KPH as her sister was in dire need of oxygen but was told that none was available where she was being treated at the time. She alleged that the family had to wheel the patient around the hospital as there were also no porters available to help with transport. Noting that the allegations were of “grave concern”, Dr Whylie said that an investigation was subsequently launched into the matter. “It was brought to my attention by several [people] because the Ministry of Health and Wellness does have a complaint policy, and so complaints come to us via many different means,” Dr Whylie said. The acting CEO added, “And as part of the policy, it is incumbent on me as the chief executive officer to investigate. So when the complaint came it was a grave concern to me and I immediately asked the senior medical officer of the hospital and the director of nursing services to investigate and provide a report.” Dr Whylie told the Sunday Observer that while she could not share the details of the investigation, she was “satisfied” that the staff at KPH was providing the best care to the patient. “I am not going to be able to speak to the details of the investigation, because it would require me to give confidential medical information. But the matter has been investigated. The senior medical officer and consultants with responsibility for care were already involved and are involved. When I looked at the investigation, I am quite satisfied that she is indeed getting the care that she needs at this time, in line with her clinical condition,” said Dr Whylie. “I am quite satisfied not just as a CEO, but as a medical doctor myself [because] the standard of care that she’s getting is within acceptable standards for her medical condition,” she continued. At the same time, Dr Whylie said that the medical staff has also sought to reassure Townsend of their commitment to assist her during “this difficult diagnosis. “The complaint mechanism really requires us to speak to the complainant and at this time, we were able to speak directly to our patient to reassure her and just to ensure that the care that she needs at this time continues at the Kingston Public Hospital,” the acting CEO said. Acknowledging that family members were also affected by cancer diagnoses, Dr Whylie said the emotions experienced by the loved ones of patients were valid and the health professionals are determined to do their jobs to the best of their abilities. “I can say that it’s very difficult because a cancer [diagnosis] brings a lot of emotion and…we really have to ensure that the care is extended, not just to the patient, but you have loved ones who also are impacted by what is happening to their loved one,” she explained. “Sometimes because of emotions, there may be perception and that’s part of the process of caring for people, especially [those] who have cancer, a very difficult diagnosis. But each patient treatment is individualised and certainly, the Kingston Public Hospital does have the requisite specialists to manage and to continue the care that the patient needs,” Dr Whylie told the Sunday Observer.

A protest last week by Hanover residents over the deplorable condition of sections of the main road that passes through Shettlewood, Mackfield and Burnt Ground in that parish, which leads primarily to adjoining St James and Westmoreland, attracted a speedy response from the authorities. But the people of the area insist that the wrong approach has been taken to fix the thoroughfare by those contracted to do it. While the road, too, is being given some attention now, the people are still upset that they had to protest and block it before steps could be taken to correct the long-standing problem. “We are all Jamaicans. We shouldn’t have to protest to get things done. Everybody pays taxes. Our political representatives are not going on with anything. Our Member of Parliament is Dave Brown. The next time, if he is running, we doubt he will get 10 votes based on how serious the problem is,” one man expressed to the Jamaica Observer during a visit to the area. He pointed out that the road condition caused accidents every week because potholes force motorists to drive on the wrong side of the road. “If you notice, most of the cars going down, they drive on the right side and not the left side because if they drive on the other side, their front-end parts mash up. Just look at the road and this is the main road between Montego Bay and Savanna-la-Mar. This is a big embarrassment to the Government,” he added. Another resident, who said he is the operator of a hotel in Hanover, said it was in his best interest to see the road fixed, but insisted that the authorities do it properly. “They are not fixing the road properly. The road needs to be lifted at least three feet. If not, this makes no sense. When the water come in the road, it is like a river and then the road mash up again. The road is too flat. It won’t make no sense,” the man said as he watched the road being dug up by workers using heavy-duty equipment as part of the process before it is repaved. When the Sunday Observer visited the area last week, sections of the roadway were already scraped, levelled and ready for resurfacing. One man theorised that it was people playing politics, that caused such a speedy response after the protest. According to him, even the blocking of roads was politically motivated. “Everything is politics. The protest itself was politics,” he said. He shared that although the road work has started, he has no confidence that the fix will be long-lasting. “They tried to fix it many times before, but dem naa fix it good. The whole thing want to resurface. They need to bring in China Harbour Engineering Company,” the Hanover resident said. “The work started the day after the protest. We had to protest because the front-end parts pon people car nuh get nuh ease up. I had a bus on the road and had to take it off because I wasn’t really making any money. Every week I had to find parts. “To go through this road, we definitely have to drive slow. When you go further down you will see the real bad roads. Everybody a complain. You have people weh drive fi go airport to catch a flight and they have to leave out extremely early. A long time we a bawl,” he added.

After American missionaries Harold Nichols and Randy Hentzel were murdered in 2016 the worlds of their widows, Teri and Sarah, hurtled out of orbit. The wives, ahead of the sentencing of the last of the two men convicted for the murders, described in victim impact statements — read into the records of the Home Circuit Division of the Supreme Court in downtown Kingston on Friday — the turmoil into which they were thrown following the deaths of their spouses. Nichols, 53, and Hentzel, 49, were missionaries for the Pennsylvania-based Teams for Medical Missions. They went missing on Saturday, April 30, 2016 after leaving their Tower Isle, St Mary, homes on motorcycles to visit a site where they would be doing charity work the following week. When they did not return a search party later that day discovered Hentzel’s body lying face down, his green helmet still over his head, with his arms bound “tightly” behind his back by a piece of cloth torn from the green T-shirt in which he was clad. Nichols’ body was found some distance away on the Sunday afternoon. A consultant forensic pathologist contracted by the national security ministry disclosed during the trial that Hentzel died instantly from a single bullet to the head, fired at close range, while Nichols, who was still alive after being shot once in the back, died from one of six chop wounds to his head, delivered with enough force that could chop “the branch of a big tree”. On Friday, taxi driver Andre Thomas was slapped with two life sentences for his role in the murders by trial judge Justice Leighton Pusey. He will be eligible to apply for parole after spending 26 years in prison. His co-accused and cousin, Dwight Henry, in January this year, took a plea deal and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole until after 28 years. Henry, in turning against Thomas, testified that he killed one of the men, while his cousin shot and chopped the other. Sarah, Hentzel’s widow, who said they were married as teenagers and had therefore figured out life together for more than 29 years, stated that she was left twisting in the wind. “He was the love of my life and my companion, his death affected all future plans. It’s like half of my life was amputated,” she said. In describing herself as a single mother by virtue of the murder, she said their five children — who had shared a close relationship with their father and who were at critical stages of their development and lives when he died — have been deeply affected. “Randy was pretty much the family advisor… Randy was our biggest cheerleader,” she said in sharing that her husband had been killed before the marriage of one of his daughters and the high school graduation of his only son and one of his teen daughters. “Not one day goes by that I don’t remember my husband, Randy Hentzel, for the kind of person he was. Taking him away from us has derailed a lot of our family’s future plans and we will never be the same,” she said. Teri Nichols, in her statement, said the death of her husband of 25 years ripped her life apart. “I lost the love of my life and the only family I had. I lost my home. I lost my dogs. I had to move back to the United States because I lost everything. I had to get a job and start all over because I had no money,” she said. Nichols said she has had to receive therapy and has had sleepless nights where she “played everything over” in her mind. And while she has “been trying to cope with everything, it was hard to do”. “Harold was an absolute angel, and if you ask anyone they would tell you exactly that,” said Nichols, who shared a memory of her husband atop a roof in a hurricane working to secure it so the occupants would not get wet. She said after selling everything they owned in the United States and moving to Jamaica in 2001 as full-time missionaries, “to do the Lord’s work”, they had built 75 homes for people in the community. On Friday, Justice Pusey, in his sentencing address, described the killings as “senseless” and “without reason” stating, “this is a killing which damaged not just the two gentlemen and their families but also damaged our country in many ways in terms of the work they were doing”.

FALMOUTH, Trelawny — Lashing out at pranksters who issue out bomb threats which have led to the dismissal of classes at schools across Jamaica on Thursday, Justice Minister Delroy Chuck charged the 34 newly minted justices of the peace (JPs) in Trelawny that they should assist in clearing up misinformation and mischief in their respective communities. “Even while you’re sitting there today [Thursday], there are people calling schools that bombs are in schools. So quite a few schools in Clarendon, St Catherine, Kingston, also in Trelawny now have to be closed. You see the mischief and because the principal or the police can’t take chances from you getting an e-mail or a phone call, the school is locked down for a day. And that is a sort of mischief that you have these rogues across Jamaica engaged in to the detriment of the well-being of others,” Chuck said Thursday. Several schools across the island were again disrupted Friday because of bomb threats received by e-mail. A lower school student of the Wolmer’s High School for Girls in Kingston on Friday recounted how a bomb threat caused the entire student and teacher population at the institution to leave classrooms and headed to Heroes’ Circle, where they stood in the sun awaiting further orders. Classes were eventually suspended following the threat, which the police maintained was a hoax as there has been no evidence of bombs anywhere. The security forces had to roll out their bomb teams islandwide, accompanied by sniffer dogs to assist them in their search for evidence of explosives on school compounds. “Miss didn’t specify over the intercom but most people thought it was based on what happened at Immaculate and other schools the day before. We were told to line up and not panic. Everyone went to Heroes’ Circle, where at least one girl fainted. Luckily, I had my umbrella with me. Everybody was running around looking for cool shade and water. Some people were sitting because standing up made them very tired. It was very hectic,” the Wolmer’s student told the Jamaica Observer. The bomb threat at Wolmer’s was just one in a series of messages said to have been sent in the form of e-mail that were relayed to numerous schools across the island Thursday and Friday, warning of imminent danger. St George’s College in Kingston and several in the rural areas also had to send students home early on Friday because of bomb threats. Said Chuck on Thursday: “So justices of the peace, you must be that noble citizen who ensure that good order, that proper information, that people can depend on you for the correct information. And if you don’t know, just say you don’t know but you will try to get the information. But don’t give people wrong advice or if you’re uncertain, don’t give people uncertain information,” Chuck said. “You must be committed to the truth. Don’t be a part of the social media misinformation, propaganda and mischief that goes across Jamaican everyday. People are determine to misinform and also to create mischief,” he added. He, who was speaking at the commissioning of JPs at the Glistening Waters restaurant in Trelawny on Thursday, also warned individuals with duplicate driver’s licence that they will found out the consequences when national identification cards are available. “There are rogues across Jamaica who go from JP to JP getting same picture, but validated in different names. And that is how you get different driver’s licence; but they will soon be found out. As soon as the national identification card comes on stream, we are going to know who has multiple names and in fact, maybe a few with multiple driver’s licences,” the justice minister cautioned. “It used to happen with passports until PICA [Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency] started to use picture identification and use a system where you can identify persons’ pictures, and if there are duplication of names with the same picture, they have been able to find a few. So it is not now happening, with the NIDs that will definitely be eliminated,” he added. Addressing the newly commissioned JPs, custos of Trelawny Hugh Gentles, and president of the Trelawny Justices of the Peace Association Kenneth Grant called on the newly commissioned justices of the peace not to refuse from providing community services. “People, for God’s sake, you say you want to serve, serve the people. We are their servants and not their masters. Sign the document when they come as long as the documents are not fraudulent,” Grant charged “Now you, the newly sworn in JPs who have applied for the posts will perform very well for the first year, I hope, don’t prove me wrong. [as] that’s when my problem and custos’ problem will start. But for God’s sake, I hope that won’t be so. The majority of justices work hard in this parish but some, you have to wonder if they are still around,” he added. — Additional reporting by Jason Cross

MONTEGO BAY, St James — As part of a strategy to reduce the number of murders being committed in the country, Prime Minister Andrew Holness says his Government will be making legislative changes to put more pressure on those who know a crime has been committed but fail to report it, as required by law. “There is a common law principle in our jurisprudence; it’s called misprision of a felony: someone who knows that a crime has been committed, someone who has knowledge. It doesn’t mean that they participate in the crime. It doesn’t mean that they aided and abetted or gave any support, or were a part of any common design to commit the crime. But they have come into knowledge; they know,” he said on Thursday, during a visit to Chetwood Memorial School in St James. “They are under a duty under our existing law to come forward. It is an offence under common law [and] several of our recent cases have been prosecuted using this common law provision. And we intend to utilise this much more in our pursuit to bring this terrible beast of murders under control,” Holness told academic staff who are still mourning Monday evening’s brutal murder of two of its students — seven-year-old Justin Perry and nine-year-old Nahcoliva Smith — by a gunman who fired bullets into a taxi in which the boys were travelling. Police say that 26-year-old Tevin Hayle, who was also in the taxi and was shot dead, was the target of the attack. He had been asked to report to the police as they carried out investigations into previous murders in Salt Spring. On Thursday, Holness laid partial blame for the deaths of the boys at the feet of residents of their Salt Spring community who failed to speak up when they saw Hayle in the area. “He obviously felt protected by this ecosystem of crime, that no one would have said anything. He felt so protected that he could hide, in open view… But somebody knew and did nothing. The result of that is that two innocent children were taken away,” said Holness. He promised changes to the existing laws as a way to get rid of entrenched norms where people do not speak out for fear of reprisal. “We are going to make some changes to make misprision of felony a substantial provision in the laws that we have — whether it is going to be in the Offences Against the Person or the Firearms Act or the Anti-gun Legislation. The legal drafts people will tell us how to do it,” Holness vowed. His expectation is that these measures will give law enforcers the information needed to break the back of crimes such as Monday’s triple murder. “I have given a directive to all the security apparatus, they must find the perpetrator; they must find him. He thinks he is safe; we are going to find him. But we are also going to find the people who supported him, who knew, and bring you all to justice. Enough is enough. So all of the gang wars that are going on and all the people who claim that they are dons, we’re going to slowly dismantle the ecosystems that protect you,” said the prime minister. He added that the focus on getting more people to speak out will be coupled with measures already being used to fight crime, as well as others that will be coming on-stream. He pointed to increased penalties and new offences under the Firearms Act as an effort to get illegal weapons out of the hands of those who become addicted to, and are empowered by, guns. “We are going to be making further amendments to the Firearms Act, and in the coming days the public will see that even stronger measures are going to be applied on the illegal use and possession of firearms,” said the prime minister. “Being an accessory to the crime keeps the ecosystem of protection around the criminal. So we’re going to be targeting the criminal, definitely; tougher penalties for the possession of weapons, the means to commit the crime, tougher penalties for committing the actual crime with increasing the penalties in the Offences Against the Person Act, particularly for capital murder,” he added. He also tackled, head-on, the long-standing culture that brands as “informers”, people who speak out about wrongs. “The truth is that you know holding your mouth is not going to guarantee the security of your life or the life of your children. It is because you have held your mouth why this is happening. And until we start to utilise the secure channels of communications that have been established, either for reward or because you’re a good citizen, tell us what you know,” the prime minister urged. “Because, as we increase the sophistication of our investigative capacity, we are not only going to pinpoint the criminal, we are going to start to pinpoint the people who knew. I want to make that absolutely clear: that if we’re going to really bring to heel the beast of crime that is loose on our land, the ecosystems that protect the criminal must also be dismantled,” he added.

A local Christian group is raising alarm over Jamaica’s pending ratification of what it describes as a “comprehensive new binding 20-year agreement with the European Union (EU) that will reintroduce the rejected Comprehensive Sexuality Education Curriculum back into Jamaican classrooms and undermine Jamaicans’ fundamental rights and freedoms”. The new pact, to be called the Samoa Agreement, is scheduled to be signed on November 15 at the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP)-EU Ministerial meeting in Samoa, despite strong pushback from several citizens’ groups here to what has been described as “the glaring danger of multiple clauses” in the pending ACP-EU Agreement. “The agreement will bind Jamaica to undefined human rights obligations tied to trade sanctions, reintroduce comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) back into schools despite parents’ outrage in 2012 with regards to CSE’s sexualising content; trap the nation in yet-to-be-negotiated international instruments, and demand the acceptance of terms that directly threaten citizens’ freedom of conscience and speech among other alarming concerns,” Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society (JCHS) said in a statement to the media on Thursday. The obligations referenced by the JCHS are contained in Articles: 101(7) General Pact; 48(7), Caribbean Pact; 36(2) General Pact; 9(2) and 20(1), General Pact of the Agreement. The coalition said for 27 months it and seven other Jamaican NGOs have been impressing upon the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade to take heed of the obvious threats to Jamaica’s national sovereignty in the current language of the agreement. “We are not alone in warning our Government about the dangers of this agreement,” JCHS Chairman Dr Wayne West said in the statement. “The Government of Namibia has this week wisely pulled out of signing the agreement. They cited similar concerns to the Jamaican NGOs as well as their suspicion of the alleged removal by the EU, after negotiations were closed, of a provision allowing reservations by countries. This questionable action needs to be explained and challenged,” he said. JCHS Legal Counsel Shirley Richards has, in the meantime, pointed to the frustrated efforts of the groups in trying to hold dialogue with government decision-makers. Richards said that at the Office of the Prime Minister’s Education Town Hall in September 2022, Foreign Affairs Minister Senator Kamina Johnson Smith had promised the nation that Jamaica was not going to be party to any agreement that would be detrimental to our children. “We subsequently wrote asking how she would keep this promise. It’s now more than one year later and she has not answered this question,” Richards said. “At the same town hall meeting, the minister of education invited concerned parents to meet with her. However, attempts to set up a meeting went unanswered by that ministry,” Richards added. The JCHS said although Prime Minister Andrew Holness has emphasised his commitment to preserving national values and sovereignty in the pending new ACP-EU Agreement, the group is still of the opinion that “the security of Jamaica’s laws are in peril, as signing an agreement without knowledge of its true scope is, in effect, signing a binding blind commitment”. The JCHS said it and the seven NGOs will be publicly defending their human rights and freedoms, along with other citizens. The coalition has called on all other “concerned Jamaicans to make their voices publicly heard on this matter of great importance”. In 2012, there was public uproar over the health and family life education curriculum being taught in schools, with concerns that aspects of it encouraged homosexuality. It was subsequently withdrawn and revised in 2013 with then Education Minister Ronald Thwaites indicating that it was now age-appropriate and sensitive to the traditional beliefs and practices of the Jamaican society.

MONTEGO BAY, St James — As part of a strategy to reduce the number of murders being committed in the country, Prime Minister Andrew Holness says his Government will be making legislative changes to put more pressure on those who know a crime has been committed but fail to report it, as required by law. “There is a common law principle in our jurisprudence; it’s called misprision of a felony: someone who knows that a crime has been committed, someone who has knowledge. It doesn’t mean that they participate in the crime. It doesn’t mean that they aided and abetted or gave any support, or were a part of any common design to commit the crime. But they have come into knowledge; they know,” he said on Thursday, during a visit to Chetwood Memorial School in St James. “They are under a duty under our existing law to come forward. It is an offence under common law [and] several of our recent cases have been prosecuted using this common law provision. And we intend to utilise this much more in our pursuit to bring this terrible beast of murders under control,” Holness told academic staff who are still mourning Monday evening’s brutal murder of two of its students — seven-year-old Justin Perry and nine-year-old Nahcoliva Smith — by a gunman who fired bullets into a taxi in which the boys were travelling. Police say that 26-year-old Tevin Hayle, who was also in the taxi and was shot dead, was the target of the attack. He had been asked to report to the police as they carried out investigations into previous murders in Salt Spring. On Thursday, Holness laid partial blame for the deaths of the boys at the feet of residents of their Salt Spring community who failed to speak up when they saw Hayle in the area. “He obviously felt protected by this ecosystem of crime, that no one would have said anything. He felt so protected that he could hide, in open view… But somebody knew and did nothing. The result of that is that two innocent children were taken away,” said Holness. He promised changes to the existing laws as a way to get rid of entrenched norms where people do not speak out for fear of reprisal. “We are going to make some changes to make misprision of felony a substantial provision in the laws that we have — whether it is going to be in the Offences Against the Person or the Firearms Act or the Anti-gun Legislation. The legal drafts people will tell us how to do it,” Holness vowed. His expectation is that these measures will give law enforcers the information needed to break the back of crimes such as Monday’s triple murder. “I have given a directive to all the security apparatus, they must find the perpetrator; they must find him. He thinks he is safe; we are going to find him. But we are also going to find the people who supported him, who knew, and bring you all to justice. Enough is enough. So all of the gang wars that are going on and all the people who claim that they are dons, we’re going to slowly dismantle the ecosystems that protect you,” said the prime minister. He added that the focus on getting more people to speak out will be coupled with measures already being used to fight crime, as well as others that will be coming on-stream. He pointed to increased penalties and new offences under the Firearms Act as an effort to get illegal weapons out of the hands of those who become addicted to, and are empowered by, guns. “We are going to be making further amendments to the Firearms Act, and in the coming days the public will see that even stronger measures are going to be applied on the illegal use and possession of firearms,” said the prime minister. “Being an accessory to the crime keeps the ecosystem of protection around the criminal. So we’re going to be targeting the criminal, definitely; tougher penalties for the possession of weapons, the means to commit the crime, tougher penalties for committing the actual crime with increasing the penalties in the Offences Against the Person Act, particularly for capital murder,” he added. He also tackled, head-on, the long-standing culture that brands as “informers”, people who speak out about wrongs. “The truth is that you know holding your mouth is not going to guarantee the security of your life or the life of your children. It is because you have held your mouth why this is happening. And until we start to utilise the secure channels of communications that have been established, either for reward or because you’re a good citizen, tell us what you know,” the prime minister urged. “Because, as we increase the sophistication of our investigative capacity, we are not only going to pinpoint the criminal, we are going to start to pinpoint the people who knew. I want to make that absolutely clear: that if we’re going to really bring to heel the beast of crime that is loose on our land, the ecosystems that protect the criminal must also be dismantled,” he added.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has vowed that his Administration, using the security forces and the full extent of the law, will go after the criminals who he says are terrorising the nation. Addressing a post-Cabinet media briefing on Wednesday, during which he announced that a state of emergency had been declared for St James, Holness also indicated a change in his stance against capital punishment as he declared that every effort will be made to tackle the “terrorists”. “My own view on the penalty for murder has evolved. I was never a supporter of the death penalty, but the more I study this matter and begin to understand the minds of the criminals, [they have] no soul…they have no heart, they need to be removed from among us. But I am not here to get into a debate about the jurisprudence on this matter. But within the limits of that jurisprudence I believe the highest, highest penalty possible should be applied as currently the penalties now are not a deterrent,” said Holness. “Now is the time for the nation to speak in one clear voice to the soulless, heartless criminals amongst us. We are going to remove you from our community. Let us get the toughest measures in place,” the prime minister added. Earlier in the media briefing Holness repeated his condemnation of the fatal shooting of seven-year-old Justin Perry, nine-year-old Nahcoliva Smith and 26-year-old Tevin Hayle in a taxi in Salt Spring, St James, on Monday as he charged that actions such as that were equal to terrorism. A third child in the vehicle and the driver were lucky to escape the hail of bullets fired from a high-powered rifle by a gunman. According to Holness, the Government is determined to get the criminals involved in these deadly attacks. “We also give assurance to the people of Jamaica that we will not wilt, we will not resile in the face of terror,” declared Holness while underscoring his call for a united front against crime. “This country needs to stop sending mixed signals to criminals. They are not going to return any grace you give them. They are not reasonable people, they are terrorists and they must be treated as such,” he said as he pointed to the Salt Spring attack which the police believe was targeted at Hayle, who was on the police radar in connection with a recent double murder in the area. “It was clearly the intent to send a chilling signal [that] no matter where you are, who you are, or whether you are in public, or whether innocent people are around we are going to kill you, and they will use any means to do it. “They don’t respect your human rights, they don’t respect your dignity and they have no concern, none whatsoever, for your safety and security. If we have not yet realised that, in the pursuit of their limited and narrow objectives, they are also pursuing the destruction of our State,” said Holness as he argued that an act of terror such as this is not acceptable in a free and democratic society. The prime minister pointed out that the profile of murders in Jamaica has changed in the last year, but said the security forces have also changed and have become more adept at their jobs. He said this has allowed them to solve numerous, and sometimes complex crimes, providing evidence that stands up in court. “There is no question that on any grading scheme our security forces have improved, significantly and that is why you are seeing the containment and the gradual reduction…in murders,” said Holness as he pointed out that in the recent instances of their criminal acts the “terrorists” are killing more people with a spate of double, triple or quadruple murders. Holness told the media briefing that there could be a number of factors fuelling this increase in multiple murders and this would need to be studied. “But it could also be that there is intelligence directing the barbarity, and we must never overlook that, that there is organised violence in our community, gang members whose sole existence is to create mayhem and chaos, and that…is the definition of terrorism. “We are going to respond, not with vengeance, not with the dispensing our dignity as a people to maintain our laws and to show the criminals that we don’t act like criminals, but to use the law with blunt force on them,” declared Holness.

JAMAICA’S Supreme Court Wednesday cleared Foreign Minister Kamina Johnson Smith in a lawsuit that claimed that a US$99,000 gift towards her failed 2022 Commonwealth secretary general bid had been mishandled. Acting Puisne Judge Justice Dale Staple, in his judgement, said: “It is my considered view that the claimant does not have the required standing to bring this claim and it should therefore be struck out. “It is also my finding that, even if he had standing to bring the claim, there are not sufficient grounds upon which to bring the claim. There is simply, in my view, no evidence of the breaches the claimant is asking the court to find that the respondents committed,” said the judge. The lawsuit was brought against the foreign minister by Jamaican American Wilfred Rattigan on behalf of himself and Jamaicans in the Diaspora. Her claimed that Johnson Smith and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs failed to comply with the statutory and administrative regulations under the Financial Administration and Audit Act (FAA) with respect to a US$99,000 donation/gift by “corporate Jamaica”. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service were named as second and third respondents, respectively. Johnson Smith, in response to the ruling, said: “Today, I stand before you with immense gratitude as the Supreme Court of Jamaica has ruled in my favour, having struck out the claim filed by Mr Rattigan against me and the ministry, and determined that he should pay our costs. “This ruling vindicates my integrity, as I have always maintained my innocence, and the court’s decision reflects the truth I have upheld from the beginning — that the case was baseless and unfounded. “I want to express my deepest gratitude to the many Jamaican people who have reached out to me with unwavering support and belief in my integrity during this challenging period. “I would also like to acknowledge the support of my family and colleagues and the hard work and dedication of my small legal team. Their expertise and commitment were instrumental in ensuring that justice prevailed. “As I move forward, I remain steadfast in my commitment to serving Jamaica as its foreign affairs minister. My focus continues to be on representing our nation with honour and integrity on the international stage. Together, let us reaffirm our dedication to transparency, accountability, and the values that make Jamaica strong.” In September 2022 the Government named GraceKennedy Limited, the Musson Group, and Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica head Keith Duncan as corporate Jamaica members that helped to finance the US$99,000 contract awarded to Finn Partners to provide international communication services for Jamaica’s candidature for the Commonwealth secretary general post. Rattigan, in the claim, charged that the finance ministry had failed to take appropriate action to compel Johnson Smith and the ministry to comply with the applicable statutory and administrative regulations. He further contended that Johnson Smith “failed to file a disclosure with the Integrity Commission regarding the donation she received that did not fall within the filing exceptions”. American firm Finn Partners had been contracted by local private entities to provide public relations, media relations, and thought leadership services for Jamaica’s candidature. The contest took place during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held in Kigali, Rwanda, from June 20 to 25, 2022. According to the suit, “it is abundantly clear that the monies paid to Finn Partners Inc for its PR efforts in support of the first respondent’s aforementioned campaign was a gift/donation and was therefore governed by the requirements of the FAA guidelines for the acceptance of gifts and donations in kind, and the Ministry of Finance and Planning’s guidelines for the acceptance of and accounting for gifts to the Government”. Rattigan also sought a declaration by the court that Johnson Smith and the Government of Jamaica failed to fulfil requirements of FAA Act and that she was obligated to report the income to the Tax Administration of Jamaica. He also sought to have the legal and administrative costs of $350,000 to bring the suit covered by Johnson Smith and the Government. The court said Rattigan’s remedy, if he has a suspicion that a breach of the Integrity Commission Act was committed by Johnson Smith, was to make a complaint to the Integrity Commission. It would then be a matter for them to investigate and prosecute as they see fit. But the judge said there is no evidence from Rattigan that he made such a complaint and then received a decision from the Integrity Commission concerning such a complaint, which is his duty under Section 37 of the Integrity Commission Act for him to make such a complaint either orally or in writing. “So, in the absence of proof of a complaint by Mr Rattigan or a request for investigation by Parliament under s 36(1) (which gives authority to the Parliament for the Integrity Commission to investigate an alleged act of corruption) and a decision thereon from the commission, the court cannot say that the proper procedure and thus the proper body would have been engaged in relation to the matters raised. “What is clear is that it certainly isn’t the lawful authority of Mr Rattigan to initiate a civil suit to determine whether a breach has been committed or not,” the judge said. Said the judge: “In this Court’s view, Mr Rattigan has failed to demonstrate, on a balance of probabilities, that he has any sufficient legal interest in the matters the subject of the relief claimed to bring a claim. He has not shown, in any of his affidavits, that he has been or will be materially or specially affected by any of the breaches complained of and that he will be made whole by the declarations sought. “Further, he has not demonstrated, on a balance of probabilities, that he has any authority, from any of the statutory bodies in place to bring this action. Nor has he demonstrated, on the balance of probabilities, that he has tried

It was smiles and congratulations all round as 50 newly promoted academic staff at the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech) were formally recognised for their progression to the ranks of professor, associate professor and senior lecturers at a special ceremony hosted by UTech President Dr Kevin Brown last Thursday. At the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Hotel, Papine campus, Dr Brown welcomed into the fold eight new professors, nine associate professors and 33 new senior lecturers, saying they were “the largest cohort of academics and members of faculties to be promoted” all at once. Dr Brown noted that approval came from the University Appointments and Promotions Committee (UAPC) at its meetings held on March 28, 2023 and on June 7, 2023, later ratified on April 19 and June 15, 2023, bringing them into effect in March and June 2023. “The recommendations for the appointments took into consideration the extensive body of teaching, research work and publication of all applicants, as well as their demonstrated leadership and service to the university and in the wider community,” he said. President Brown charged the new appointees to continue lending their expertise to the furtherance of the university’s mission by “breaking new frontiers in science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics ([TEAM], in a manner that will advance new knowledge and positive growth in society”. On hand to congratulate the new appointees were deputy chair UTech, Jamaica Council, Aldrick “Allie” McNab; state minister in the Ministry of Education and Youth, Marsha Smith; and guest speaker, Reverend Dr Stevenson Samuels, university chaplain and senior pastor of the Waltham Park New Testament Church of God. Responding on behalf of the promoted academics was professor of geomatics education and dean of the Faculty of The Built Environment, Garfield Young who thanked the UTech president for organising the event. For her part, Professor Shermaine Barrett, dean of the Faculty of Education and Liberal Studies, congratulated her fellow academics and encouraged them to “live life while it is happening” even as they stepped into their new ranks. The new professors are: Kamilah Hylton, chemistry; Damith Wickramanayake, computer science; Garfield Young, geomatics education; Marva Blankson, civil engineering; Gaunette Sinclair-Maragh, tourism development & management; Sonia Richards-Malcolm, clinical laboratory sciences; Earle Wilson, mechanical engineer, and Haldane Johnson, technical education and education administration. The associate professors are: Ava Simpson; Dean Reid; Lisa Facey-Shaw; Eraldine Williams-Shakespeare; Junior Martin; Susan Muir; Warrick Lattibeaudaire; Henry Lewis, and Balvin Thorpe. New senior lecturers are: Everton Lewis; Nellian Hutton Rose; Nikki Bramwell; Anthonette Patterson Bartley; Genevive Shaw; Gillian Mignott; Andrea Fender Longman; Modupeola Abayomi; Audrey Porter-DaCosta; Stephanie Mullings; Donna-Marie Newby; Petula Senior; Vivia Clarke; Meisha-Marie Paul; Kirk Wilson; Patricia Roberts-Brown; Sharon Hall; Shelly-Ann Irons; Damion Nesbeth; Terry-Ann Gaynor-Clarke; Courtney Palmer; Keniel Roberts; Elorene Hewitt; Jenevy Smith; Seymour Fisher; Milton Richardson; Rosalee Sawyers; Racquel Burton Edwards; Adonna Jardine-Corrine; Salvador Martinez; Abdul Antonie; Lisa Bromfield; and Kathleen Lobban.

MONTEGO BAY, St James — While many schoolmates of little Justin Perry and Nahcoliva Smith were dry eyed on Tuesday — their innocence shielding them from the ability to imagine the violence that claimed the boys’ lives a day earlier — the principal and his staff mourned openly. “It’s hard, it’s hard, it’s really hard, and we are not really handling it well. As for me, I am shaken up as the leader, and the entire staff — we are a close-knit school — is shaken up,” principal of Chetwood Memorial Primary and Infant School in Montego Bay, St James, Garvin Atkinson told the Jamaica Observer. Morning devotion, which he led, was emotional, and for much of the day the air was thick with grief that shrouded the adults. When Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang, Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson, and members of the security forces later gathered in the principal’s office to offer words of comfort, the school administrator’s cheeks were wet with tears as he spoke of the impact of the boys’ deaths. In seven-year-old Justin’s grade two classroom, a picture of him hugged the wall over the space where he usually sat. His classmates were kept busy recording a video message to his mother, telling her how much they missed him. His sobbing teacher, who asked not to be named, was held in the comforting grip of another child’s mother. The educator spoke of Justin’s humility and how he always tried his best. She is now left with the memory of the last time they spoke. “He would always say goodbye, and just like usual he came and said, ‘Goodbye, Miss.’ I can’t believe this would be the last thing I would say to him,” she said in tears. Nine-year-old Nahcoliva’s grade three teacher described him as helpful and a leader among his peers, both in terms of his height and his attitude. She said he would be missed. “He was an excellent student, one that could be depended on and who would always be ready to assist whenever necessary,” said the teacher who also asked not to be identified by name. The two boys were killed Monday evening, along with 26-year-old Tevin Hayle, when shots were fired into the taxi that was supposed to take them safely home after a day at school. All three were from Salt Spring, a community that had been shedding itself of a reputation as violence-torn. In recent weeks, the bloodletting returned to the area. The police theorise that Hayle was the target of Monday’s attack. He had been urged to turn himself in as cops probed the October 26 shooting of a couple near the gate of Salt Spring Primary School. According to the police report on Monday’s incident, about 5:20 pm a taxi operator was driving his grey 2006 motor car from Salt Spring heading to Montego Bay with Justin and Nahcoliva on board. Hayle reportedly stopped the vehicle and asked to be dropped at home. As he entered the car, a man armed with a rifle exited bushes along the right side of the road and opened gunfire at the vehicle. The two little boys and Perry were hit in the head and upper body. The taxi driver drove to the Montego Hills Police Station. Hayle and the boys were rushed to Cornwall Regional Hospital where they were pronounced dead on arrival. Police processing the scene of the shooting found five .308 spent casings. On Tuesday, Principal Atkinson called for a speedy resolution of the incident. “The law enforcement department must do their jobs swiftly to bring the criminals to justice. It must be swift because the parents of the children need closure; the children were innocent victims,” he urged. School board Chairman Judith White also called for swift action. “I would like to say to the politicians, the police, the major movers and shakers, ‘What are we going to do?’. These children were collateral damage; it could be me or you tomorrow. We need to stop this,” she lamented. “I am standing here, trying to fight back the tears because this school functions like a family, so all of the children belong to all of us,” she added. During his visit to the area, Minister Chang promised that everything will be done to bring the perpetrators of the crime to justice. “This kind of criminal activity and brutal activity cannot be, in any way, countenanced by any element of the Government and security forces. We will be mobilising all resources and possible legislative activities to hunt them down, find them, and apprehend them,” he assured. “They will be removed from the society, as is required, as fast as possible. Every effort will be made,” he said staunchly.

Education and Youth Minister Fayval Williams has chastised law makers for being too soft on the sentencing of people who commit murder, including children aged 14 to 17. Williams made this admonishment as she voiced her disagreement with the majority of legislators who have accepted the proposal that children convicted of capital murder should serve a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole. She is of the view that this sentence is too lenient and should be moved to 30 years, arguing that at the ages of 14 to 17, the child is “on the doorsteps of being an adult [and should know] right from wrong”. This matter of minimum sentencing for children falls under the Child Care and Protection (Amendment) Act, which is being reviewed by a joint select committee of Parliament. Speaking at the committee’s meeting on Tuesday, Williams said that while the figures for children in the age range of 14 to 17 who commit capital murder may seem like a small percentage, “remember, it’s what it is today; we don’t know five years, 10 years down the line what it will be and we continue to be very soft in our sentencing of people who have committed heinous crimes”. “You cannot imagine the pain of the parent who lost her daughter because the child in this age range brought an implement to school, stabbed her and killed her. And we’re sitting here being really, really soft and not sending the strong message that we are not going to tolerate crime in this country,” she said. In response, chairman of the committee, Delroy Chuck, said the committee has agreed that the sentence for capital murder for children can be life imprisonment or 50 years. “That person may well never see road again. If they get life or 50 years, they may not see road again until they’re 64 [years old] — if they get life,” he said. “What parole offers is that after 20 years or 30 years, as you suggest, that they are a different person from when they entered the prison, they could be allowed to continue their sentence up to 50 if they got the determinate sentence or continue the rest of their life, serving their sentence in the community,” he said. Chuck further noted that at any time, should they breach the parole conditions, they could immediately be returned to prison. “Why I would favour a lesser term [is] because, remember, for adults, we have said… even if you get paroled, it’s not before 40 years. But for a child of tender 14 to 17, we hope, say, within 20 years, it’s a different person who would still be serving the sentence in the community; and in the unfortunate situation they breach the Parole Act, they’re back in the prison, so they’re really serving their sentence in the community. “The good thing about parole is that most parolees are aware that the slightest breach, they’re back in custody, and that is why you have almost a 90 per cent success for parole because they are constantly checked on by social workers,” he said. Opposition committee member Donna Scott Mottley argued for an even lesser sentence of a minimum 10 years before being eligible for parole. She pointed out that she has taken into account all the submissions, including the view that incarceration is not what is advisable for children. “I have taken note of what I observe happening in the society where children really seem to have not got any values, any attitudes, any space in which they have grown to have an opinion as to what is proper conduct in certain circumstances,” she said. Scott Mottley said she has also taken into account the fact that experts have said that at that age, children are rarely able to make a considered decision; they don’t evaluate it to know right or wrong. “The minister, who has control of this Bill, is determined to send a very strong signal to the society, but I also think that one must consider that sometimes they are not the ones who have created their own circumstances. In fact, the society contributes very heavily towards the kind of child, the kind of Jamaican that we are producing,” she said. Scott Mottley’s Opposition colleague, Sophia Fraser Binns, agreed with the 10-year minimum sentence. At the end of the meeting, the majority of the committee agreed that children, aged 14 to 17 and charged with capital murder, will face life imprisonment or a minimum determinate sentence of 50 years; and in both cases, no parole before 20 years. The majority of the committee further proposed that for non-capital murder, the sentence would either be life imprisonment or 30 years determinate sentence. The minimum mandatory sentence before parole is 15 years.

HEAD of Fellowship Tabernacle Bishop Dr Merrick “Al” Miller has welcomed the public apology from the leader of a local church group whose members had shunned him after he was charged and convicted with perverting the course of justice for his role in the case involving drug lord Christopher “Dudus” Coke. “Let’s just say I am humbled and certainly grateful to God that it has come, and for that it’s really where we have to give God thanks,” Miller told the Jamaica Observer on Monday. “You have to bear in mind some of the reasons why things happen and when we don’t understand everything, and the Church and all of us are seeing things differently, things get clearer with the passage of time,” added Miller. He pointed out that his church ministry has always been one of engagement in society and not disengagement from society. “We are here to transform society and not to engage the negatives of society, but to help to make change, and sometimes it does create misunderstandings, so some see the ministry differently. So we just have to be grateful and give thanks because it shows we are moving in the right direction,” he said. “It is just a blessing for me and my family because the pain that they have carried, this [apology] has helped in the healing process of internal wounds,” said Miller, who was speaking with the Observer one day after president of the Independent Churches of Jamaica Bishop Dr Neville Owens issued an apology for the way Miller was treated by the religious community at the time of the Dudus débâcle. “We have hurt you, as a church. We have said and done things [and] in your absence we have made utterances, we have broken covenant, we have violated trust [and] we have left you exposed when we should have galvanised you and undergirded you and supported you,” Owens said to rousing applause during a service on Sunday at Fellowship Tabernacle. “We have left you wounded and scared on the Samaritan way. Sons and daughters have even left when they couldn’t wait because they couldn’t see the vision in their time. They did that to Jesus,” added Owens as he described Miller as “wounded within and wounded without”. “This day could not end without a public apology,” said Owens to even louder applause during the service in which Fellowship Tabernacle was proclaimed as a model church of the Kingdom of God for the 21st century with 21st century relevance. “So the Lord said He would wave away the reproach of Egypt [and] may the Lord roll away the reproach from Al Miller — accusations, insinuations — and may the Lord lift all burdens from your shoulder,” Owens added to thunderous applause from members of the main church at Fairfield Avenue in St Andrew and those visiting from its sister churches in Portmore, Mandeville, and Fort Lauderdale in the United States. As part of his prayer for Miller and his wife Jasmine, Owens said, “We embrace him, and the Kingdom of God within him. May it rise, may it come alive, may it multiply, may is spread like water.” Owens, who is the founder of Love and Faith World Outreach Ministries, pledged his support — financial and otherwise — to move Fellowship Tabernacle and its theology, which underpins its initiative to become the “manifestation of a model of God’s Kingdom-Nation in Jamaica and the Caribbean Province”. Fellowship Tabernacle started 37 years ago, birthed as a church for the kingdom of God for the nation and called to become a model church for the 21st century. Miller found himself in trouble with the law in June 2010 when he was charged after he was found in a car with Coke who was then Jamaica’s most wanted. The police claimed Miller tried to elude them with Coke, who was wearing a wig. In his defence, Miller insisted that he was taking Coke to the US Embassy for him to surrender to American authorities who had wanted him on several drug charges. According to Miller, his actions were in the interest of the country after a failed attempt by the security forces to arrest Coke in his Tivoli Gardens stronghold failed but left more than 70 people, including members of the security forces, dead. Miller argued that the situation was a crisis that had enveloped Jamaica, resulting in the loss of multiple lives, the country losing millions of dollars, and the destruction of Jamaica’s image. The court did not accept his arguments and he was found guilty and fined $1 million or 12 months in prison.

MINISTER of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator tor Kamina Johnson Smith has scoffed at calls for her resignation by the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP). The PNP has charged that Johnson Smith should go over Jamaica’s failure to vote on a resolution calling for a “humanitarian truce” in Gaza during a recent meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Opposition spokeswoman on foreign affairs and foreign trade Lisa Hanna made the first call for Johnson Smith to resign and doubled down in a column in this week’s Sunday Observer. “My call for the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kamina Johnson Smith to step aside last week was not taken lightly, and is not personal,” said Hanna in the column. “The Government’s excuse for Jamaica’s absence in the vote is unsatisfactory. The minister stated in a release that consultations did not conclude in time for Jamaica to participate. “There was no need for consultation. Jamaica is chair of the Caucus of Caricom (Caribbean Community) Foreign Ministers, which had already taken an agreed position in support; therefore, a simple vote of ‘yes’ with our other Caricom member states was appropriate. Instead, we have trampled on years of our courageous global activism,” added Hanna as she charged that Jamaica’s respected international stature has dramatically fallen under Johnson Smith. But speaking at the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Ocho Rios Division Conference on Sunday, Johnson Smith argued that Hanna was commenting without being aware of the facts. “I am not a lady who is into cass-cass. I am a lady who is into doing my work… and making Jamaica better. But if you bring crosses to me, I am going to defend myself,” declared Johnson Smith in what was clear a response to Hanna’s column even though she did not name the Opposition spokeswoman. “So this thing now ’bout I must resign, whey she come from with that? But sometimes some people are so hungry for the headline that them don’t do the work,” added Johnson Smith. The minister told Labourities at the meeting that if the person who called for her resignation had done even a little research she would have known that Jamaica had delivered a Caricom statement on the matter. “A statement [was done] on behalf of the whole of Caricom, including Jamaica; we write the statement, we draft it, we led the discussion on it. So it is not a thing nobody don’t know where we stand on the issue. A little communication thing happened, yes, and that was a problem and we are going to fix that problem,” said Johnson Smith as she charged that people who understand the system would know that it became complicated on the day of the UN vote. “Different countries were suggesting all kinds of different things that complicated the matter during the day. I want to tell you that if she had just done some research and listened to the statement, listened to the fact that Jamaica said that there should be a cessation of hostilities, Jamaica said there was no justification for killing innocent people, Jamaica said we call for peace…,” added Johnson Smith. The minister also rubbished Hanna’s claim that her decision or advice to the Government was “most egregious and disgraceful” and was destroying Jamaica’s “enviable reputation of courage and activism in the international arena and eroding years of consistently approaching decision-making on principle”. “Jamaica’s position on the world stage is strong. Don’t listen to what the PNP is saying. And there are some people who their thing is to bad-mouth Jamaica. I don’t know if that was who she was talking to but there are some people who are like that. “Jamaica is large and trusted on the international stage and nothing the PNP says will change that,” declared Johnson Smith, who faced additional calls for her resignation from PNP President Mark Golding Sunday night. Addressing a presentation of candidates at St Elizabeth Technical High School Golding said, while the PNP condemns what Hamas did in Israel it is convinced that “two wrongs don’t make a right”. “The citizens, the civilians in Gaza, they must not be punished for what Hamas did,” said Golding as he pointed to the number of people, including children, being killed in Israel’s response to the Hamas attack. “It is a disgrace and Comrade Lisa Hanna has called for the resignation of the minister of foreign affairs for what has happened in this instance and many things before, and I say time come for that too,” added Golding.

FALMOUTH, Trelawny — General secretary of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Dr Horace Chang said there is no immediate plan for a by-election in Trelawny Southern to elect a replacement for Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert who recently resigned as House Speaker and parliamentary representative. Chang, who is also the deputy prime minister, revealed that mayor of Falmouth, JLP councillor for the Warsop Division, C Junior Gager has been assigned to oversee the seat while a suitable replacement for Dalrymple-Philibert is being sought. “We are not that far down the road yet,” Chang told the Jamaica Observer in regards to possible plans for a by-election. “We have the mayor as a stellar councillor down there who will continue representation for the area. He is a successful councillor. The party will continue to make sure the organisation is in shape and provide the kind of service that a political party does. “We were looking at stabilising the situation and then seek to identify a candidate for the seat. Ms Dalrymple’s resignation was kind of sudden. It is not yet settled but we will have that settled fast. So we will organise for it. We have a clear picture of what they [constituents] want going forward and I am sure we will find a strong capable candidate pretty soon. That’s the first step,” Chang said. Dalrymple-Philibert stepped aside as Speaker of the House and Member of Parliament (MP) after a ruling by the Integrity Commission’s (IC) Director of Corruption Prosecution Keisha Prince-Kameka that she be charged for allegedly running afoul of the Parliament (Integrity of Members) Act, 1973 in her statutory declarations. Following her resignation, JLP supporters in the constituency staged a loud march in Albert Town demanding that she reconsider her decision. Gager; other councillors; minister of state in the Office of the Prime Minister (West), Homer Davis; as well as senior advisor and strategist in the Ministry of Tourism Delano Seiveright were among the JLP functionaries in attendance at the march. Seiveright’s presence promoted speculation among political pundits that he had interest in representing the JLP in the seat. But Seiveright told the Observer that he has not applied to the party to be the candidate for the Trelawny Southern nor for any another seat. “I have not applied for any seat. I’ll continue to focus on serving where I am to the best of my abilities and will continue to do so in many more capacities for as long as possible,” he said. “Additionally, Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert is a friend and one of the best, grounded, and among the hardest working MPs I have ever known. I do pray the situation is resolved soon,” he added. Dalrymple-Philibert had represented the constituency since 2007. General secretary of the People’s National Party (PNP) Dr Dayton Campbell has made it clear that his party’s focus is now on the general and local government polls and not any by-election in Trelawny Southern. “Our focus is really on having our candidates in place. I am of the view that the prime minister will call a general election before the illicit six are named. That’s my opinion. I don’t believe he is going to allow those persons to be named, especially with the precedence that Dalrymple-Philibert would have set — that you resign not only from whatever position you have in the Parliament or in the executive but also from the constituency,” Campbell said after a recent meeting of the PNP’s National Executive Council (NEC) in Albert Town, Trelawny.

Local Taíno peoples are holding close to their chests the whereabouts of their valuable indigenous ancestral relics and possessions out of fear that the Government and other groups might seek to claim them. The Yamaye Guani (Jamaica Hummingbird) Taíno Peoples, who have expressed this angst, say they are unwilling to share where these ancestral properties are located without their rights being fully established. The Yamaye Guani Leadership Council argued in a press statement yesterday that, although Jamaica is a signatory to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the State’s ratification of the declaration would further demonstrate the Government’s commitment to abandon colonial narratives and instead align with the protection of the rights of the Yamaye Taíno and all Jamaican indigenous peoples. “This crucial step will showcase the nation’s empathy towards the local indigenous communities, granting them the long-overdue recognition and respect they deserve,” the council said. It disclosed that consultation has started with the State-run Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT), with one of the aims being to grant the Yamaye Taíno unhindered access to ancestral burial sites, ceremonial sites, and ancestral remains currently in the possession of the trust and other government agencies. The Jamaica Observer’s attempts to reach the JNHT’s chief contact with the Tainos, Darion McGann, proved futile yesterday, as calls to his cellphone went unanswered. In the meantime, the council said that, unfortunately, the general public in Jamaica remains largely unaware of the existence of the local Taíno people, mainly due to “the prevailing colonial narrative that claims their mass extinction shortly after 1550 at the hands of the Spanish”. “However, since the emergence of the new Kasike (Taino chief) in 2019, the local Taíno community has taken significant steps to re-educate the local and regional population. The indigenous Taíno and Maroons of Jamaica now collaborate in indigenous rights activism through the Yamaye Council Of Indigenous Leaders [YCOIL] formerly the Maroon Secretariat,” the council said. It also noted that leader of the Yamaye Guani Taíno Peoples, Chief Kalaan Nibonrix Kaiman, and his community have been collaborating with other groups to organise and actively participate in local and regional indigenous events, such as the Indigenous Day Celebration in Newton, Massachusetts, and the participation of Kasikeíani (Chieftainess) Ronalda in the Caribbean Development Bank’s Indigenous Peoples Forum held in St Lucia. “These efforts aim to restore local identity and establish a strong foundation for future generations of Jamaican Taíno peoples, ensuring their freedom, equality, and protection from any form of discrimination based on their indigenous origin or identity,” the council said. The Taíno are a historic indigenous people of the Caribbean, whose culture has been continued today by Taíno descendant communities and Taíno revivalist communities. At the time of European contact in the late 15th century, they were the principal inhabitants of most of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti), and Puerto Rico. In the Greater Antilles, the northern Lesser Antilles, and The Bahamas, they were known as the Lucayans and spoke the Taíno language, a derivative of the Arawakan languages. The Lucayan branch of the Taíno were the first New World peoples encountered by Christopher Columbus in The Bahama Archipelago on October 12, 1492.

W ith the instruction given to vacate the rundown community centre in Back Bush, eastern St Andrew, to make way for its demolition and rebuilding of a modern apartment complex, residents who have made the space their home are asking for more time to relocate. “Some of us don’t have anywhere to go, and we can’t take three months to find somewhere so fast because some of us don’t have anywhere else; we are [living] here so long,” one occupant of the derelict building told the Jamaica Observer. The resident said Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Fayval Williams gave occupants until December 2023 to find alternative shelter when she met with them last month to show them the plans for the new structure. The occupant suggested that the residents be instead given until February or so next year to relocate, and for those who have nowhere else to go be provided with makeshift structures nearby in the interim. The MP first pledged to work on getting proper housing for the residents during her contribution to the State of the Nation Debate in the House of Representatives last year. She gave a recommitment during this year’s debate. “I am happy to say that recently I showed the residents a mock-up of the design that will go to procurement shortly,” Williams told the House on October 25. Included in her presentation was the architect’s rendition of what the building will look like. It depicts a state-of-the-art apartment building with modern aesthetics complemented by green spaces and a parking area, which is a far cry from the current dilapidated building. “It is in the final design stages to go to tender. My very ambitious goal is to cut the ribbon on this in the not-too-distant future,” Williams said then. The resident, who spoke to the Observer, said she was among the occupants who saw the plans for the new building, noting that Williams had disclosed to them that the new structure would take nine months to be completed. “The plan looks good, because you have first floor, second floor, third floor… We are happy for it, at least I know we are [going to be] living somewhere comfortable. We won’t have to be running up and down every minute and say Government going to come in to take away this from us,” she said. The occupant said the MP had also begun to work out how the apartments would be distributed in terms of the number of rooms each family would be assigned. The 62-year-old, who said she has been residing in the inner-city community since 1996, and has been living at the centre for the past three or four years, further quipped that, with better living arrangements, “I know I am going to live a happy life before God take me.” Located off Mountain View Avenue, the centre is home to about 30 individuals comprising adults and children from 12 families — including three generations of one family. When the Observer visited the community, formally known as Hampstead Park in the St Andrew Eastern constituency, last year, it was revealed that the building is a significant health hazard for its occupants, with no running water; a leaky roof; and pools of green, stagnant, mosquito-infested water in the foundation of the unfinished segments of the two-storey structure. Residents not only reported outbreaks of viruses and various skin infections, but they expressed concern about a dangerous unbarred ledge on the second floor from which they say five children have fallen and sustained injuries ranging from a broken arm to a cracked skull. Some residents have been living in the “captured” space for most of their lives. Still they insisted that while they do not wish to live in this squalor, they have no choice. While some occupants had welcomed the announcement by Williams then, there were others who were sceptical, with one resident saying she would have to “see it to believe it”, pointing out that she had heard that work was to have started to renovate the building but nothing has been done so far. “I heard that she [Williams] was going to start it last month and she buy some whole heap a sand, but the people them tief it. When she bring it, by the night, half of it gone,” the resident said.

With no let-up in the long-running practice of cutting down trees for personal and commercial use, local stakeholders and environmentalists are pleading that due diligence be taken to preserve Jamaica’s natural resources. Trees have historically been chopped for use as yam sticks by farmers and the burning of charcoal. However, some business operators are also utilising specific types of wood to prepare jerked meats, while fishermen use them to build fish pots. Environmentalist Damion Whyte pointed to negative implications of those actions but stated that there must be some common ground to avoid repercussions. He told the Jamaica Observer that the cutting of the trees plays a significant role in several booming industries, but the environmental impacts cannot be ignored. The cutting down of trees may impact climate change, leading to soil erosion and flooding. With that in mind, Whyte is calling for “balance”. “My stance as an environmentalist is that there needs to be a balance. We [need] to find a way to be sustainable. People are saying that the yam stick and the fishing industry are having an impact on the forest, but in some of these areas the people have been doing it for years. So how come they have been doing it for years in some areas and you still have forests? On the other hand, some areas they go and everything has been chopped down, so there needs to be a balance,” Whyte said. The trees targeted for jerking meat are referred to as aromatic trees. They include, but are not limited to pimento, and sweet wood. Whyte suggested that a system be developed to ensure that those trees are replanted by business operators once they are cut. “We need to find ways to encourage some of the players who are harvesting the [trees] to do something for conservation. For example, the jerk man or the big companies that are going in there to harvest the sweet wood and the pimento, they should be planting back some so it can be sustainable,” Whyte told the Sunday Observer. The environmentalist pointed out that he is not discouraging or bashing people who cut down the trees for various purposes, but maintained that “we have to be sustainable”. “People have to eat, so you have to find a way to supply the market so that they can get the sticks and protect the environment because they work hand in hand. If the people aren’t getting them, then they are going to go into the forests and chop it down anyway,” he said. At the same time, Whyte raised concerns over the trees that are being cut down for yam sticks as they are generally found in forests with very thick canopies. He stated that, with Jamaica’s forest areas being home to several endemic trees, 31 species of birds, and 21 species of bats, the industries that use cut trees need to be regulated to ensure that those species are protected. The cutting down of trees is, however, not a modern phenomenon said Roy Jones, retired director of Forestry and Soil Conservation at the Ministry of Agriculture’s Forestry Department. According to Jones, he and his team of foresters were forced to think outside the box as they faced an increase in the cutting down of trees for yam sticks. “I joined the Forestry Department in 1959 as a young forester and at that time all those forestry offences were major activities. We worked hard to prevent forest offences and, at the same time, prosecute some forest offenders too, because although the department was planting trees — pines and hardwoods like cedar, mahogany, and mahoe — we still had people cutting down the forest for burning charcoal. We even had a yam stick-growing project in the Forestry Department to produce some yam sticks,” Jones told the Sunday Observer. Jones explained that to discourage the cutting down of trees, especially species that are endemic to the island, they would identify different species to grow yam sticks to supply to farmers. He noted that the eucalyptus tree was the perfect species to “take the pressure off the forest”, so it was their preferred choice to plant. The Gliricidia sepium, otherwise called quick stick, was also planted for the same purpose. Jones further told the Sunday Observer that while the Forestry Department had no issues with pimento trees being chopped down, as the species is not found in forests, they had their hands full trying to protect the Canellaceae, also called wild cinnamon, from being cut down to jerk pork. “The pimento would be on the private properties, so we didn’t have any problems with people cutting down pimentos, but one of the species that they used to use was the wild cinnamon. They would cut down the wild cinnamon and use it when they’re jerking the pork because it gives it a nice flavour. But species like those are rare and you don’t find it scattered all over the place,” he explained. Jones said that the issues surrounding the cutting down of trees are still alive two decades after he retired from the Forestry Department. He is urging Jamaicans to consider the environmental impacts of their action. “You would think that a yam-growing farmer would have a portion of his farm specifically for producing yam sticks, if that is what he is using on the farm. If you have 10 acres [of land] you can take out an acre or two to grow your yam sticks. A species like the eucalyptus would be good because you don’t have to replant; once it is cut, it will spring up back and it grows fast,” Jones said. Senior manager for conservation and protection at the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) Andrea Donaldson told the Sunday Observer that the agency has always encouraged the replanting of trees. “The cutting of trees is not the issue, it is the cutting and not replanting that is a major concern. You will find that a lot