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The Chase Files Daily Newscap 5/4/2019

Good MORNING #realdreamchasers! Here is The Chase Files Daily News Cap for Saturday 4th May 2019. Remember you can read full articles for FREE via Barbados Today (BT) or Barbados Government Information Services (BGIS) OR by purchasing by purchasing a Saturday Sun Nation Newspaper (SS).

DLP DEFENCE – The man who led the Democratic Labour Party’s (DLP) campaign in the last elections, which ended in a disastrous 30-0 defeat at the hands of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP), says his party does not owe the people of Barbados an apology for their ten-year stewardship of the country. As a matter of fact, former ambassador to CARICOM, Robert Bobby Morris is adamant, despite the resounding rejection at the polls, that the DLP should be lauded for miraculously keeping the Barbados economy afloat. His comments came a week after former Minister of Culture and Sports Stephen Lashley called on the party to humble itself before the people of Barbados and openly acknowledge its mistakes. “I don’t take these things personally; the people have spoken, and they are the voice of God. My one thing is this, I don’t think we have to apologize to anybody because I am not buying the other people’s narrative. There is one narrative that I have, which is that the economy was so bad that holding it together was a miracle, but the cost would have been heavy and therefore we got beaten,” said Morris, who was delivering the Astor B Watts’ Lecture at the DLP’s George Street headquarters. Noting that previous election results across the region suggested that the tide was against the DLP regaining the Government in 2018, Morris gave the assurance this afternoon that the “Dems will rise again”. “The Dems will soar again and all you have to do is keep united. Don’t go in public criticizing other people in the party. If you have a difference of opinion there are places where you can take that difference of opinion. You are looking for sympathy, I am not looking for sympathy from anybody,” said Morris. From the same podium last week, Lashley said the DLP administration was at times guilty of arrogance. He also expressed regret over the manner in which the party conducted the 2018 campaign, noting that it smacked of negativity and therefore urged the new party leadership to devise and publicise a code of conduct to govern future campaigns. When asked to reconcile his stance with the position put forward by the former minister, Morris made it clear that he failed to see the arrogance and suggested that Lashley’s analysis may have been driven by emotion. “Our perspectives may differ; it does not matter because we all have a right to be honest. We also have a second right to be clear that we are analytical, and analysis is not something that is driven by emotion. It is something that you have to be very dispassionate about. Where was the arrogance? That is something I would have to go through chapter and verse because sometimes people mistake arrogance for confidence, and confidence in what you believe in can smack of arrogance,” said Morris. The former DLP Member of Parliament made it clear that Lashley was not speaking for the party and even questioned if he had discussed the subject of his lecture with the party administration before taking the podium last Friday. “Lashley has a position in relation to this party and I don’t think he was speaking for the party. Quite frankly I think those were his personal views. I don’t know if he had any mandate from the party before he spoke. I know I spoke to the officials and told them what I had to say because I don’t want to disrespect my officials,” he said. (BT)

COMMON ENTRANCE EXAM NEXT TUESDAY – Thousands of primary school students are expected to write the Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination (BSSEE) next Tuesday, May 7. A total of 3,382 students will sit this year’s examination, also known as the 11- Plus or Common Entrance Exam. That figure is down 44 students compared to last year. According to the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, this number comprises 1,766 males and 1,616 females, who are registered to write the examination at 22 secondary schools across the island. This year, 14 students have requested permission to write the examination at an early age (that is at 10 years). The ministry has also reported that 103 students have made requests to be deferred from writing the BSSEE until 2020. Of those, 84 were granted permission to defer. Forty students have also been granted exemptions from writing the examination. Additionally, there have been 106 special requests made by parents on behalf of their children. These were mainly for extra time, enlarged print and breaks for snacks. The BSSEE will also be taken by 142 non-nationals, who have met the immigration requirements. As a result of the May 7 exam, the Ministry of Education has advised that there will be no classes for students who attend secondary schools on that day, as these facilities will be used as examination centres. The BSSEE will begin at 9:00 a.m. and finish at 1:00 p.m. (BGIS)

RE-OPEN ALMA PARRIS – Government Minister Cynthia Forde says it was a “stupid” idea to close off Alma Parris Memorial Secondary School and pump the students who developed late into other secondary schools where there are no properly-designed programmes targeting their needs. Forde who is asking her Government to act with haste to resume classes at the Speightstown, St Peter institution, closed in 2017, said there was diagnostic testing at the institution and students benefited from smaller classes. “It was constructed, or developed, because we had children in those six or seven composite schools who were moving all over the place like a wave, no sense of direction. That school was purpose built and established for those late developers to find a niche, and the principal was there at the inception for more than ten years. “And other principals who were there would tell you that more than 200 of those students who passed out have become their own entrepreneurs, managing their businesses, doing things with leather craft, painting, are into cultural activities, and so on, but they are not criminals today,” she said. Forde, Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, added her voice to the call for Alma Parris to be reopened, as she delivered remarks during the recent launch of Child Month 2019 at Divi Southwinds Resort, Christ Church, where she also made the point that the school was critical for Barbados going forward. Forde said there was no point in schools, including Princess Margaret Memorial, St George Secondary, or Grantley Adams Memorial, bursting at the seams, because they were now required to take in additional students that should have been allocated to Alma Parris which was established on September 25, 1995. “Those were schools that were scaled down to 500 children the most at a point because Alma Parris pulled off the ones who would have scored under 30 per cent when they reached the 11-plus. And they were put into training specifically in the summer holiday of that year that they would have an extra year in school, and probably do the examination at 12 years old. “The history of Barbados must be piloted and chronicled so that people understand the background for Alma Parris. It didn’t just come out the sky, and the lady after whom it was named was one of the best Scout leaders in this country. I was trained under her, so I knew the lady as well. If it works well for us, why did you close it off?” (BT)

CHILD CARE BOARD APPEALS FOR MORE FOSTER PARENTS – Child Care Board chair Catherine Jordan wants more Barbadians to become foster parents in a bid to boost the numbers of registered foster parents by one-third. Jordan said although the Board holds the state responsibility to care for the nation’s children, every child deserves the opportunity to grow up in a normal environment. She made the call at the recent launch of Child Month at Divi Southwinds Beach Resort, Christ Church. “We want all Barbadians to assist our efforts to ensure the well-being of our nation’s children. So we invite you to partner with us in adopting or fostering a child to ensure that our children benefit from a loving, nurturing home. “Before you ask me what will happen to child care officers if we do too much adopting and fostering. The child care officer, instead of going into the homes, he would go into the community to see those children. Because we want to ensure that our children live in a normal environment as possible,” she said. Foster care offers family-based care for children who cannot stay in their original homes because they have been harmed or are at risk. In a partnership between the Child Care Board and an approved individual or couple, the board provides supervision and ongoing support to the child and foster parents. The child may receive short-term, long-term or emergency care. Foster parents may have to acquire additional parenting skills that will assist them in providing the care their ward may need. Senior Child Care Officer in charge of the Board’s adoption and foster care programme Colin St Hill told the launch that the board was hoping to move from 14 to 20 approved foster parents by the end of the year. “At present we have only 14 approved foster parents and obviously that is not enough,” St Hill said. “So we are looking to increase these numbers. I am hoping that by the end of the year we would have at least 20 foster parents. Residential care is really not the ideal place for children because it is a group setting. Children benefit more from individual attention.” The theme of this year’s Child Month is: Celebrating the Champion in You. Jordan said that throughout the month, all Barbadian children, not only those who are wards of the board, would be celebrated. She said she hoped that during this month, parents, teachers, the church and other organisations, redouble their efforts to ensure the total development of all children. “We all have an obligation to ensure that all children are raised in a nurturing environment. In an environment which sees them being developed in a holistic way; being developed physically, socio-emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. We must note though, that neglect of any one area will contribute to the development of an unbalanced child,” she said. Among several activities planned to commemorate the month are a National Children’s Service on May 10 at the New Dimensions Ministries, Barbarees Hill, St Michael. (BT)

MINISTER TOUTS ‘BUILDING BLOCKS SUCCESS – Declaring the first phase of the new Building Blocks youth entrepreneurship programme a success, Minister of Youth and Community Empowerment Adrian Forde has announced that work will soon begin on the project’s infrastructure. Once the approval process is finalized with the relevant regulatory agencies, Forde promised that communities known for negative behaviours will be transformed into attractive areas of business managed by young people making positive contributions to their personal, family and community development. Forde was speaking at the closing and awards ceremony of the Building Blocks Entrepreneurship and Life Skills Development Training course at the Parkinson Resource Centre, The Pine. Building Blocks is the youth ministry’s community-based social intervention that seeks to address rising youth unemployment with entrepreneurship training and technical assistance. The programme is intended to spur new venture creation among potential ‘blockenpreneurs’ from Bonnett’s, Ivy and The Pine, St Michael, and Silver Hill, Christ Church. The Minister noted that in a programme that was designed to accommodate an average of 25 people at each of its four locations, the fact that the project was able to attract over 145 participants, speaks volumes of the participants interest and in so doing, and dispels the myth that youth who congregate on blocks have no interest in development. “Let me assure you that we are moving steadfastly to expand the Building Blocks Project and as early as Wednesday next week, I will be joined by technocrats from my Ministry and other stakeholder agencies to examine additional locations where the project can be developed. “This process will continue until we have identified suitable locations in every constituency in Barbados. We will replicate the training model that was applied to the first four blocks and similar training will be provided to prospective beneficiaries at other locations.” Participation in the entrepreneurial and life skills development training is not restricted to youth who congregate on blocks, but is also opened to youth who have successfully completed training programmes offered by the Youth Development Programme and the Community Development Department and other agencies, he said. He stressed that the idea was to expose as many young people as possible to the opportunities afforded through self-employment and entrepreneurship, as to assist them in their personal development. “Indeed youth in this country will be seeing a resurgence of opportunities, a greater participation in national development initiatives, a renewed acceptance of their central position in the evolution of a new and caring society, access to resources to realise their dreams and ultimately a better quality of life themselves and their families,” Forde declared. Acknowledging that unemployment was the most pervasive feature of the youth experience, he said his ministry intends to work with the Ministry of Labour to identify skills gaps and target training in strategic areas. (BT)

NOT SO FAST, BEC – The recent suggestion by the Barbados Employers’ Confederation (BEC) that the four public holidays over the last two weeks resulted in major losses to the Barbados economy, has attracted a major backlash from the labour movement. Opposition Senator Caswell Franklyn and head of the Unity Trade Union told Barbados TODAY that over the years, the business community has continually sought to encroach on the respite allocated to workers. He made it clear that at this stage the workers have no more to give. “This is exactly what is happening, they are throwing out scare tactics because they want the laws to change. Did they now all of a sudden realise that this is the case? Every business that is set up in Barbados knows that they have to make provisions for these holidays” said Franklyn, who charged that similar tactics were employed in the push for 24-hour work days. Recently, Sheena Mayers-Granville, Executive Director of the BEC suggested that the public holidays of Good Friday, National Heroes Day, Easter Monday and May Day had amounted in $48 million in losses to the economy of Barbados. She called for rationalization of public holidays, arguing that in some years business productivity would be hampered for seven days in the first five months of that year as a result of public holidays. However, Franklyn called on the BEC Executive Director to demonstrate how she would have arrived at these losses. “I want to know how they computed these losses because it seems to me that they are just pulling a number out of the blue,” he said while also asking the BEC to quantify the losses suffered by workers, who are not allowed adequate time with their families. Additionally, the outspoken Opposition senator dared the BEC to name which of the public holidays they would want to see dropped from the calendar, as the majority of them are religious while the others are major national hallmarks. “Look at the holidays that we have in Barbados. We have four holidays that are not religious. So which one of the four will the employers want to get rid of? This afternoon Democratic Labour Party (DLP) stalwart and longstanding trade unionist, Robert ‘Bobby’ Morris also expressed similar concerns, noting that a likely target would be Errol Barrow Day, which falls on January 21. He argued that given the fact that trade unions have made it clear that May Day is not to be touched, the day designated for the father of Barbados’ independence could be at risk. “I don’t think anybody in Barbados would even begin to think about getting rid of May Day but there is a strategy going on here and that is they want to move Errol Barrow[Day] as a national holiday and put him with Heroes’ Day. This is a kite flying exercise that we are watching right now to see how the wind is blowing,” he charged during the Astor B Watts’ Lunchtime Lecture. The issue has also attracted the attention of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB), who maintain that while financial losses will be suffered, “there can be no alterations to the observance of the annual religious holidays and such important national holidays as May Day, Independence Day and Kadooment Day.” However, in a media release this afternoon, the umbrella trade union body stated that “against the backdrop of our ailing economy, CTUSAB recognizes the importance of putting measures in place towards keeping persons employed, and in maintaining production levels and productivity.” (BT)

$40 MILLION SCANNERS IN TWO MONTHS – The first of two new scanners for the Bridgetown Port will be in Barbados in two months. Attorney General Dale Marshall gave this update this morning while reminding Barbadians that Government will be beefing up security with the addition of the two new container scanners. Delivering remarks at the opening of the Caribbean Security Basin Initiative Commission meeting at Radisson Hotel, this morning, the AG said it was not good enough that only one scanner has been working at the Bridgetown Port over the last two years. The Attorney General said “In order to make sure that our environment is not compromised, we have decided to commit the sum of $40 million, to acquire two new scanners, the first of which would be delivered within the next six to eight weeks. The second will be delivered certainly before the end of this year to ensure that we can target as great a percentage of container traffic coming into Barbados for scanning. “And therefore the Advanced Cargo Information System (ACIS) is one that lends itself to Barbados, and it is one that would see our support. “A lot of what we are doing now though, had its genesis over ten years ago. It is ironic that the occasion for a lot of our security initiatives had to do with the sport that Barbados and the rest of the Caribbean enjoy so much, that being cricket. One would think that the cricketing environment is an occasion of festivity and laughter and revelry and celebration,” he said. The Attorney General noted that at the time when the Caribbean won the bid to host the largest cricket tournament in the world, CARICOM nations recognized that it in order to be a safe environment for visitors, security measures needed to be transformed.” In February this year, Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy Kirk Humphrey while addressing Barbados Labour Party (BLP), St Joseph constituency branch meeting, indicated that an alarming number of shipping containers has been entering the country through the Bridgetown Port without being scanned by customs officer, leaving a gaping opening for the importation of illegal firearms. Humphrey said then that less than six per cent of the cargo leaving the port was being scanned. (BT)

MORE KIOSKS COMING – Government is to triple the number of immigration kiosks at the Grantley Adams International Airport as the pilot project has yielded limited success in speeding up the border entry process, Minister of Home Affairs Edmund Hinkson has told Barbados TODAY. Declaring that the 16 kiosks in the arrivals hall are far from adequate, he said 32 more stations were on order. “This is an ongoing process. The kiosks were bought in 2016 and were never used until last year August when we started the project. You could appreciate that 16 kiosks are not enough, and the airport has ordered 32 more and when those arrive, we would have sufficient. This process had teething problems in all of the countries where they are now functioning fully and we will get there as well. “With only 16 kiosks and five planes on the ground from Britain and North America, especially on a Saturday and a Sunday, this is where we begin to see the problems because of the insufficiency of kiosks,” he said. The Minister added that while the plan is to phase out the immigration entry/departure forms, the current digital platform does not allow for the input of all necessary information, limit the garnering of requisite information on non-Barbadian arrivals and important tourism data. He said: “ Not all of the information that is on the front of the form is keyed into the kiosk. This is all right for Barbadians because as I have been telling Immigration for a long time, as a citizen you don’t need to know my address because the state has all that information already.” The Home Affairs Minister expressed confidence that with the additional kiosks, coming legislation and plans to expand the digital platform to allow for the input of more data, the airport’s efficiency will be vastly improved. “Right now, Barbadians can safely use these kiosks without filling out any E/D forms. The problem right now is that we need statistical information for our tourism, so we are in the process of getting that platform to continue after the removal of the E/D cards. “The last challenge relates to legislation because the European Union has strict laws as it relates to privacy for their citizens. Therefore, we will be bringing to Parliament very shortly the Data Protection Bill.” Hinkson urged Barbadians to be patient throughout the process, noting that Government is fully cognisant of the importance of getting this component of travel fully in place. “It is a process and as the Prime Minister [Mia Mottley] has said as recently as Monday, this is not an ‘abracadabra’ type of thing. We will fix it, there are no miracles involved here and we ask for patience because we will get there,” he stressed. (BT)

BWA BEGINS NIGHTLY SHUT OFFS - The Barbados Water Authority started nightly shut-offs from tonight in an effort to relive the customers in St Joseph. In a media release yesterday the BWA said the nightly shut-offs on the transmission mains between Bowmanston and Golden Ridge, as well as from Applewhaites to Golden Ridge in order to effect the recharge of the Golden Ridge Reservoirs. It is anticipated that this intermediate measure will allow the Golden Ridge Reservoirs to recover overnight to allow for longer hours of pumping to Castle Grant during the daytime. It advised its customers that the cut off will start from 9:00 p.m until 4:00 a.m until further notice. (SS)

CHERRY RELIEF PLAN – Anderson Fat Child Cherry is assuring residents of Lower Estate, St George he is working on having a swift resolution to finally end the landfill impasse. Speaking to Barbados TODAY Cherry said he was in the process of removing scrap metal from the dump. That metal has to be cut and this is taking longer than anticipated. “We are still actively removing the metals. Most of the recyclables have been taken out and it is only metals that are still out there at the top of the quarry floor,” he said. The businessman said he was more concerned about the health and safety of residents as opposed to counting his losses with the closure of the landfill. “The loss of revenue is not important to me. It is the health and safety of the residents that are more important to me. I am concerned about the residents,” he said. However, spokesperson of the St George North Western Community Group Roger Craigg suggested that nothing has changed since the abatement notice was issued by the Ministry of Health in December 2017. He further noted that a few weeks ago residents in the Lower Estate Palms area complained they were having a foul odour emanating from the dump. Thus, Craigg wants to see the area restored to its former beauty. “We want our environment to return to a state of normalcy and that was established in our very first meeting when we had asked him to pick up his stuff, clean the quarry and go. That was our intention from the beginning. We need to have back our community the way it was,” he said. Craigg also noted his displeasure with the way in which the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Ministry of the Environment handled the residents’ complaints. Referencing a letter dated November 27, 2017 which was sent to the Chief Environmental Officer and which to date has had no response, the spokesman offered this as evidence that the concerns of the residents of St George have fallen on deaf ears. “We have been crying out for a while and we are not getting the response from the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of the Environment as we think we should. They should make sure the quarry is cleaned up and that is the ultimate goal for all of us,” he said. Outspoken resident Ian Proverbs believed Cherry tried his best but needed assistance to properly handle the ongoing situation which has been plaguing the residents since 2017. “I am not going to say he has not tried because I would be misleading you if I said that because he has tried. The issue is beyond Mr Cherry and it needs further expert input and I think it is time the Government looks towards bringing some expertise into the area,” he said. Multiple calls to the Chief Town Planner at the Town and Country Planning Department remain unanswered. (BT)

FIRE VICTIMS MAKE MATERIALS APPEAL – A member of the family of 12, whose St Philip wood and wall house was destroyed by fire on Monday, is asking for donations of building materials. Thirty-year-old Andre Howard, told Barbados TODAY that his family was struggling to come to grips with the massive loss, but noted that members of their Lucas Street, St Philip community were offering to lend a hand in the rebuilding process. He said the family would gladly accept building material to assist with rebuilding the house where he, his parents, siblings and their children, lived. “We are trying to rebuild at some point. But right now friends and other family members are trying to do some fundraising events to try to raise a bit of funds so we could get some material to rebuild. “Hopefully that goes well and hopefully before the end of the year we would start rebuilding. Everyone saying they would pitch in to see what they could do. “Truthfully, if we could get some assistance with building materials that would be grately appreciated. I am now working closely with some contractors who are willing to provide labour and some material. So getting building material is a major concern for us at this point,” Howard said. The young man explained that the house was uninsured because it was still under construction. “We were expanding it from what it was and it wasn’t finished so we never got it insured,” he said. Howard, who is staying with a family member, said though it was difficult not to look back at his beloved home where he lived most of his life before it was gutted by fire, he was trying to be positive and was looking forward to what it would be like when it is rebuilt. He was asleep when the fire started and was awakened by his niece who informed him that the flames were taking over their home. “When I do sit and think about it, it just gives me a headache. So I just try to look forward to getting back on my feet at some point. We lost pretty much everything. Yes I know that the clothes and those things are material things that can be replaced, but you know, I was pretty much born and raised in that house. “Usually when I leave home I have that feeling I am going to return to that home, but knowing now there is no home to go back to is a hard one.” (BT)

PEDESTRIAN WHO DIED AFTER ACCIDENT IDENTIFIED – The man who succumbed to injuries after an accident along Vauxhall Road, St James has been identified. He is Shawn Anderson Blackman, 43 years, of Fairview, Christ Church. Blackman, a pedestrian, was involved in a collision with a minibus on May Day around 6:05 p.m. Police were not aware of his identity at the time because he said his name was Michael Blackman, Shawn Blackman and Charles Blackman. A public appeal was made to identify him. He was listed in critical condition at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, but passed away on Friday. (SS)

CAR REQUESTED – Lead attorney of former calypso monarch Aziza Kebret Tsgaye Clarke has made an application in the Magistrates’ Court for her vehicle to be returned to her. Queen’s Counsel Michael Lashley made the submission before Magistrate Elwood Watts in the Oistins Magistrates’ Court today on the grounds that the vehicle MC92 was no longer of any use to law enforcement officers as they had already taken photographic evidence. After hearing Lashley’s arguments the matter was adjourned until May 16 when prosecutor Station Sergeant Rudolph Burnett will respond to the submissions. Magistrate Watts is also expected to deliver his decision on that date. The 23-year-old Clarke, of Unit 4 Bonnetts, Brittons Hill, St Michael, remains on $20,000 bail. Her substantive cases will continue in the Oistins Magistrates’ Court on August 13. Clarke is facing a number of charges which allegedly occurred on March 21 in Graeme Hall, Christ Church, including an indictable charge of assisting murder accused Hakeem Roberto Stuart, who was charged for the brazen daylight shooting of Damian Trotman at Sheraton Mall. Clarke is also accused of assaulting a police officer in the execution of his duty; resisting arrest and committing criminal damage. She pleaded not guilty to these three offences. Additionally, she was charged with failing to stop at the sound of the police siren; failing to register motor vehicle MC92 and using a vehicle without having it insured to which she also pleaded not guilty. (BT)

ADDICT HEADS BACK TO PRISON – Well-known offender Peter Sean Harding today admitted that his crimes over the years have been escalating due to his cocaine addiction. The 49-year-old of 1stAvenue, Jackson, St Michael gave a candid explanation of his situation in an address before Magistrate Douglas Frederick after pleading guilty to theft and apparatus possession charges. He admitted that he stole a laptop, an electronic scale rule, a laptop bag and a flash drive worth $3,000 belonging to Michael Brathwaite. He also acknowledged having cocaine paraphernalia – a small bottle used to smoke – in his possession between April 3 and May 1. “My history shows that most of my convictions are for apparatus and theft. Little crimes that do not have the potential for murder or aggravated burglary. Over the years I have seen that my crimes have been escalating because of the use of drugs . . . cocaine,” Harding explained. He went on to inform the District ‘A’ Magistrate that he had been good since his last prison stint but relapsed a month ago. “I got a chance at Verdun House but I got into a fight and that is on my file. I have been doing a concerted effort to change but I don’t think prison is the only way I can change me life, give me an opportunity at Psychiatric Hospital,” he added. The magistrate however informed him that he had been given opportunities to reform on many occasions. Harding was sentenced to nine months at Dodds on the theft charge and three months on the apparatus. The sentences will run consecutively. (BT)

King pleads not guilty - A 40-year-old man secured $3,000 bail today after a successful application in a Bridgetown Court. Antoine Mark King of Mountview Drive, St Lucy is accused of using the threatening words “I will blow up all of wanna. You see you Indian woman, I gine damage you,” towards Angela Clarke on March 5 and for also sending the threatening message “I will kill you and I will damage you” towards Clarke via a telecommunications network on March 15. He pleaded not guilty to both charges. Sergeant St Clair Phillips objected to bail based on the accused’s criminal record and the nature and seriousness of the charges and fears that King would re-offend. Attorney-at-law Shelly-Ann Seecharan who was holding a watch and brief in the matter also informed the court that King had antecedents under the name Antoine Niles. She further submitted that the complainants were volunteers at an organisation, which has had to close temporarily due to King’s threats. “The organisation is situated on the compound of a church and school . . . the threats extend not only to the complainant but to other persons,” Seechran said. However, in his application King, who stated that he had legally changed his name some ten years ago told the magistrate it was easy for “anyone to say he threatened me.” “If I wanted to blow up something I would not be here today. It would be done blow up,” King said. From the lengthy application Magistrate Douglas Frederick summarised that the accused wanted to find out why it had taken a long time to charge him with the offences given the situation. However, the prosecutor was unable to give a satisfactory response, as he was unable reach the substantive investigator on the case. King was granted bail to return to the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on September 25. In the meantime he was been warned to stay away from the complainant as well as the organisation. (BT)

CLOSER TO HOME – A Latin American man stranded here for months no longer appears to be stateless and is one step closer to returning to his reputed homeland. But Juan Abrahan Ramirez Rijo remains in custody at HMP Dodds as immigration officials seek to secure him a valid Dominican Republic travel document to repatriate him. The Immigration Department today revealed that it was now in possession of Ramirez’s birth certificate following in-depth investigations through local and international entities of his identity. The Dominican Republic has so far refused to accept his return without documentary evidence of his nationality. Speaking through an interpreter, Immigration Officer Terry Simmons told the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court: “We have in our possession a birth certificate for Mr Ramirez Rijo. Through the efforts and assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs we have submitted the documents through the Dominican Republic Ambassador for Trinidad. “Yesterday we, that is, the Chief Immigration Officer, myself, along with a representative from an international organisation visited Her Majesty’s Prison Dodds. “We had a conversation with the Ambassador and his assistant [and] the Ambassador and his assistant also communicated with Mr Ramirez Rijo,” The 35-year-old construction worker, whose address is listed as Calle Sanches, Casa 112, San Pedro, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, has been on remand at Dodds for the past 28 days after pleading guilty to criminal damage. He admitted to criminal damage at the Grantley Adams International Airport detention centre where he was being held initially. An external door, two door locks and hardware, a washroom doorframe and drywall were damaged as the stranded man became belligerent, the court had learned. Sergeant St Clair Phillips told the court that when the accused first appeared in court on April 6, an immigration department supervisor was informed that Ramirez had defecated in the room and placed some of the faeces inside a Styrofoam container and pushed it under the door. He also held onto the door and shook it until it was damaged. His actions were caught on CCTV camera. Ramirez was one of 13 people rescued by the crew of a cruise ship en route to Barbados on December 20 from a small vessel, which was adrift 47 nautical miles from Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. The 13, including a pregnant woman, were medically examined, found to be in good health, and were housed here “in a secure location” until they were identified. They were also allowed to contact family and friends in an effort to return home. After being held here for two weeks, all but Rijo were returned to their homeland. But Simmons reported to Magistrate Douglas Frederick that his department had made progress with their repatriation efforts. The immigration officer said: “We had a conversation with the Ambassador and his assistant [and] they have given an undertaking to seek authorisation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Dominican Republic in order to prepare a travel document in order to facilitate Mr Ramirez Rijo’s repatriation to the Dominican Republic. “They have given us their commitment in bringing this matter to a resolution as quickly as possible. They have apologised for the delay. “The Immigration Department is optimistic that we should be able to have a resolution to this matter and we are hoping that this could be done within the next two weeks or so. “We have resubmitted a photograph of Mr Ramirez Rijo in order to assist in the preparation of the document. So we are awaiting a response from the Dominican Republic and we hope to have this matter resolve very quickly.” Through the interpreter, Ramirez told the magistrate that he understood what was happening even as he made a request to be sent back to the same airport facility that he had damaged. He submitted: “Since there is a solution so that I could get back to my country all I am asking you, sir, I don’t want to be in prison anymore. This prison is very, very bad… that is a death sentence. I promise you that within these two weeks I am going to behave well at the airport. The food can kill you over there [at Dodds], with the highest respects sir I am asking if you can help me in this regard.” But Magistrate Frederick denied his request, saying: “You were at a facility that was more accommodating and the persons there have reported that they are afraid of [you] and in the circumstances I have no choice but to keep [you] at [HMP Dodds] for this short period.” Ramirez responded: “Again in the prison is more suffering, all the time I am in prison it is sending me crazy and I have not even committed any crime. Your honour, no more prison, please! No more prison, please! But the stranded man’s plea fell on deaf ears as he was again remanded to prison until May 20. (BT)

ASSOCIATION OF CARIBBEAN MEDIA WORKERS WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY MESSAGE – The Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) has called on journalists across the region to “embrace the tenets of good journalism by giving verified facts without the taint of bias.” In a message yesterday to mark world Press Freedom Day, being observed under the theme “Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation”, ACM President Anika Kentish noted that media remains the cornerstone of any democratic society. “We bring governance issues to the forefront, expose flaws in the justice system, we are the whistle blowers when corruption looms and we are the window into the electoral process. For us to continue to be that key player in the democratic process, we must ensure that information is relevant, timely and, most importantly, accurate.” She added that if elections are to be free and fair, journalists must understand that the coverage of elections is not like a regular beat. “It is tracking a complex system with several moving parts and many opportunities for operatives to pervert the process in hopes of swaying the results in their favour. Disinformation poses a very real threat to the electoral process, so verification of facts is paramount to a free and fair electoral system.” The ACM President recognised there is a global trend of foreign interference in the electoral process “and while this kind of meddling may seem like a distant reality, we must recognise that we in the region are not immune from similar intrusions by geopolitical or commercial interests.” “The challenge is that despite having more access to information than ever before, disinformation is more rampant than ever,” she said. Meanwhile Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris of St Kitts Nevis, has reaffirmed his support and respect for the free press, which he says is “an enduring and unshakeable institution that is essential to maintaining a strong democracy here in St Kitts and Nevis and, indeed, everywhere.”“Here in St Kitts and Nevis, my Administration and I take our responsibility to inform the public very seriously. The Government frequently shares important information with the press and public, providing an open environment in which they can present and debate effectively the issues and concerns that matter most to voters – and to the future of this great country – and also assess the performance of their elected representatives,” the Prime Minister said. (SS)

MOE: FREE AND RESPONSIBLE PRESS – Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Public Affairs, Senator Lucille Moe, has called for society to use social media for good and not abuse it. In a statement to mark World Press Freedom Day 2019 today, Moe acknowledged social media had allowed credible journalists to share their stories and for “diverse voices to have their issues heard”. It had also given rise to citizens journalism with internet-ready devices, but cautioned: “. . . the hard fought right to exercise journalistic freedom in a fair and democratic society is in some ways devalued by those who, because the internet and social media are still largely unregulated, escape controls pertaining to libel, decency and good order”. Moe called for us to “find ways to maximize the constructive features of this phenomenon while reducing scope for it to be abused and misused”. (SS)

US EMBASSY MARKS WORLD PRESS DAY – The United States Embassy in Barbados marked this year's World Press Freedom Day by hosting an interactive webchat event on Thursday entitled Reporting for Democracy: The Role of a Free Press in Elections. The worldwide event, organised by the US Department of State, focused on the essential role that media plays in supporting elections and democracy, especially in the face of the increasing challenges of disinformation, declining trust in news media and intimidation and violence against journalists. In keeping with the theme of World Press Freedom Day 2019, panel members Lucinda Fleeson and Peter Clottey discussed several topics including how the digital transformation of media is affecting election reporting and how increasing pressures on a free press undermine democracy. Several members of the local media joined Embassy staff in participating in the global discussion. (SS)

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