31 mei 2005
Man jailed for robbing woman at knife-point at bus park
Mark July
Mark July being armed with a knife on Friday robbed Denise Benjamin of one gold chain, one gold ring and one gold band, a total value of $13,500. Before he was sentenced, July told the magistrate, "Deh get back deh thing."
According to reports, Benjamin was walking in the vicinity of the Kitty/Campbellville bus park when July approached her and placed a knife to her neck.
He then relieved her of the jewellery and attempted to escape. He was however captured by public-spirited citizens who handed him over to the police. July pleaded guilty to the charge of robbery under arms. (Stabroek News)
Prisoner shot while trying to escape
A man who was remanded to prison on his second Court appearance yesterday was shot by the police after he made a daring dash for freedom about midday from the Sparendaam Police Station compound. According to reports, Sidney Johnson, 37, was being escorted from the Magistrate’s Court when he tried to escape. The injured man of ‘D’ Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown, was shot while hiding behind tombs in the Sparendaam Cemetery.
Reports said about 12:45 h Johnson was being escorted back to the Sparendaam lock-ups after attending Court when he made his bid for freedom. Police opened fire and Johnson was hit in the abdomen. He is now a patient under police guard at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Johnson is before the court on a charge of throwing a corrosive substance on his spouse. He was yesterday further remanded to prison when the incident occurred.
Shortly after the shooting incident, two armed policemen appeared at Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court entrance to guard the prisoners. Residents yesterday commended the police for their swift action in apprehending the prisoner. (Guyana Cronicle)
Saffon Street murder and robbery trial
Accused gets 11 years for unlawful killing
JUSTICE James Bovell-Drakes yesterday imposed an 11-year prison sentence on 23-year old Roger Moore, for the unlawful killing of 45-year old Security Guard, Chaetram Etwaru, on May 16, 2002. Following the robbery of Jairam’s Store and the shooting to death of the security guard, Moore, who participated in the robbery but did not shoot, was arrested and charged with murder.
When the matter came up for hearing at the sessions before Justice Bovell-Drakes, the accused said he had no knowledge that his partners in crime were armed, and that he was surprised when he heard the report of a firearm. Represented by Ms. Nicole Pierre, the accused told the Court Registrar that because of the circumstances in the case he was prepared to plead not guilty to murder, but guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter. The Prosecutor, Ms. Donelle Harding, and the Judge, agreed to the proposal.
Following the plea, defence counsel had asked the Court to defer sentence to accommodate a Probation Report. The judge granted the request and decided on a policy with the hope of arriving at an appropriate sentence. The sentence policy was to decide on the proper penalty for a man who pleaded not guilty to murder, but guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.
In her narration of the facts, Prosecutor Harding told the Court that on Thursday May 16, 2002, at about 1.30 p.m., Moore, along with two other men visited Jairam’s Store at 222 Saffon Street, Charlestown.
According to her, the men visited the store in order to rob the store. In the process of the robbery, Etwaru was unlawfully shot and killed. The post mortem report submitted by Dr. Nehaul, revealed that the cause of death was due to perforation of lungs and liver resulting from gunshot wounds. A bullet was retrieved from the body of the deceased.
The Prosecutor added that the State relied on the caution statement of the accused taken on July 10, 2002. In that statement, Moore had said: “I heard ‘blam’ like a gunshot, and look and see Floydy and Anthony come running in the shop. I saw Floydy had a gun in his hand. It was then I knew he had a gun. I got frightened because we did not plot pon dat.” The prisoner took the sentence calmly. (George Barclay/Guyana Cronicle)
26 mei 2005
Antigua-Barbuda police to challenge vacation order in court
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| Top cop Delano Christopher (left) keeps a firm eye on Steadroy Benjamin (right) | |
ST. JOHN'S, Antigua: It has been one week since the government of Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer undertook what former Financial Secretary Lenox Weston, speaking on the popular ZDK Radio called the "Friday Night Massacre" of the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda, when some 18 officers, including the upper echelons of the force, were sent on three months’ vacation with immediate effect.
Speaking in his weekly a address to the nation last Sunday, Prime Minister Spencer announced that "in my capacity as Prime Minister and Minister of National Security and in discharge of the constitutional authority vested in my office, I have initiated a number of critical changes in the high command of the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda."
In a move that created history, a 36-year police veteran, Woman Police Constable (WPC) Delano Christopher, took control of the 500-plus strong force and is now the Acting Commissioner of Police.
However a number of police officers who received their letters late last Friday night have challenged the Government's right to send them on what is being seen as "forced vacation" and have secured the services of several lawyers.
Steadroy Benjamin, who served as a Minister of Government in the former Antigua Labour Party (ALP) Administration when he held the portfolio of Minister of Labour, has called the government's action illegal. He forms part of a four-man team who have been retained to fight the officers’ case as they challenge the government's action.
The matter which has become a major talking point across the country could also end up before the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) when they gather in Castries, St. Lucia later this year for the 26th General Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government.
Speaking in St. John's on last Tuesday, the political leader of the Opposition ALP, Lester Bird, in lending a sympathetic ear to the police, called the government's action "crude and vulgar" adding that it is a patent contempt for police officers. He hinted that his party will use the meeting between CARICOM Heads and Opposition Leaders slated for July 2nd to highlight the manner in which the police officers were treated.
Ironically, it was Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer who, upon taking office in 2004, called on CARICOM Leaders to include regional Opposition Leaders in their yearly deliberations arguing that they too are part of the governance of their respective countries. (Sarrah Hadeed/Caribbean Net News Antigua-Barbuda Correspondent)
24 mei 2005
Two cops testify as PI into salara murder opens
Raymond Semple, called `Bundo', is charged with the murder of George. Semple is said to have committed the offence on February 15. Semple's lawyer Vic Puran cross-examined Detective Corporal Sherlock Houston and Detective Sergeant Kenneth Welcome.
According to the police, a vendor named Shelly Bent left one of her daughters in charge of her stand and went out. The deceased reportedly went to the stand and stole two slices of salara (a cake with red-coloured grated coconut filling).
The deceased was reportedly seen by Semple, who is a relative of Bent. Semple allegedly chased the deceased into a shack where a scuffle developed. During the scuffle the deceased was allegedly stabbed several times before receiving a fatal stab to the stomach.
21 mei 2005
Three years imprisonment for narcotics possession
MAGISTRATE Kim Kyte yesterday sentenced Sunil Ravi Mohan, of Hampshire, Corentyne, to three years imprisonment for possession of illegal drugs. The prisoner pleaded guilty, at New Amsterdam Court, in Berbice, to having half gramme of cocaine and a similar amount of cannabis (marijuana) on May 18.
Police Inspector Ovid Fraser, prosecuting, said cops on mobile patrol, in the village where he lives, saw Mohan acting suspiciously and a search of his person yielded the narcotics in his pockets. In addition to the prison sentence, Mohan was fined $10,000. (Guyana Cronicle)
History made in Antigua-Barbuda as woman appointed police chief
Officers James Hill, Elton Martin and Rolston Pompey (left to right) are now history
ST. JOHN'S, Antigua: Some two weeks after announcing the establishment of a special task force designed to halt "organized crime and corruption by government officials," the excitement in Antigua and Barbuda has been heightened with the news that a woman now heads the 500 plus strong Royal Police Force after the top brass has been "sent packing."
Members of the force
Officers at Police Headquarters on the American Road confirmed to Caribbean Net News on Saturday that Acting Commissioner of Police Rolston Pompey and his second-in-command James Hill have both been sent on vacation.
In a history making move which took immediate effect, Deputy Commissioner Delano Christopher is now acting as Commissioner of Police.
Pompey took control of the troubled force some nine months following the removal of former Acting Commissioner of Police Elton Martin, who had earlier replaced Commissioner of Police Trueheart Smith.
In an earlier address to Parliament, Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer indicated that, "In order to remedy some of the deficiencies in the ability of the police service to meet present-day challenges, the government has provided a task force with the necessary resources and it is about to commence its duties."
Meanwhile, the appointment of the country's first female Commissioner of Police has been met with mixed reactions from the members of the force. Caribbean Net News spoke with an Inspector at the St. John's Police Station who indicated that, "I am in full support of Commissioner Delano. She is a career policewoman who has worked very hard and I feel she will do her best to bring back some morale to our police force."
However, several other officers were not so complimentary and saw the appointment of Christopher as a purely "political move," arguing that the division is now being turned into a "petticoat force." Delano Christopher is also said to be breaking new ground, as she is believed to be the first woman in the Caribbean region to be appointed Commissioner of Police. (Sarrah Hadeed/Caribbean Net News Antigua-Barbuda Correspondent)
20 mei 2005
Police to continue Buxton campaign
The Police Force is determined to continue the campaign to clean up the safe haven criminals have found in Buxton, East Coast Demerara, a top government spokesman said yesterday.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat, dr. Roger Luncheon, told his weekly post-Cabinet news conference at the Office of the President that the Police Force has assured the administration that it will continue undauntedly in its efforts and commitment to flush out criminals and criminal elements operating in the troubled village.
Buxton has been a safe haven for criminals for more than two years and the police have been trying to ferret out dangerous gangs dug in there. In the latest battle in Buxton Tuesday night, a criminal was left dead and five policemen were injured when the vehicle they were in crashed after gunmen ambushed them.
In the exchange of gunfire, Delon Woodruffe – wanted in connection with the January 8 killing of ex-soldier Kion Jason Abrams – was shot dead. Police said they found an M-59 rifle next to Woodruffe and 14 live 7.62x39 rounds in his pockets. Four empty shells and a quantity of marijuana were also found on him.
Dr Luncheon yesterday said the approach taken by the Police Force in recent times with its “heightened presence” in and around the Buxton community, has obviously led to “very frequent interdictions”. This, he said, has led to (retaliatory) responses towards members of the Police Force by the criminal gang or gangs operating out of Buxton.
“The Guyana Police Force has indicated that (it) remained undaunted and that (it) will continue with (its) activities in Buxton and in the neighbouring communities until (it rids) these communities of the criminal elements,” Luncheon told reporters. He also reported that those in the administration responsible for national security have been provided with the most recent information on the situation on the whole and specifically as it related to Buxton. (Guyana Cronicle)
Two Guyanese detained in Suriname cocaine bust
PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Police in Suriname have detained three suspects, a Surinamese national and two Guyanese in a cocaine bust. The main suspect, 36 years old Guyanese, Denzel Park, along with a Suriname national was arrested last Thursday while driving from the Nickerie district to the capital Paramaribo.
Shortly before police made the arrest, Park illegally crossed the border from Guyana to Suriname where he had a meeting with a fellow countrywoman.
Police sources tell Caribbean Net News that he subsequently continued his trip with the Surinamese man to the capital, but before reaching Paramaribo he made a stop in the Coronie district where again he met the Guyanese woman who handed him two bags containing 50 kilos of cocaine. Shortly after the handover police responded on a tip and nabbed the two men.
The woman was arrested the next day, Friday, in Nickerie. Her car was found abandoned in Coronie. It is believed that Park brought the cocaine with him from Guyana and left it with the female suspect to deliver to him en route to the capital. The drugs were destroyed Saturday by police.
The border between Guyana and Suriname is a very busy smuggling route for all kinds of contraband varying from food items, fodder, drugs and gold. In January police nabbed a gang which for some time had been smuggling gold from Guyana and exporting the precious metal legally out of Suriname.
In this round-up a high ranked police officer, two Guyanese and a licensed gold exporter were arrested. They were fined and subsequently released, since the offence was settled as an economic one. (Ivan Cairo/Caribbean Net News Suriname Correspondent)
19 mei 2005
'Rat' gets 16 years for killing wife
Fanfair who is also known as 'Rat' was accused of stabbing his wife Claire Fanfair to death at their Den Amstel home in 2002. He was originally charged with murder but recently confessed to the lesser count of manslaughter in the High Court. Fanfair allegedly murdered Claire Fanfair on May 26, 2002. According to the particulars in the case, Fanfair had reportedly suspected his wife to be involved in an extra-marital affair. An argument subsequently arose between the two and Fanfair stabbed his wife several times to her body with various sharp instruments. Twenty-four-year-old Fanfair is a former resident of Lot 44 Den Amstel Public Road, West Coast Demerara. The post-mortem report revealed that Claire Fanfair died of haemorrhage and shock caused by multiple injuries. She reportedly received 31 stab wounds. Attorney-at-law Hukumchand represented Fanfair. Judy Latchman appeared on behalf of the state. (Stabroek News)
Allister Fanfair
Manslaughter accused Allister Fanfair was yesterday jailed for 16 years by Justice James Bovell-Drakes.
18 mei 2005
Wanted man shot dead in Buxton
Police seize high-powered rifle - Cop shot
BUXTON OPERATION: Police stand guard while an excavator is being used to remove the blocks on the road in Buxton yesterday.
A WANTED man was shot dead late yesterday afternoon after a group opened fire on a police patrol in the troubled Buxton, East Coast Demerara village, police spokesman John Sauers said.
A policeman was shot last night and hospitalised as police came under more fire in a continuing operation in the village. Mr. Sauers said the patrol first came under fire on Company Road, Buxton, at about 16:45 h.
In the exchange of fire that followed, Delon Woodruffe was shot dead and it was not immediately known if others were wounded, Sauers said.
Police found an M-59 rifle next to Woodruffe and 14 live 7.62x39 rounds in his pockets. Four empty shells and a quantity of marijuana were also found on him, the spokesman said. Residents in Buxton said gunfire continued into the night as police engaged the gunmen. Riot police were deployed into the village yesterday morning after the old railway embankment road was blocked at two points by debris, old cars and logs, he said. The blocked road forced drivers to divert to the main highway.
When the Guyana Chronicle visited the scene at around 13:30 h yesterday, most of the blocks had been removed with battle-ready riot police forming an effective cordon around the area. Sauers reported that the road was cleared and police continued patrols in the village. He said Woodruffe, of no fixed place of abode, was wanted for the murder of Kion Jason Abrams, an ex-soldier at Vigilance, East Coast Demerara on January 8, 2005.
Abrams was killed while he was with Simeon Hope, called Simeon Clarke, who was fatally shot during a confrontation with the police on January 13, at Buxton. Trouble flared in the village yesterday after a shootout between police and bandits Monday night in nearby Vigilance in which a security guard was wounded. (See other story on page ). Buxton has been a safe haven for criminals for more than two years and police have been trying to ferret out dangerous gangs dug in there. (Guyana Cronicle)
GDF sergeant arrested in New York
AN ARMY sergeant has reportedly been arrested at the John F. Kennedy international airport in New York after he was allegedly found with four kilos of cocaine wrapped on his body. Sources in New York said the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) sergeant was arrested around 15:45 h on Sunday after arriving on North American airways flight NA 092.
This newspaper understands that at the time of his arrest, the sergeant was absent without leave from the army since no authorisation or leave was granted for his departure from Guyana. An investigation has since been launched involving the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and law enforcement officials here, the sources said. (Guyana Cronicle)
17 mei 2005
Cocaine in fish accused freed
Osapha Agustus AndersonCocaine-in-fish accused Osapha Agustus Anderson was yesterday freed of his charge by Magistrate Adrian Thompson on the grounds that the identification parade did not follow the normal procedure.
Anderson, 29, who is also known as Osapha Humphrey and Collin Smith, allegedly tried to smuggle cocaine out of the country via the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri in a quantity of grey snapper in May last year.
He allegedly had in his possession 49 kilogrammes, 80 grammes of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.
Magistrate Thompson told the court he accepted that there was an attempt to ship cocaine to the USA but it was a matter of identification. Of two witnesses who identified the defendant in the ID parade, "one said that he had gotten the description from CANU which could fit anyone in the line up," said the magistrate. The other witness did not give a good description of the defendant to CANU, which is critical. "If no good description was given, why was he arrested?" the magistrate asked, noting that Anderson had a big tattoo on his arm and a distinct accent.
The two witnesses were also together at CANU and they should not have been together as the case was a matter of identification. According to Magistrate Thompson, the identification (ID) card number should have been put to the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom) witness to find out if it was genuine.
"The ID parade did not follow the normal procedure and on those grounds he is not guilty," Thompson said. The defendant who resides at 3063 North Ruimveldt had pleaded not guilty to the charge of trafficking in narcotics and Thompson had granted him $500,000 bail.
On May 15, 2004, 60 boxes of frozen fish were taken through customs inspection at the airport. As the boxes of fish were about to be loaded onto the plane, three Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) officers on duty intercepted them. The cocaine was allegedly found in 18 of the 60 boxes.
Anderson, who was deported from the USA last year, was arrested on a street in Georgetown. Attorneys-at-law Mark Waldron and Glen Hanoman were representing Anderson. CANU prosecutor Oswald Massiah appeared on behalf of the state. (Stabroek News)
14 mei 2005
Goats in mini-bus
POLICE yesterday detained four men they said were apprehended by a public-spirited farmer, as they emerged from Number Nine backdam, West Coast Berbice, with three goats in a mini-bus.
The arresting man had stopped the vehicle in which the quartet was travelling and the suspects could not have proved ownership of the animals.
After a scuffle, the group was escorted to Blairmont station, West Bank Berbice, where the owner claimed his livestock, police said. Police said they have seized the bus and charges are expected to follow at Blairmont Court on Monday. (Guyana Cronicle)
High-school student gang-raped in Antigua
Police doing nothing says POWA
ST. JOHN'S, Antigua: The reported "gang-rape" of a female high school student earlier this week, has angered the Professional Organization of Women in Antigua (POWA).
A Criminal Investigation Department (CID) spokesman also confirmed to Caribbean Net News that a "dragnet" of sorts has been set as officers are on the lookout for the male trio who reportedly took turns at raping the 14-year-old student.
"… there are adult males in society who prey on children. Pedophilia does exist in Antigua and to a large degree, to a large degree," stressed POWA's Vice President Cathy-Anne Benjamin who added that, "Antigua to me is almost at the position where we should have our girls under lock and key".
News of the rape has rekindled memories of the vexing case in which several prominent local businessmen were held and questioned by the police for being allegedly involved in an "escort service" involving teenage girls. City police told Caribbean Net News that the matter was brought to light when one young woman's anatomy was badly damaged and "her mother became irate and called the cops".
One upset POWA member told Caribbean Net News that that case "vanished into thin air and some of the teenagers involved were "shipped" out of the country." POWA has accused law enforcement officials of doing nothing.
"I find our girl children are forever under attack and the law does nothing… we are very much concerned that we are not serious in Antigua about taking care of our children especially our girl children," Benjamin said while speaking on the radio Friday. (Sarrah Hadeed/Caribbean Net News Antigua-Barbuda Correspondent.)
12 mei 2005
Suriname cabinet minister resigns amidst corruption scandal
PARAMARIBO, Suriname: A Surinamese cabinet minister resigned on Wednesday after mounting political pressure. Civil Works Minister Dewanand Balesar on his own request was relieved of his duties by President Ronald Venetiaan.
In a statement issued by the Office of the President, the Head of State said minister Balesar asked to be relieved due to a criminal investigation on probable fraudulent matters at the ministry. The scandal comes in an unfavorable time for the New Front coalition, since it is the last stretch to the May 25 general elections in Suriname.
At a party meeting Wednesday evening, Venetiaan said that he held an emergency meeting with the coalition leaders and the minister before the latter decided to resign. The party leader sees the resignation as little injury to the coalition.
The State Accountants Service (CLAD) found evidence of the minister’s possible involvement in a corruption scandal at his ministry. The police Fraud Squad is now investigating the issue and has already taken three senior officials into custody.
On Friday an official who was in charge of the department of Garbage Collection was taken into custody for, amongst other things, forgery and fraud. He allegedly established a dummy company and won several contract from the ministry. Without doing any of the works he was supposed to, he claimed for expenses and was subsequently paid. The deposits were made in two banking accounts reportedly linked to the Civil Works Minister.
It is reported that at least 24 contracts were awarded to fictitious contractors. On Wednesday morning the Assistant Manager of the Architectural Department and the Financial Manager of the ministry were also arrested by police.
According to the State Accountants Service, at least two subordinates of the minister give evidence that their actions were sanctioned or commissioned by the minister. In their investigation police found “more incriminating evidence than they expected” sources told the media. Since the scandal surfaced in mid-February Minister Balesar denied the allegations. He said that if he committed any wrongdoing, he will face the consequences.
Although there is strong criminal evidence pointing to the minister, due to his immunity police cannot press charges or take him into custody. Only if parliament brings charges against a cabinet minister, can a criminal prosecution start. Since the National Assembly, Suriname’s parliament, is in recess it is not likely that minister Balesar will be indicted before the May 25 elections.
For the moment, Vice-President Jules Ajodhia won’t respond to the results of the investigations. Asked on Wednesday afternoon if the minister should not resign voluntarily or be suspended by the president, Ajodhia stressed at a press briefing that the minister would have to decide for himself what to do in this situation.
The president can only suspend or discharge the minister, the vice-president said, if the state prosecutor informs him of a serious criminal suspicion against the minister. A couple of hours after the press meeting the minister resigned.
According to fellow ministers Humphrey Hildenberg (Finance) and Ronald Assen (Defence) it is too early to conclude if Minister Balesar is guilty. Therefore it is better to wait for the completion of the investigations both ministers suggested. “If there is evidence of the minister’s involvement, than he has to pay,” Minister Hildenberg added.
Both officials stressed that the beleaguered minister is politically responsible for his ministry, “but you can’t hold him accountable for every wrongdoing of his subordinates.”
Fighting corruption and bringing officials of the previous government to justice was one of the priorities for the Venetiaan administration. Former minister Errol Alibux is the only top official until now brought to trial and subsequently sentenced to a 1 year prison sentence for forgery in November 2003.
He supposedly falsified a cabinet document to justify the procurement of a building for the government. Much more was paid for the premises than the actual value. The former minister was released in August last year after serving eight months in jail. (Ivan Cairo/Caribbean Net News Suriname Correspondent)
11 mei 2005
Ex-cop jailed for seven years over noxious substance throwing
Benn's reply was, "Your honour, I maintain my innocence." Benn was on trial for throwing a noxious substance with intent on Tenogney Leitch and her daughter at Nurney Village, Corentyne on August 5, 2000.
Last week the 12-member jury unanimously found her guilty of the offence. According to the probation report, Benn was the second of three girls for her parents who are now divorced. Her father's financial contribution to his daughters left much to be desired. Benn's former teachers described her as a pleasant child who loved sports. The report added that her mother physically abused her.
She entered the police force in 1993 and married a constable in May 1998. They have three sons whose ages are five, ten and 12 years. The probation officer said she also suffered abuse. In one incident of abuse, Benn sustained burns about her body, which seemed to have set the precedent for the offence for which she was convicted, the officer read.
The probation report went on to say that residents of the village described Benn as a person who was confrontational, quick to get angry and headstrong. She was also described as a good and loving mother. Benn, the probation officer said, had expressed remorse at her action, which sadly, did not ring true. She has seemingly divorced herself from the act and was in denial, blaming everyone from her mother to her husband as being responsible for the position she is in now, the officer said.
The report concluded that Benn seemed to have a lot of suppressed anger over unresolved issues from childhood to her marriage and that she is herself a victim of her community. After the report was read Benn's lawyer Motee Singh asked the judge to be merciful to his client. He asked the judge to exercise his discretion and to be lenient as regards the sentencing since she is a mother of three who single-handedly takes care of her children, since the father works elsewhere.
But Justice William Ramlal responded that Benn should have considered the fact that she had children before committing the act. He also noted that at the time she was a policewoman and was supposed to uphold the law. The judge added that Benn behaved recklessly. This was Benn's third trial. (Stabroek News/Keisha McCammon)
10 mei 2005
Slingerz' owner charged with attempted murder, illegal gun and ammo 
Faiaz Ali
Faiaz Ali, 26, was not required to plead to the indictable charge of attempted murder but pleaded not guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition, both without being the holder of a firearm licence. Ali was subsequently granted a total of $500,000 bail by Acting Chief Magistrate Cecil Sullivan.
Police alleged that Ali was playing his music set at Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling on Labour Day when Delon Eloxey who is stationed at the Wales Police Station went to him and instructed him to stop the music as the time permitted had passed.
Ali reportedly became annoyed and pulled a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol from his pants waist and pointed it to the policemen's chest. Ali reportedly pulled the trigger three times but no rounds were discharged as the gun malfunctioned. Ali was later arrested and taken to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station. Police said the gun, when examined had ten live rounds.
Puran said while his client was at the police station the police refused to take him to seek medical attention. Puran said he personally took a doctor to see him and that took one and a half hours. The defence counsel later said that his client had to undergo surgery to remove a piece of glass from the bottle that was stuck in the middle of his head.
Police prosecutor Kevin Adonis in response told the court the policeman simply went to stop the party after the time that was given had expired. Adonis said it annoyed Ali and he fired three times at the policeman but the gun jammed. Adonis said that another rank who was present took the gun from Ali and took him into custody. After listening to both sides the magistrate granted Ali $500, 000 bail. The matter continues at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magis-trate's Court on May 20. (Stabroek News)
US deportees a problem for Antigua-Barbuda law enforcement
Colonel Walker and PM Spencer (right)
ST. JOHN'S, Antigua: "US deportees to Antigua and Barbuda are causing serious problems for law enforcement officials in the country," says Chief Immigration Officer, Lieutenant Clyde Walker.
Walker, a former Commander of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force (ABDF) said that 90 percent of those deported from the USA have been in prison for crimes, ranging from drug offences, manslaughter, murder and rape, with the remaining 10 percent of small offences such as immigration violation.
Speaking on Observer Radio Monday, the Immigration Chief pointed out when the deportees return home, "They tend to join up with the local criminals and this is the reason why the police are having difficulty in detecting some of these crimes because the crimes that they are being committed here are uncharacteristic of what we are accustomed to."
The police are hard-pressed in dealing with the deportees
It has been reported that approximately 36 persons have been deported to Antigua and Barbuda so far for 2005.
However, several senior police officials, though agreeing that the deportees play a role in the increase in crime in the country, have apportioned some blame to the new Spencer Administration, claiming that certain statements made by the Prime Minister when he was in opposition have lent support for gangs and violence.
One Senior Sergeant told Caribbean Net News, "It was Mr. Spencer who spoke in the House of Parliament and told the Speaker of The House, 'we have plenty gang.' It was that same Mr. Spencer who called on the citizenry to 'chop up' tax collectors, our CID have a recording of him making these statements."
The officer went on to point out that as a result, some persons when arrested, boast to the police that they are supporters of the UPP.
"Some statements were made regarding deficiencies in the force but that comes as a result of serious political interference in some instances," the Sergeant said. (Sarrah E. Hadeed Caribbean Net News Antigua-Barbuda Correspondent)
9 mei 2005
DEAD: Rajesh Somra, also known as ‘Sunil’.POLICE on the East Coast of Demerara are investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths of a minibus conductor and his female ‘friend’. The bodies, which bore several wounds, were fished out of a trench behind the house the couple reportedly shared in the Annandale South Squatting Area.
The bodies of 28-year-old Rajesh Somra, also called ‘Sunil’ and his ‘reputed wife’, Rookmini Singh, also called ‘Mary, 24, were found around 05:30 h yesterday in a trench less than 50 feet away from their home.Enquiries disclosed that Somra, who was a conductor on a Route 44 minibus, and the woman, who worked as a waitress at a popular Indian restaurant in Georgetown, were usually engaged in fights and quarrels.
DEAD: Rookmini, also known as ‘Mary’
Neighbours told Police that earlier in the morning, screams were heard emanating from
the house where the couple lived. But when neighbours checked the couple’s residence, they were nowhere to be seen. Their bodies were later found with several marks of violence, relatives told the Chronicle last night.
The Police confirmed that Somra had several cuts to the head while Singh had multiple stab wounds to her head. The Police also said a hammer, which had “stains suspected to be that of blood” was found in the house and has since been lodged in Police custody. Police said, too, it is not clear how the deaths may have occurred, but relatives and neighbours are of the strong view that the couple may have been murdered. 
From left: Sunil’s brother, Nathram, ‘ex-wife’ Debbie, mother Lena Somra and father Dindial Somra.
Visibly upset and in tears, Ramrup recalled that she was awoken at about 03:00 h yesterday by persons calling for her and her husband. The woman said she woke up her husband, and on looking out the window, she recognised her daughter’s neighbours, who informed them that “something fishy” is going on at her daughter’s residence. The neighbours said that they had heard quarrelling and then a splashing noise, as if something or someone were being thrown overboard, followed by an eerie silence.
Ms Ramrup said she called the Vigilance Police Station, but was unable to make contact with the officers there. Her husband and a few neighbours then decided to go and check her daughter’s residence, a short distance away in the neighbouring village of Annandale. Upon arriving there, they found the house empty and the front door ajar. A lamp was burning and by its light, the group saw what looked like bloodstains in the hallway and the bedroom.Sensing that something was very wrong, the group began to search the premises for the missing couple. Ramrup said that it was not until around 05:00 h that her husband and the rest of the search party decided to search the trench behind the couple’s home. They first located Somra’s body, which was dressed only in a pair of briefs. Moments later, they came upon Singh’s body. She was wearing gold bangles, earrings and a chain.
Rookmini’s mother, Bhanmatie Ramrup, and her four-year-old daughter, Christine.Singh leaves to mourn her four-year-old daughter, Taramatie Singh, called ‘Christine’ from a previous marriage. Her mother said Singh started to have a common law relationship with Somra a little over a year ago, after she separated from her husband. But Somra’s parents claimed that their son was just a “visitor” to Singh’s residence and he would normally return after a day or two to their home in Mon Repos North.
Somra’s 70-year-old father, Mr. Dindial Somra, said he last saw and spoke to his son two days. The pensioner indicated that he tried to talk to his son on several occasions pleading with the young man to change “his sweet-man ways” but to no avail. “Me talk to he several times about this nonsense he’s doing… but he didn’t hear, so he feel now,” Mr. Somra told the Chronicle last night.
He said Sunil was his second child to have died, leaving four sons and two daughters. “I believe it is foul play,” the older man said. It is understood that Sunil Somra separated from his wife, Debbie, about a year ago because of his relationship with Singh. Debbie, who was at her in-laws’ home for the wake last night, said she married Somra five years ago, but her marriage broke up about a year ago due to “this other woman”, referring to Singh. Debbie said although she and Somra have been living apart, they would still “see” each other “on and off”.
She also indicated that Somra had three children between five and ten years of age from previous liaisons. Two of the children live with their mother in Beterverwagting (BV), while the other child lives with his mother in Buxton. Both bodies are at a City mortuary awaiting post mortem examinations. (Guyana Cronicle / Mark Ramotar)
Task force another 'Mongoose Gang' says Antigua Labour Party
Deficiencies abound in Antigua and Barbuda's Police
Force says PM Spencer
ST. JOHN'S, Antigua: A special task force designed to halt "organised crime and corruption by government officials" is nothing more than a "modern-day Mongoose Gang" whose aim is to terrorise and arrest former Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ALP) government officials says the ALP.
Speaking in Parliament Thursday, Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer pointed out that his 13-month old United Progressive Party (UPP) coalition Administration has been given a mandate by the people of Antigua and Barbuda to do away with corruption in high places, organized crime as well as misconduct in public office, adding that, the special task force is to aid in speeding up the prosecution process and to assist the police.
"In order to remedy some of the deficiencies in the ability of the police service to meet present-day challenges, the government has provided a task force with the necessary resources and it is about to commence its duties, " said Spencer, blaming the former administration for not taking such a step while in office.
"Successive ALP governments did not take steps to establish such a task force or to remedy any deficiencies in the administration of the police service for it to be able to effectively fight corruption and organised crime. Our government took steps to establish this task force in order to remedy some of the deficiencies in the duties of the police service to meet present day challenges."
News of the establishment of the task force has unnerved top ALP officials and brought quick reaction form former Prime Minister and political leader of the ALP Lester Bird who has accused the Government of going on a "witch hunt" and drew reference to the formation of the notorious "Special Police" (SPs) which was set up by the People's Liberation Movement Government of former Premier George Walter in the early 1970s.
ALP officials have called the task force a 'Mongoose Gang', with the party's leader, Bird, saying the formation of the task force is the government's way of appeasing such UPP support groups like the Lock Up Movement Party (LUMP) and others who have been agitating for the arrest and prosecution of those involved in the alleged removal of files from the Office of the Prime Minister and other allegations of theft in high political circles.
Bird noted that two distinguished Directors of Public Prosecution have concluded that there is no evidence to prove a case in the missing files issue and has accused the government of further dividing the nation.
Meanwhile, it was also announced that a former Attorney-General of Trinidad and Tobago Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, has been given the job as legal counsel to the task force, Maharaj is said to be experienced in white collar crimes, having established a similar task force to fight organised crime and official corruption in his native Trinidad and Tobago.
The corruption issue in Antigua and Barbuda has heightened the interest of a number of observers the world-over now that a new government has taken office. However, there are those who argue that nothing has changed.
While in opposition, Spencer and his UPP had consistently accused the former ministers of the ALP administration of being "knee deep in corruption." However, following sharply on his inauguration as the country's third Prime Minister, an embarrassed Spencer was forced to admit that two of his party's high profile officers resigned (one was later arrested and charged) after being implicated in a scandal involving the planned sale of a cellular phone service.
More recently, questions are being raised about a US$25 million car park to be constructed by a Trinidadian firm. Residents argue that the palatial prime minister's office, the country's ultra-modern High Court Building and two other stately-looking government offices, which were built by the Hadeed Group cost far less, thus, making the projects suspect.
Spencer himself had his creditability seriously questioned when he and an ALP Senator appeared as character witnesses before a high court judge in St. John's during a murder trial that "stunned" the nation, involving the death a Jamaican national. (Sarrah Hadeed / Caribbean News Network Antigua and Barbuda Correspondent)
7 mei 2005
THE house in which Gary Persaud was attacked.GARY Persaud, called Dan I, 43, died after he was attacked and robbed Wednesday night at his home in Stanleytown, New Amsterdam.
He was set upon by four men wearing cloaks, one carrying a gun, and died after he was shot in the left shoulder. Neighbours said they saw the four men strolling into the street at about 21:00 h but did not pay much attention , until Persaud, who was closing the gate to his yard shortly after returning home was overheard saying, “Don’t do we anything, I will give you anything I got.”
They said they shortly after heard two gunshots and the four men were seen leaving hurriedly. Nineteen-year-old Pamela Barclay, with whom Persaud lived, was heard shouting for help and neighbours assisted in taking the wounded man to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Sandra King, who has two sons for Persaud, told the Chronicle that just before the shooting, Barclay telephoned her requesting a number for the police, saying thieves were holding him in the yard.
His mother Doris, an overseas-based Guyanese, said he was her lone offspring in the country, as the others resided overseas. She also recalled receiving a telephone call from Barclay but said she could not be of any help. Police said the four robbed Persaud of jewellery he was wearing and escaped. (Guyana Cronicle)
5 mei 2005
Man dragged from pick-up, tortured and shot dead
On Tuesday night, Paul Harry, who according to villagers was "a man who just deh bout" was executed on a dam at the back of Eccles shortly after a pick-up drove into the area.
Police in a press release said Harry was found around 7:50 pm. His body bore multiple wounds and what appeared to be gunshots. Harry was clad at the time in a black net vest and black trunks and was barefoot.
A group of men who were nearby at the time said they were hanging out around 8 pm when they saw a pick-up slowly driving down a dam which separates the industrial site from a canefield.
One of the men said they were a bit anxious, noting that a little over a year ago several persons were taken to the said area where the vehicle was heading and killed. And their suspicions were confirmed when the vehicle stopped a few metres before it got to a huge tree on the dam and about four men came out. According to the eyewitnesses, they could see the occupants of the vehicle who could not see them since the place was a bit dark.
Once the four men jumped out of the vehicle they dragged Harry out and pulled him a short distance from the tree. Once there, Stabroek News was told that, loud noise erupted for about two minutes. Witnesses said lashes followed. Stabroek News observed two pieces of wood at the spot where Harry's body was found and the eyewitnesses believe that his killers might have tortured him before shooting him five times.
They said they heard someone crying and as the lashes continued the person began hollering in pain. This continued for about ten minutes then five shots rang out. The place became very quiet after the shooting, one eyewitness said, and the killers walked back to their vehicle and slowly drove out of the area.
It took the men one hour before they visited the scene and when they did, they discovered Harry's body in flames. "It was smoking. Like the men dem burn he after shooting he," one witness said. The man's head was bashed in, with blood covering his face and severe wounds all over his feet and hands. The witness said the fire seemed to have been started on Harry's head since a huge chunk of his hair was burnt.
The police were called in and made arrangements for the body to be transported to the Lyken Funeral Parlour. Harry according to reports previously resided in the Wellington Street house which the City Council dismantled two years ago. Since then he had had no fixed place of abode.
A resident of Sophia said he was not been there for three days now. The man observed that Harry would visit the village every now and then at which time he would play dominoes and draughts with other villagers before disappearing. Stabroek News was unable to make contact with any of his relatives. Dozens of young men have met their deaths under similar circumstances which many believe might have been the work of a death squad. (Stabroek News)
St. Hill allegedly wounded Raymond Skeete with intent to commit murder. It is also alleged that on the same day St. Hill unlawfully and maliciously discharged a loaded firearm at Skeete. Additionally, St. Hill is also accused of discharging a loaded firearm at police constable Dwane Cummings and damaging a police car in the process.
Police alleged that Skeete went to a police car which had stopped at the corner of Hunter Street and Indepen-dence Boulevard to report a robbery under arms which was reportedly committed on him. According to reports St. Hill saw Skeete speaking to constable Cummings and approached them. He reportedly attempted to pull Skeete away from the constable. However that attempt failed and St. Hill reportedly discharged four rounds at the two men, hitting Skeete in the chest and abdomen while another round struck the right-side door of the police vehicle.
Skeete was rushed to the public hospital where he was admitted for his injuries. St. Hill reportedly escaped shortly after the shooting. The matter will be called again on May 31. (Stabroek News)
UNICEF Resident Representative Maria Ribeiro, left, with Prime Minister Sam Hinds, Minister within the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security Bibi Shadick, second from right, Minister of Amerindian Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues, right, and behind Ms Shadick, Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy, along with students who participated at the launching ceremony.THE Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security wants to ensure that violence does not become the first or last resort in settling conflicts, Minister within the ministry, Ms Bibi Shadick said yesterday. She outlined the aim of the ministry’s programmes at the Umana Yana in Georgetown during the launching of a report on violence against children.
Violence, she said, should not be an option in resolving societal conflicts. Shadick reported that the ministry, in collaboration with other agencies and organisations, is formulating and implementing programmes geared towards curbing the use of violence. The report entitled `Voices of children: experiences with violence’ looks at the impact of different forms of violence on the lives of children in Guyana.
It also outlines the actions the ministry has taken in partnership with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to help children in Guyana grow up in an environment free of violence. The report was compiled from a study commissioned by the ministry in collaboration with the Red Thread Women’s Development Programme and UNICEF. First hand accounts were obtained from nearly 4,000 children (aged 3-17 years) across all 10 administrative regions about their experiences with all kinds of violence.
The study is part of the Children and Violence project launched in 2003 by the ministry with support from UNICEF and evolved from the government’s concern to ensure that children throughout Guyana are protected from abuse, neglect, exploitation and discrimination. Shadick said experience has shown that children who grew with violence will perpetrate violence during their adult lives.
“There is a need to listen to children and react to what they are saying in a positive way,” she urged, adding that in this way there will be fewer problems of violence against children. She observed too that even though girls outnumber boys entering for examinations, many school age girls are preoccupied with sexual partners.
In many cases, the girls get killed by those partners who are much older than them because though they may want to break off the relationship, the partners are not inclined to do so, she said. Shadick also underscored the importance of the media in helping to curb violence in the society and said journalists must be careful and sympathetic when reporting on issues pertaining to children and avoid being sensational.
She said that apart from the report, there is an ongoing public awareness programme and a pilot peace education initiative in several communities on non-violent resolution of conflicts. There are also plans to establish child protection committees in communities and a data base to monitor children who have been victims of violence or abuse, the minister said.
However, she noted that protection of children from violence and abuse is not only the responsibility of the government and NGOs. “It is everybody’s business,” she stressed. UNICEF Resident Representative here, Ms Maria Ribeiro noted that the report highlights the challenges and the urgency with which violence against children has to be addressed.
Rejecting the notion that some degree of violence is acceptable, she said it is unacceptable and children should be allowed to grow up in a peaceful and fulfilling environment. She added that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child caters for ensuring the protection of the rights of children through educational and legislative measures. One disturbing observation is that in many cases violence against children comes from the places or persons they should feel safe with, she said.
However, she noted that violence against children is not a problem restricted to Guyana, but is worldwide. Chief Probation and Family Welfare Officer in the ministry, Ms Ann Green, said it was imperative that people learn to live in peace and harmony and without hatred, greed and violence. She noted that children are the most vulnerable to violence and endure the worst types at homes, schools and in communities.
Coordinator of the Red Thread Women’s Development Programme, Ms Karen DeSouza, said a key aspect of the report was that children were given an opportunity to freely relate their experiences with violence. She urged that the implementation of legislative and other measures to protect children against violence be hastened, as the current situation makes it difficult to prosecute child abusers.
Ms Lisa Thompson, of the Children and Violence Advisory Board, said the wider community, including parents and the media, must become involved in changing the situation. Children must also be aware of their rights as well as their responsibilities, she said. She also commended the youthful research assistants who helped conduct the study, describing it as a “marvellous job.”
Youth Representative on the Advisory Board, Ms Stacy Gomes felt that ideals have to be changed and the problem of violence against children has to be urgently dealt with. (Guyana Cronicle/Chamanlall Naipaul)
4 mei 2005
Former cop guilty of throwing acid
The jury at the New Amsterdam High Court returned a unanimous verdict yesterday while being instructed to return a formal verdict of not guilty of throwing a noxious substance on the virtual complainant's daughter. The court then ruled that Benn be remanded to prison pending a probation report and sentencing on May 10.
It was alleged that on August 5, 2000, Benn threw the substance at Tenogney Leitch and her daughter at Nurney Village on the Corentyne. Earlier in the trial the court had ruled that the daughter of Tenogney Leitch was not competent to give unsworn testimony since she was three years old at the time of the incident.
Four of the children of Basant Dyndial: from left, bridegroom Rajen, Kushmanie, Bisham and Amesh
THE Monday night senseless slaying of two men and the wounding of another at a wedding house in Craig, East Bank Demerara, followed a robbery rampage by six men in the village and neighbouring Grove, terrified residents said yesterday.
Police were up to late yesterday trying to determine the motive behind the shooting attack in which Zaheed Khan, called ‘John Boy’, 24, of Lot 27 Singh Street, Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara, and Basant Dyndial of Grove Squatting Area, were killed.
John Sahadeo, 36, of Lot 150 Second Street, Craig, was also shot in the head and his wife Nalo told the Chronicle that he underwent emergency surgery but was late yesterday still critical in the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
Terror struck as relatives and guests were celebrating the marriage of Sahadeo’s son Rajen, 20, and Dyndial’s daughter Devika, 16. Khan was playing the music and there was merriment in the air when horror swooped on the wedding house in the form of a lone gunman who witnesses said seemed crazy. Relatives of the young couple who were married Sunday denied a report in another newspaper yesterday that the killer may have been hired by another man in love with the teenage bride.
They and neighbours said the gunman seemed to have been a member of a gang that had earlier swept through the two villages and nearby Kaneville. The tragic events unfolded around 20:30 h when the gunman, who witnesses described as ‘short and stocky’ walked into the yard where the wedding was held, using a young woman and her baby as his shield.
According to Rakesh Raghubir, he and several men were sitting on a bench under the house when the timid looking woman walked into the yard. It was only when she got closer that they saw a gun by her chest and someone behind her was holding it, he said. The gunman had apparently held up the woman and her child and hid behind them as he stalked the wedding party, residents said.
Raghubir, who lives about three houses away from the wedding house, said the gunman seemed disorganised as he ordered them all to lie on the ground and began shooting wildly. “He tell we fuh lie on de ground and don’t move or he gon shoot we”, he recalled. He said one shot hit Basant Dyndial in the region of the heart and he slumped over on the bench, dead.Eyewitnesses recalled that although they complied with the gunman’s request to lie on the ground, he continued to fire indiscriminately. Another shot hit Khan in the chest and he managed to drag himself to a post where he bled to death, they said. Sahadeo was also hit by a bullet, they said.
Yesterday, Khan’s sister Molly said she had spoken to her brother earlier in the night and he had promised to be home shortly. “He seh that it was de last night for de wedding and he gon come home”, she recalled.
The humble abode of John and Nalo Sahadeo which was targeted by the gunman
Nalo said the man declared that he wanted revenge for an accomplice who was shot earlier that night. “He seh that somebody shoot he friend and he want revenge”, she told the Chronicle. Others at the wedding house said the man kicked and beat them but did not rob them.
The ordeal lasted some 15 minutes before the gunman took three girls from the wedding house including the bride, Devika. Witnesses said he demanded that they take him to a house that had money. The frightened girls took him to a house five yards down the street where the man proceeded to beat and rob those inside.
However, residents who had heard the shots fired earlier had telephoned the police who responded quickly. Witnesses said the man panicked as the cops arrived and fled, leaving his booty behind, but not before engaging the police briefly in gunfire. Nalini Khan, one of those in the house that the gunman barged into, said he slammed her against the wall while she was holding her baby.He also hit Kamala Singh on the side of her head with the gun butt and cuffed her about the body. Villagers said the killer was one of six men who had earlier attempted to rob a home in neighbouring Kaneville. Barbot Paul, 53, of 312 Second Field, Kaneville, said the six had earlier that night surrounded his yard. He said he returned home around 20:05 h and checked his yard as was his custom.
He said that as he was heading to the back of the yard, he heard the rustling of leaves and the sound of someone walking in the yard. Less than a minute after, his neighbour’s daughter began shouting “Thief! Thief!”, he related. “I fired shots and they began to run through the yard”, Paul said. He said two of the men jumped the eastern fence, three jumped the southern fence, and the other made his way to the front.The men left a green bag containing three jerseys, a tin of mace, a Rolex wrist watch and a pair of scissors behind. The description given by Kaneville residents fit that of the man who later carried out the deadly attack on the wedding house. Another Grove resident, Sakoor Shebalall, was severely beaten by another gunman around 21:30 h Monday. (Guyana Cronicle)
1 mei 2005
T&T, Jamaica 'horrors'
CRIMINALITY has emerged as a major challenge today in a number of Caribbean Community jurisdictions. But none more so than for Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago with their respective alarming murder rates, armed robberies and kidnappings for ransom.
Quite frequently, the criminal rampage compels priority headlines coverage, leaving Heads of Government and/or their National Security Ministers striking pathetic postures with warnings to criminals and assurances to victims that hardly generate public confidence.
By last weekend, Jamaica, with its unenviable reputation as the murder capital of the Western Hemisphere on a per capita basis, had recorded some 450 killings for 2005.
Trinidad and Tobago, which has an unequally unflattering profile as the "kidnapping centre" for ransom among hemispheric states, was revealing 105 murders and at least 18 known kidnapping cases already for the year.
Guyana and Barbados seem to be heading for third and fourth position respectively in the depressing criminal scenarios. Whenever a populace, even one perceived as being numb to crimes of murder and armed robbery, is shocked and disgusted enough to scream outrage and fear, it is not unusual for government spokesmen to roar warnings of new and tough anti-crime strategies.
No surprise, therefore, that Prime Minister Patrick Manning felt compelled last week to threaten to "lock down" Trinidad and Tobago, if necessary, to systematically move against the criminals. He also warned of the re-introduction of corporal punishment for young convicted offenders. The cynics may say that they have heard "that kind of talk before". A hard-hitting editorial in last ‘Sunday Express’, had this rather disturbing observation:
"From armed robbery to kidnapping, to murder, criminals have come to believe that they can do what they please; not simply because of police inadequacy, but because of the loopholes in bail procedures, the slowness of court operations and, indeed a prison system that seems not only to breed criminals but to facilitate criminal activity both on the inside and the outside..."
In Jamaica, the wastage of lives, many of them young people - as in Trinidad and Tobago - has resulted in some folks taking the law into their own hands, with dreadful consequences. In two known cases, one suspected robber was beaten to death; and in another, two were hacked to death. Such 'jungle law' behaviour has outraged the human rights group ‘Jamaicans for Justice’. Its president, Susan Goffe, has sternly warned: "This is not justice. It is mob murder... Bypassing due process of law eats away at the heart of the justice system..."
But there was a different and comparatively creative response from a group of deeply distressed mothers over the escalating killings of sons and daughters, many leaving behind children for whom others must bear the burden for their survival. Under the leadership of mom Doreen Billings, these women have formed ‘Mothers in Crisis’ with the aim, as reported by the ‘Jamaica Gleaner’, to use their influence as mothers with first-hand experience in tribulations associated with the consequences of sons and daughters who have ran foul of the law.
The group is encouraging empowerment of mothers with ideas on how to get their loved ones back from crime - and in so doing, reduce the crime rate. Expansion of witness protection programmes and independent monitoring by a civilian body of the operations of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) are among some new measures being pursued by the P.J. Patterson administration.
However, given the increasing interdependence of CARICOM states and cross-border crimes, the region's people are yet to be informed about creative collective responses to beat back the crime plague afflicting too many jurisdictions. The Regional Task Force on Crime would know that criminal networking has expanded from the national to regional boundaries and that the need for greater and more imaginative anti-crime intelligence gathering is an imperative for most, if not all member states of the Community.
At the same time, we are often faced with conflicting complaints from some police services of shortage of manpower, technical and mobile resources; while, on the other hand, there are governments that point to significant beefing up of required resources but still confronted with poor anti-crime performances.
When the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police meet in St Croix this month for their annual conference, they should perhaps adjust their agenda to come forward with a collective presentation to the Community's governments of a report with proposals for a minimum set of priority initiatives to combat crime at the national/regional level. Such an initiative could be a welcome departure from the traditional business of the Association. (Guyana Cronicle/Analysis by RICKEY SINGH)