Trinidad DPP to determine criminal charges against former CL Financial executives
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard has been asked by Trinidad and Tobago Attorney General Anand Ramlogan to determine if criminal charges should be laid against former CL Financial executives Lawrence Duprey and Andre Monteil.
Ramlogan on Wednesday directed that all files relating to the probe into the collapse of insurance giant CLICO be forwarded to the DPP.
Ramlogan's action follows the civil lawsuit filed Tuesday by the Central Bank and CLICO against Duprey and Monteil for alleged mismanagement and misappropriation of CLICO assets, which led to the fall of CLICO in January 2009.
In an interview with the Trinidad Express, Ramlogan vowed that government will leave no stone unturned to ensure justice for thousands of CLICO policyholders who were affected by the collapse of the company.
“I have directed that all information acquired as a result of the probe conducted for these civil cases be shared with the DPP in the hope that it may be of some assistance. The government has no control for criminal prosecution, that is a matter for the DPP based on evidence unearthed by proper police investigations,” Ramlogan said.
“We intend to pursue a number of high profile scandals (not limited to CLICO) that rocked the last administration. More will be said about this in the coming months,” he said.
Ramlogan said the CLICO “case will raise the propriety of various property transactions and energy transactions and the sale to (Andre) Monteil's Stone Street of seven million HMB (Home Mortgage Bank) shares which had been the subject of much public controversy.”
He said that fraud expert John Powell QC, together with Leigh Ann Mulcahy, will lead a team of five lawyers on behalf of the Central Bank.
“It is the first of what shall be a series of actions to be filed in the CLICO fiasco. Any and or all allegations of wrongdoing shall be put before the court to determine whether the evidence warrants judicial intervention and remedy,” said Ramlogan.
“The government intends to vigorously assert its rights in this matter in the public interest so that any allegation of wrongdoing and misconduct can be properly ventilated,” he continued.
“It is clear that CLF became increasingly a behemoth built on debt. Insurance companies must be operated and managed prudently and competently to safeguard the interest of its policyholders,” Ramlogan added.
“At some stage, it was clear that CLICO's assets did not match its liabilities in order to generate the sums needed to pay the rates of return contractually due to policyholders and mutual fund investors,” he said.
“The government empathises with the distressed and traumatised depositors and policyholders and intends to leave no stone unturned in its quest for justice on their behalf in this matter,” Ramlogan said.
In 2009, the then-PNM government and the Central Bank took control of CLICO after the company could not repay several billion dollars owed to policyholders and creditors of the country's largest insurance company.
LIAT to meet as airline rescinds job cuts for now
Talks were set to resume Friday in Antigua between the region’s trade unions and LIAT after the regional airline rescinded dozens of redundancy letters stemming from the closure of city ticket offices region-wide, the unions' chief spokesman told the Caribbean Media Corporation late Thursday.
The unions appeared set to resume talks on ways of saving the jobs through transfers or subcontracting services while the carrier moved to slash costs amid widespread criticism of the high cost of intra-regional travel and a shaky financial position for the 55-year-old island-hopping carrier that is owned by regional governments.
Cana News
US to protect Caribbean immigrants from bogus lawyers
United States immigration officials today announced they were teaming up with federal and state prosecutors, the government’s commerce watchdog, lawyers and campaigners in a new effort to combat an “epidemic” of bogus immigration lawyers.
The campaign is an effort by the Obama administration to step up one form of assistance to immigrant communities, which have intensified their criticism of the president in the wake of a record pace of deportations to the Caribbean and elsewhere in the last two years.
This is the first-ever coordinated crackdown on fake immigration lawyers by federal and state agencies working together with local immigrant aid organisations, officials said.
Courts officials in New York, California and other regions with major immigrant populations have reported a deluge of cases of immigrants seeking legal resident status through the courts, but ended up in labyrinths leading to deportation because of incompetent or fraudulent lawyers.
“Oftentimes, no documents have been filed for the immigrants, or they have been filed wrong and kicked back,” said Reid Trautz, director of the practice and professionalism centre of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
“It is a very good thing that a coalition of agencies is coordinating to take this on,” he added.
The effort involves an advertising campaign to show immigrants how to distinguish bogus from legitimate lawyers and immigration consultants. Prosecutors are also to seek to bring criminal cases to serve as examples.
In addition, the lawyers association would hold clinics to assist immigrant victims of fraudulent lawyers, and would provide training in immigration law for legitimate lawyers in other fields, Trautz said.
The Federal Trade Commission, which oversees business and commerce transactions nationwide, is to gather victims’ complaints in a central database.
A programme by the immigration court system will expand the number of local non-profit organisations trained and certified to provide basic legal services to immigrants.
The federal agency, Citizenship and Immigration Services, is leading the initiatives which began as a test programme in New York, Los Angeles, San Antonio and four other cities in January 2010.
Alejandro Mayorkas, a former federal prosecutor in California with a track record for bringing fake immigration lawyers to justice said it was “heartbreaking” to learn that the problem had not abated when he came to Washington to head the agency.
In New York, Wilmer Rivera Melendez, a Puerto Rican with a criminal record including a conviction for bigamy, coaxed as much 75,000 US dollars each from 14 immigrants from Guyana, claiming he was an immigration lawyer with two decades’ experience, Mayorkas said.
Most of the Guyanese were already in deportation proceedings by the time New York state prosecutors stopped Melendez, Mayorkas said. Rivera was sentenced in January to two years in prison.
Officials hope the campaign will ease the overload in the federal appeals courts, which hear appeals from immigration courts.
Dudus business partner cries foul
Justin Ogilvie, the business partner of former West Kingston strongman, Christopher 'Dudus' Coke is challenging the sum reportedly seized from his office during the incursion last year May.
The police have reported that $2.9 million was seized from the office located at Passa Passa Plaza, but Ogilvie has challenged the figure in court documents.
He says the actual sum was $5 million and that he is also missing a Rolex watch from the office.
The claims are made in a court document opposing an application by the Asset Recovery Agency in the Corporate Area Civil Court.
The agency is seeking a forfeiture order in respect of the reported $2.9 million which was seized from Ogilvie’s office.
The agency is maintaining that the money was obtained through illegal means, but Ogilvie claims the money was obtained through legitimate business deals.
The case is set for continuation on July 14 before resident magistrate Sonia Bertram Linton.
In the meantime, Oglivie has filed a motion in the Supreme Court for the money to be returned to him.
The office was searched during the hunt for Coke who is now in the US awaiting trial on gun and drug-related charges.
Convictions crisis in The Bahamas
While The Bahamas continued to suffer from a high rate of crime in 2010, only a small number of criminals were convicted for serious offences, newly released prison statistics show.
Only 32 percent of the 2,374 people admitted to prison last year were sentenced inmates.
And the vast majority of those inmates who were sentenced were convicted of petty crimes.
Of the 749 people who were sentenced in 2010, 72 percent of them were sentenced to serve a year or less in prison, according to Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP) 2010 Report, which was tabled in the House of Assembly on Wednesday by National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest.
Just 12 percent or 93 inmates were sentenced to more than two years.
Only 13 people (less than two percent of the people admitted to prison last year) were sentenced to 10 years or more in prison.
In 2010, only two people were sentenced for murder. Only four were sentenced for rape.
The country continues to experience a high rate of murder. Ninety-four were recorded last year and already 57 have been recorded this year.
Last year, 104 people were remanded for murder.
In 2010, 30 people were sentenced for crimes against the person and 433 were remanded.
The report shows that six people were sentenced for armed robbery; one was sentenced for attempted murder; five were sentenced for manslaughter; six were sentenced for other sexual offenses; three were sentenced for robbery; and another three were sentenced for unlawful sexual intercourse.
Three hundred and thirty-three people were sentenced for crimes against the property.
The majority of them were sentenced for stealing.
As it relates to other major offences, 168 people were sentenced for drug crimes and 123 people were sentenced for possession of ammunition and/or possession of unlicensed firearms.
For those crimes, 693 people were placed on remand.
In 2010, inmates on remand continued to represent the vast majority of the prison population.
Statistics show that 1,625 of the 2,374 people admitted to Her Majesty’s Prison in 2010 were remanded.
The number of people admitted in 2010 represents a three percent decrease over 2009.
The report shows that of the 1,633 people released from prison in 2010, 1,241 were released on bail or because their charges were dropped; 249 were released after serving their time; 58 were deported; and 85 paid their fines.
Nearly 90 percent of all inmates admitted to prison last year are Bahamian citizens.
CNN
Usain Bolt wins 200m in 19.86
Jamaican world-record holder Usain Bolt won the 200m at the Diamond League meet in Oslo, Norwary in a world leading time of 19.86 seconds.
He was well ahead of second place Jaysuma Saidy Ndure of Norway, who clocked 20.43 and Mario Forsythe, also of Jamaica, was third in 20.49.
Earlier, Jamaican Dwight Thomas shattered his 2009 national record but had to settle for second in the men’s 110-metre hurdles. Thomas set a new time of 13.15 seconds to finish behind American winner Aries Merrit who clocked a season-best 13.12.
In the women’s 400 metre, Novlene Williams-Mills of Jamaica clocked 51.17 seconds for third place. The event was won by Amantle Montsho of Botswana, who clocked a season-best 50.10 for the victory.
Jamaican Nickiesha Wilson was fourth in the women’s 400-metre hurdles in 55 point 8-7. Zuzana Hejnova of Czech won in 54 point 3-8.
And Vonette Dixon of Jamaica ended fourth in the women’s 100-metre hurdles in 13 point 0-7 to Norwegian Christina Vukicevic in a season-best 12 point 7-9.
FIFA extends Austin’s ban
FIFA has made CONCACAF acting president Lisle Austin’s ban worldwide, the governing body said yesterday. The 74-year-old Austin, who was deputising for suspended Jack Warner, was provisionally banned from the federation on Saturday for allegedly violating rules. But FIFA said that ban had been extended to global. “We can confirm that FIFA has today notified CONCACAF that the FIFA disciplinary committee has extended the provisional suspension of Lisle Austin at a worldwide level,” the body said in an e-mail to Reuters.
Warner, along with Asian Football Confederation chairman Mohamed Bin Hammam, were both suspended after allegations of bribery. CONCACAF are yet to explain the decision to suspend Austin, citing 'apparent infringement'. FIFA will not explain their decision either, only pointing to CONCACAF as the body who made the initial ban. But Austin’s spokesman Ryan Toohey said he knew nothing of FIFA’s latest decision. “Mr Austin has not been notified of any action by FIFA regarding any suspension. There is no existing suspension so there is nothing to extend,” he said.
Before FIFA’s statement, Austin said he was the victim and he planned to continue in his role as acting president. “These actions and additional statements questioning my leadership are being engineered by a faction of CONCACAF attempting to unlawfully seize control,” he said.
Rest for Rampaul, Bravo
West Indies have resisted the urge to include Chris Gayle for the third One-day International against India tomorrow at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground. The West Indies Cricket Board announced a13-member squad for the match, and Gayle was again a non-starter, despite Darren Sammy’s side struggling with the bat, and trailing 0–2 in the five-match series. “The WICB management and the WICB team management have not yet met with Chris Gayle, and as such, he has not been considered for selection,” said a WICB media release yesterday.
WICB officials said they could meet with the talismanic opener as early as next week, in an attempt to resolve lingering tensions, stemming from a controversial radio interview in April in which he heavily criticised the regional governing body, and West Indies coach Ottis Gibson. Gayle is unlikely to play in the ODI series, which ends on June 16 in his native Jamaica. The selectors have made two changes to the squad, with Danza Hyatt and Kemar Roach replacing Dwayne Bravo and Ravi Rampaul. The WICB said Dwayne Bravo made a request of the selection committee to be given a break from the game, and the request was granted.
This meant that Hyatt now has a chance to make his One-day International debut, after he made his first Twenty20 International appearance against Pakistan last month, and also played last Saturday’s T20I against India. After an intense period of heavy workload, Rampaul is being rested for tomorrow’s and Monday’s matches in Antigua, and Roach will return to the squad. Roach too, was rested for the T20I and first two ODIs in Trinidad, all of which West Indies lost, but he played in a One-day club match for Maple in his native Barbados, where he was the most expensive bowler, conceding 63 runs from ten overs with the reward of the scalp of fellow Barbados player Kyle Hope.
The WICB added that diminutive opener Adrian Barath will spend a week working at the High Performance Centre undergoing intense practice, in order to be considered for selection for the Test series, which opens on June 20 in Jamaica. Barath has been sidelined for the last three months with a hamstring injury, which he sustained just prior to the World Cup on the sub-continent. He has been playing in the club competitions in his native Trinidad & Tobago, and underwent a fitness examination over the last few days that the side was in Port-of-Spain. West Indies lost the opening ODI by four wickets last Monday at the Queen’s Park Oval, where they also lost the second ODI by seven wickets two days later.
Squad
Darren Sammy (captain), Carlton Baugh Jr, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Kirk Edwards, Danza Hyatt, Anthony Martin, Kieron Pollard, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons.
CMC
Iverson eyeing NBA comeback
Allen Iverson wants to keep his passport at home.
Ten years after he ruled the NBA as the cornrow-wearing, ink-stained MVP who led the Philadelphia 76ers to the finals, Iverson has his eyes on a comeback. He is determined to end a career possibly destined for the Hall of Fame in the NBA, not in some faraway country where brief YouTube clips are the only way to stay updated on the four-time scoring champion.
The road back to 20,000 fans a night, national television and, yes, that one final run at the championship he still craves has already started. It just won't be easy. Then again, few things ever have been for a man known as "The Answer."
He turned 36 this week. He played only 10 games in an injury-filled stint in Turkey after a lack of NBA interest forced him to seek employment elsewhere. In his most recent NBA season in 2009-10, Iverson left the Sixers in February.
That's not a lot of basketball for an aging veteran.
So what gives Iverson confidence he can still play anywhere near his former elite level next season?
"It's me," he said, laughing. "That's what gives me confidence. I know what I can do. Everybody in the world knows what I can do. Everybody knows what I can do on the basketball court."
Greeks March Against More Budget Cuts, Privatization
Angry Greeks are taking to the streets, demanding the government back off plans to save the economy by privatizing their government jobs.
Anger and frustration boiled over into the streets of Athens Thursday, with workers at state-run companies marching to save their jobs.
One trade union leader, Spiros Papaspiros, warns the proposed austerity measures will end in disaster.
He says selling off state-run companies will drive up costs and cut off a needed lifeline for many Greeks.
Still, many officials say something must be done as the economy continues to stagger. The government said Wednesday the unemployment rate rose to more than 16 percent in March, and to nearly 43 percent for young people aged 15 to 24.
Despite the vocal opposition, Prime Minister George Papandreou's plans for higher taxes and more privatization may not be enough.
Greece is already living on last year's $158 billion bailout from the European Union and International Monetary Fund. And Eurozone finance chief Jean-Claude Juncker said Thursday "it is obvious" Greece will need a second bailout in order to survive.